Last?minute chaos & superstar drama in today’s Premier League live action

Late winners, VAR chaos and a superstar misfire – today’s soccer games flipped the Premier League live title race on its head. Did your hero show up?

Kick-off! As of today, 2026-02-20, the pitch is on fire... You wanted drama in today's soccer games? You got it. From a wild finish at Anfield to a statement win in Manchester, the Premier League live action just ripped up the script and tossed it into the Kop.

Let's start with the game everyone's still screaming about – Liverpool vs Chelsea at Anfield. Ninety minutes of chaos, controversy, and pure adrenaline.

Liverpool 3–2 Chelsea – Anfield turns into a pressure cooker

This one had everything. Liverpool flew out of the blocks, and by the 18th minute the place was bouncing. Mohamed Salah did exactly what you expect from a king of Anfield: he ghosted in from the right, played a slick one-two with Dominik Szoboszlai, and buried a left-footed curler into the far corner. 1–0, Salah on the scoresheet, and you could feel Chelsea wobbling.

But Chelsea weren't here to roll over. On 34 minutes, Cole Palmer stepped up. A quick transition, Christopher Nkunku dragged two defenders out of position, slipped the ball wide to Palmer, and bang – low drive across the keeper, 1–1. For a moment, the Anfield crowd went dead quiet.

Second half? Absolute madness. Liverpool reclaimed the lead on 57 minutes when Darwin Núñez finally turned chaos into end product. After a scrappy corner, the ball bounced off two defenders, Núñez chested it down and smashed home from six yards. Classic Darwin: three touches of disorder, one touch of pure violence. 2–1 Liverpool.

Then came the first wave of controversy. On 72 minutes, Chelsea thought they had their equaliser. A cross from Reece James, Nkunku nods it in, the away end explodes – but VAR steps in. After a long check, Nkunku was ruled offside by what felt like a shoelace. Social media absolutely melted down over that call.

Chelsea still didn't fold. On 81 minutes, they hit back anyway. A quick corner routine, Palmer swung it in, and Axel Disasi rose highest to power in a header. 2–2, and suddenly Liverpool's title push looked like it was stalling.

But Anfield loves late drama. Deep into stoppage time, on 90+4, substitute Diogo Jota turned into the hero. Szoboszlai floated a teasing ball into the box, Chelsea failed to clear, and Jota reacted fastest, poking the ball past the keeper from close range. 3–2 Liverpool, Anfield shaking, Jürgen Klopp going full touchline sprint mode. An absolutely savage late winner.

Star watch: Salah was electric – a goal, constant threat, huge work rate. Núñez? Chaotic but decisive with his strike. For Chelsea, Palmer was the standout, with a goal and relentless creativity. Nkunku worked hard but will be haunted by that VAR offside decision that robbed him of a crucial goal.

Manchester City 2–0 Newcastle – Haaland quiet, Foden steals the show

Over at the Etihad, it was supposed to be the Erling Haaland show, but the Norwegian machine had one of those rare off days – and Phil Foden happily grabbed the spotlight.

City controlled the ball from the opening whistle, pinning Newcastle deep. The breakthrough came on 29 minutes. Kevin De Bruyne, back in full conductor mode, threaded a ridiculous pass through the lines. Foden took one touch to set, one touch to whip it into the top corner from the edge of the box. 1–0 City, pure class.

Newcastle tried to hit back on the counter through Alexander Isak, but he kept finding Rúben Dias in his face. Isak had one big chance in the 54th minute, bursting through the channel, only to drag his shot wide of the far post. That felt like the turning point.

City killed the game on 67 minutes. A short corner, De Bruyne rolled it to Foden on the edge, and Foden slipped a sneaky angled pass into Bernardo Silva. The Portuguese maestro dinked a delicate finish over the keeper for 2–0. That was that.

Star watch: Haaland had a frustrating afternoon, missing a close-range header and getting smothered by Newcastle's back line. But Foden? Absolutely unplayable – one goal, one assist, constant movement between the lines. De Bruyne looked sharp, too, pulling strings like a puppeteer who never took time off.

Title race: Liverpool and City trading blows at the top

So what does all this chaos actually mean for the title race? Liverpool's last-gasp win keeps them neck-and-neck with Manchester City, and Chelsea's late collapse leaves them staring nervously at the Champions League spots from the outside.

With City calmly handling Newcastle and Liverpool surviving Chelsea's fightback, the pressure is now cranked up to maximum for every single game left this season. One bad night and you're out of the race.

What does this mean for the title race? Click here for the live standings

SOCIAL MEDIA SPOTLIGHT – VAR, limbs, and instant memes

Online, it's absolute carnage. The two big flashpoints: Nkunku's disallowed equaliser at Anfield and Haaland's off night for City. Fans are split right down the middle – was VAR right, or did Liverpool just get another huge home call?

Scroll X and you'll see endless freeze-frames of the VAR lines on Nkunku, Liverpool fans posting Jota celebration clips from a hundred different angles, and Chelsea supporters fuming in the replies. On Instagram, Liverpool's official account is already dropping those iconic dressing-room shots – Salah grinning, Jota soaked in sweat, Klopp hugging literally everyone in sight.

Over on YouTube, highlight reels from broadcasters like Sky Sports Football and official Premier League channels are racking up views fast. Every touch from Salah, every Foden shimmy, every angle of that Jota winner – they're already looping on screens worldwide.

My take – pressure, heroes, and one big warning sign

Here's the honest truth: Liverpool got away with one. When you need a 90+4 winner at home after blowing a lead twice, that's not control, that's survival. But champions often live on the edge, and today they clung on with pure belief and a ruthless finisher in Jota.

Chelsea will feel absolutely robbed by the Nkunku offside, and you can understand why – it was razor-thin. But if you're being cold about it, they also switched off at the worst possible moment in stoppage time. You can't do that at Anfield and expect to walk away smiling.

For City, it's almost scary that they can win this comfortably with Haaland having an off day. Foden and De Bruyne running the show is a nightmare for anyone chasing them. If Haaland snaps back into beast mode next week, every defender in the league is going to start losing sleep.

In my opinion, the title race is turning into a straight-up mental battle now. Liverpool are running on emotion and chaos. City are running on control and icy composure. Chelsea? They're in danger of becoming the team that "almost" beats everyone but ends up with nothing.

Don't blink – the next twist is coming

Today shifted the mood big time. Liverpool's last-gasp winner keeps the romance alive. City's calm dismantling of Newcastle throws down a brutal benchmark. Every upcoming round from here is going to feel like a cup final.

If you want to know who's really on top after this wild round of soccer games, don't just trust the vibes – check the numbers.

Check full stats & standings now

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