Arsenal stun Liverpool in five-goal thriller as Salah strikes again – live chaos
06.02.2026 - 12:09:21
The game had everything: Mohamed Salah on the scoresheet again, Bukayo Saka dragging Arsenal forward, a late Liverpool surge, and VAR dropping a bomb right when it mattered most. If you blinked, you missed a twist.
Arsenal 3–2 Liverpool – Saka vs Salah, and the Gunners just about survive
From the first whistle this felt like a Champions League knockout game disguised as a league fixture. Arsenal flew out of the blocks, snapping into tackles and pressing like their lives depended on it. And bang – on 11 minutes, they got their reward.
Martin Ødegaard slid a filthy reverse pass between the lines, Gabriel Martinelli burned down the left, cut it back across the box, and Bukayo Saka arrived on cue to guide a first-time finish inside the far post. 1–0 Arsenal, stadium shaking.
Liverpool, though, don't do quiet exits. On 27 minutes they punched back. Trent Alexander-Arnold whipped in one of those trademark diagonal balls, Darwin Núñez bullied his marker, knocked it down, and who else but Mohamed Salah smashed it low into the corner. Classic Salah: ruthless, minimal backlift, Ramsdale rooted. 1–1 and game on.
But Arsenal had more gears tonight. Right before half-time, in a move straight out of the training ground, Oleksandr Zinchenko tucked inside, combined with Ødegaard again, and slipped Saka through on the overlap. His low cross was half-cleared and Gabriel Jesus pounced, sliding in to poke it past Alisson at the near post on 44 minutes. 2–1 Arsenal just before the break – pure gut punch for Liverpool.
Second-half chaos: penalties, VAR, and a late scare
After the break, Liverpool had a mini-meltdown. On 57 minutes, Jesus twisted inside Virgil van Dijk, who stuck out a tired leg and clipped him in the box. The ref pointed straight to the spot. Up stepped Bukayo Saka, ice-cold, sending Alisson the wrong way with a low drive to the keeper's left. 3–1 Arsenal, Saka's second of the night, and the Emirates absolutely exploded.
But the drama was nowhere near done. Jürgen Klopp rolled the dice, throwing on Diogo Jota and Cody Gakpo, and suddenly Liverpool looked alive. On 76 minutes, Salah danced in from the right, slipped a pass into Jota, and his shot deflected into the path of Diogo Jota again, who reacted fastest to stab it home from close range. 3–2 and nerves massively jangling in North London.
Then came the huge talking point fans can't stop screaming about. On 88 minutes, Núñez powered into the box and went down under a challenge from William Saliba. The referee initially gave a penalty, Anfield South went wild in the away end, but VAR called him over. After a long, agonising check, the replay showed Núñez initiating the contact – decision overturned, no penalty. Arsenal breathe, Liverpool fume. This is the hot topic everywhere right now: that overturned VAR penalty on Núñez.
Heroes and flops: who owned the night?
Bukayo Saka was outrageous. Two goals, constant menace down the right, and every time Arsenal needed a bit of composure, he delivered. Easily a man-of-the-match showing – proper elite winger performance.
Gabriel Jesus gave Van Dijk a nightmare shift. He might only have one goal, but his movement and aggression set the entire tone for Arsenal's press. Ødegaard, meanwhile, stitched it all together with his usual silk.
On the Liverpool side, Mohamed Salah did what he always does – one big chance, one cool finish. He was their sharpest attacker by miles. Núñez? Pure chaos as usual – involved in everything, but wasteful in front of goal and at the centre of that VAR storm. Van Dijk didn't have his worst game, but for a defender of his level, the penalty concession on Jesus and constant pressure will sting.
What this does to the Premier League live title race
This result is enormous. Arsenal's win keeps them right in the hunt at the top and puts huge pressure on both Liverpool and Manchester City in the Premier League live picture. Liverpool's dropped points could be the kind of swing that decides whether we're talking about Klopp lifting one last title or just "what if".
Right now, the football league table is crazy tight: a couple of points between the top three, goal difference suddenly crucial, and every draw now feels like a defeat. Arsenal's +3 from tonight, with Saka and Jesus among the top scorers today, keeps their momentum burning.
What does this mean for the title race? Click here for the live standings
Elsewhere in Europe: Champions League chasers warming up
Across the continent, the big guns are tuning up for the next wave of Champions League news. In Spain, Jude Bellingham once again ran the show for Real Madrid, dropping deep, driving forward, and grabbing a late assist in a tight 1–0 win. He didn't score today, but his fingerprints were all over the winning goal – a slick through ball to Vinícius Júnior for the decisive strike.
In France, Kylian Mbappé added another goal to his ridiculous tally, smashing home a left-foot rocket from the edge of the box in PSG's 2–0 victory. The other goal came from Ousmane Dembélé after a gorgeous team move. Mbappé was pure superstar mode – blistering pace, constant threat, and clearly saving some extra gear for midweek European nights.
Put it all together, and today's soccer news feed is stacked: Saka and Salah trading blows in England, Bellingham and Mbappé acting like main characters on the continent, and every big club silently staring at that Champions League draw knowing one bad week can wreck everything.
The Internet is Exploding: 3 Social Media Highlights
X Discussion: Fans raging over the overturned VAR penalty on Núñez in #ARSLIV
My take: Arsenal fearless, Liverpool furious
From a young reporter's seat, this felt like a statement night from Arsenal. When the heat got turned up, they didn't crumble – they doubled down. Saka looked like a player who absolutely believes he belongs with the best in the world, and Jesus played like the guy who refuses to be anyone's "support act".
For Liverpool, the anger at the VAR call is totally understandable, but honestly, that's not the only story. They were second-best for long stretches, and you can't keep handing a team like Arsenal the initiative and expect Salah to bail you out every single time. The midfield faded, the press wasn't sharp enough, and Klopp's subs arrived a bit late.
In my opinion, if Liverpool want this title, the structure behind Salah has to step up. You can't keep tossing him heroic rescue missions and hoping it works. Meanwhile, Arsenal looked like a squad that's done with learning curves – they want the actual trophy now.
What next?
The run-in is going to be savage. Every dropped point will feel like a disaster, every narrow win like a trophy in itself. With Saka, Salah, Bellingham, and Mbappé all firing, the next few weeks across leagues and Europe are going to be absolutely unmissable.
If you're tracking football results today and wondering who really has the edge, the answer's sitting right there in the live table and form charts.
Check full stats & standings now
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