Haaland brace, Liverpool drama: Premier League carnage live tonight
09.02.2026 - 17:49:01
Premier League rollercoaster: late winners, missed sitters, pure chaos
Let's start with the game everyone is screaming about: Manchester City vs Chelsea at the Etihad. City edged it in a 3-2 thriller, a match that had everything – early goals, a tactical chess match, a nervy VAR check at the death, and yes, Erling Haaland going full cyborg again.
City hit first. In the 14th minute, Kevin De Bruyne threaded one of those signature killer passes through the Chelsea backline, and Erling Haaland bulldozed between the centre-backs to bury a ruthless left-foot finish into the bottom corner. 1-0 and the Etihad absolutely erupted.
Chelsea didn't roll over though. Just before half-time, Cole Palmer reminded his old club what they let go. In the 41st minute, he drifted in from the right, played a slick one-two with Nicolas Jackson, and curled a gorgeous strike past the outstretched Ederson. 1-1 and you could feel the tension rising.
Second half, City went back into monster mode. On 58 minutes, Phil Foden ghosted into the half-space, cut inside, and whipped a low cross that took a slight deflection and fell straight to Haaland. You know the rest. One touch to set, second touch smashed into the roof of the net. 2-1, Haaland brace, and Chelsea's backline looked shell-shocked.
But this is the Premier League – there's no chill. In the 72nd minute, Chelsea hit back from a corner. Enzo Fernández delivered the ball in, and Thiago Silva, still defying time, rose highest to nod in at the far post. 2-2, and for a moment it felt like City had blown it.
The winner? Pure drama. 88th minute, City pouring numbers forward, Bernardo Silva danced through two challenges and slipped it to Julián Álvarez. His cutback found Phil Foden on the edge of the box and Foden smashed a low drive through a crowd of bodies into the corner. 3-2, limbs everywhere. VAR checked for a possible offside in the build-up, but after a long, nervy wait, the goal stood and Pep went wild on the touchline.
Star power rating? Haaland was absolutely lethal – two goals, constant menace, classic big-game show. De Bruyne looked sharp, grabbing an assist and dictating tempo. On the flip side, Raheem Sterling had a nightmare return to Manchester – heavy touches, one huge missed chance from a Palmer cutback, and subbed off on 65 minutes to a chorus of boos.
Liverpool grind it out: Anfield under the lights, Salah clutch again
Over at Anfield, Liverpool vs Newcastle delivered a different kind of chaos – less end-to-end basketball, more wave-after-wave pressure. Liverpool eventually took it 2-1, but they made their fans suffer the whole way through.
First blood went to Liverpool. In the 27th minute, Mohamed Salah did what Mohamed Salah does. Trent Alexander-Arnold pinged a trademark diagonal to the far post, Darwin Núñez headed it back across goal, and Salah arrived late to smash home from close range. 1-0 and the Kop roared.
Newcastle though have no fear of big stages anymore. On 54 minutes, they sucker-punched Liverpool on the break. Anthony Gordon flew down the left, cut inside past Konaté, and slipped in Alexander Isak, who calmly slotted past Alisson. 1-1 and suddenly Anfield got nervy.
The turning point was pure drama: 79th minute, Núñez burst into the box and went down under contact from Sven Botman. The ref waved play on, but VAR dragged it back. After a long check, the decision came: penalty to Liverpool. Newcastle fans furious, Liverpool fans screaming for justice.
Who else but Salah stepped up? Ice-cold. Bottom corner, keeper sent the wrong way. 2-1 Liverpool, Salah brace, and Anfield bouncing again. In added time, Bruno Guimarães rattled the bar from distance – inches from stealing a point – but Liverpool held on.
In terms of big names, Salah was the headline act – two goals, tireless movement, a constant problem for the Newcastle back line. Virgil van Dijk had an up-and-down night: solid in the air but caught out once by a sharp Isak run. For Newcastle, Isak was clinical, but Gordon and Bruno Guimarães will be frustrated they didn't turn their big moments into more damage.
Title race twist: who's really on top after tonight?
These results shake the top of the table again. City's late winner keeps them right in the thick of the title fight, while Liverpool’s gritty win means they refuse to go away. Chelsea, meanwhile, are sliding back towards that painful "transition season" narrative, and Newcastle are stuck in that dangerous zone between dreaming of Europe and worrying about momentum.
With both Manchester City and Liverpool taking all three points, the gap between the top two stays razor-thin, and every single goal from Haaland or Salah feels like it could be the one that decides the trophy in May.
What does this mean for the title race? Click here for the live standings
Social Media Spotlight: fans losing their minds over VAR and superstars
Online? It's absolute chaos. The main battlefield is that late Liverpool penalty – half the timeline calling it a stonewall foul, the other half screaming robbery. Add in City fans flexing Haaland's brace and Chelsea supporters melting down over defensive errors, and the takes are flying everywhere.
The Internet is Exploding: 3 Social Media Highlights
X Discussion: Fans furious over the late VAR penalty call and debating if Salah went down too easily
Reporter's take: heroes, flops, and who's really built for this run-in
In my opinion, tonight was one of those pure "big teams find a way" evenings. City didn't actually play their slickest football for 90 minutes, but when you have Haaland bullying defenders and Foden hitting clutch winners, you can get away with patches of sloppiness. Chelsea, on the other hand, look like a side still trying to figure out who the main man is – Palmer can only carry them so far if the rest of the attack doesn't wake up.
As for Liverpool, this felt like classic Klopp-era grindball. Not vintage heavy metal from start to finish, but relentless pressure, emotional chaos, and Salah stepping up when it really matters. If I'm being honest, the penalty was one of those "seen them given, seen them waved away" moments – soft but not outrageous. Newcastle will feel hard done by, but if you defend your box for that long at Anfield, something usually breaks.
My bold shout: if Salah and Haaland both stay fit and in this kind of form, the title race is going to go right down to the last two or three matchdays, and goal difference might end up deciding everything. Every finish, every missed chance, every VAR decision like the one we saw tonight is going to feel absolutely massive.
Closing whistle: don't blink, this season is wild
So if you were hunting for football results today, you didn't just get scores – you got statement wins, superstar performances, and a title race that refuses to calm down. City's 3-2 win and Liverpool's 2-1 escape keep the pressure sky-high at the top, while the teams chasing are running out of excuses and time.
Want to see exactly how those points reshaped the table and who's climbing, slipping, or in total freefall? The live table has all the answers.
Check full stats & standings now
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