Liverpool stun City in late Anfield thriller – Haaland & Salah live drama
03.02.2026 - 00:01:00
Kick-off! As of today, 2026-02-03, the pitch is on fire... Did you catch that Anfield chaos? If you love soccer games with pure chaos and heart-stopping drama, Liverpool vs Manchester City just served up a classic. Goals, missed sitters, last-ditch tackles – and a title race swinging live in front of our eyes.
The headline: Liverpool 3–2 Manchester City in a full-blooded Premier League live showdown that shook the top of the table. Mohamed Salah, still that guy, stepped up when it mattered, while Erling Haaland had one of those nights where the ball just refused to listen.
But Liverpool snapped back fast. In the 26th minute, Darwin Núñez bullied Rúben Dias in the air, nodding down for Mohamed Salah, who smashed a left-footed volley past Ederson from inside the box. One of those "no backlift, all violence" finishes. 1–1 and Anfield absolutely erupted.
From there, the tempo was insane. Trent Alexander-Arnold was pinging diagonal passes for fun, while Phil Foden and Bernardo Silva kept dragging Liverpools back line into awkward spots. The next big twist came on 39 minutes: Foden danced inside from the left, laid it off to Julián Álvarez, and the Argentine fired a deflected shot past Alisson. City went into halftime 2–1 up, slightly against the overall flow but lethal when it counted.
At this point the match was pure basketball – attack, attack, attack. Haaland had a huge chance on 63 minutes: a De Bruyne cross found him unmarked six yards out, but his header went straight at Alisson. Normally thats automatic. Tonight? Not quite.
Up stepped Mohamed Salah with the whole title race on his shoulders. You know the rest. Short run-up, eyes locked on Ederson, then a cool right-footed strike low into the corner. Ederson guessed right but it was too precise. 3–2 Liverpool, Salahs second of the night, and a statement that hes still one of the deadliest forwards on the planet.
City pushed hard in the final 10 minutes. De Bruyne forced a big save from Alisson with a dipping free-kick, and in stoppage time Haaland thought he'd rescued a point, bundling home after a scramble – but the flag went up. Replays showed he was just offside. Agony for City, absolute bedlam for Liverpool.
Erling Haaland: Scored early but faded when City needed him most. That missed second-half header will haunt him. Not a disaster – he still occupied defenders constantly – but in a game this tight, those fine margins define the narrative. Tonight, Haaland walks off in the "nearly" category.
Kevin De Bruyne: Another assist, several killer passes, and that dangerous free-kick late on. He did his bit creatively, but Liverpool managed to crowd him out more effectively as the game wore on.
Trent Alexander-Arnold & Luis Díaz: Trents distribution was outrageous at times, switching play and stretching City wide. Díaz constantly ran at Kyle Walker, drawing fouls and panic. Between them, they gave Liverpool attacking width and chaos.
Defensive chaos on both sides: Neither back line covered itself in glory. For Liverpool, Ibrahima Konaté had huge interventions but also a couple of wild moments stepping out. For City, Dias and Gvardiol never really got comfortable with Núñezs movement and physicality.
Liverpools three points mean that the margin between first and third is razor thin – one bad week and everything flips. City cant afford many more slip-ups like this, especially against direct rivals.
Hashtag to follow: #LIVMCI – its memes, freeze-frames of Núñez mid-fall, City fans posting offside lines for Haalands disallowed goal, and Liverpool fans spamming "never write us off" captions.
City, on the other hand, suddenly dont feel inevitable. The control is still there in phases, but defensively theyre giving up high-quality chances, and when Haaland isnt at alien mode, they look… beatable. Guardiola will rage at the VAR call in the press conference, but deep down he knows the game shouldnt have been left hanging like that.
In my opinion, this was a statement night for Salah more than anyone else. When people start whispering about whether hes dipping, he drops a brace against the champions-elect and drags his team back into the conversation. If Liverpool go on to win the league, this game will be replayed for years as the turning point.
If youre tracking top scorers today, Salah just boosted his Golden Boot shout, while Haalands missed chances might actually matter in that race too. Add in the Champions League news swirling around both clubs and you can feel the pressure building on every front.
The headline: Liverpool 3–2 Manchester City in a full-blooded Premier League live showdown that shook the top of the table. Mohamed Salah, still that guy, stepped up when it mattered, while Erling Haaland had one of those nights where the ball just refused to listen.
Five-goal madness: Liverpool 3–2 Man City
Anfield under the lights, rain in the air, the whole thing felt scripted. City actually started sharper in this football blockbuster. In the 14th minute, Kevin De Bruyne split Liverpool open with a trademark slide-rule pass and Erling Haaland did what he usually does – one touch out his feet, second touch low into the bottom corner. City 1–0, simple, ruthless.But Liverpool snapped back fast. In the 26th minute, Darwin Núñez bullied Rúben Dias in the air, nodding down for Mohamed Salah, who smashed a left-footed volley past Ederson from inside the box. One of those "no backlift, all violence" finishes. 1–1 and Anfield absolutely erupted.
From there, the tempo was insane. Trent Alexander-Arnold was pinging diagonal passes for fun, while Phil Foden and Bernardo Silva kept dragging Liverpools back line into awkward spots. The next big twist came on 39 minutes: Foden danced inside from the left, laid it off to Julián Álvarez, and the Argentine fired a deflected shot past Alisson. City went into halftime 2–1 up, slightly against the overall flow but lethal when it counted.
Salah the creator, Jones the finisher
Second half, Liverpool came flying out. Jürgen Klopp clearly lit a fire in the dressing room. They pressed higher, lines tighter, and suddenly City couldn't breathe. On 56 minutes, Salah turned playmaker: he dropped deep, spun away from Rodri, and released Luis Díaz down the left. Díaz cut it back perfectly for Curtis Jones, who arrived late in the box and drilled a low shot inside the near post. 2–2 and Anfield bouncing again.At this point the match was pure basketball – attack, attack, attack. Haaland had a huge chance on 63 minutes: a De Bruyne cross found him unmarked six yards out, but his header went straight at Alisson. Normally thats automatic. Tonight? Not quite.
Penalty drama and Salahs ice-cold moment
The hot topic – and what everyone is arguing about online – came in the 78th minute. Núñez chased a long ball, Ederson rushed out, and there was heavy contact just inside the box. The referee initially waved play on, but VAR called him over. After a long, tense review, the verdict: penalty to Liverpool. City players went ballistic, claiming Núñez initiated the collision.Up stepped Mohamed Salah with the whole title race on his shoulders. You know the rest. Short run-up, eyes locked on Ederson, then a cool right-footed strike low into the corner. Ederson guessed right but it was too precise. 3–2 Liverpool, Salahs second of the night, and a statement that hes still one of the deadliest forwards on the planet.
City pushed hard in the final 10 minutes. De Bruyne forced a big save from Alisson with a dipping free-kick, and in stoppage time Haaland thought he'd rescued a point, bundling home after a scramble – but the flag went up. Replays showed he was just offside. Agony for City, absolute bedlam for Liverpool.
Stars report: Heroes and flops under the Anfield lights
Mohamed Salah: Two goals, one pure strikers volley, one nerveless penalty. Add in his assist-style involvement for the Jones equaliser, and he was easily the difference-maker. When Liverpool needed a leader, Salah dragged them over the line. World-class, again.Erling Haaland: Scored early but faded when City needed him most. That missed second-half header will haunt him. Not a disaster – he still occupied defenders constantly – but in a game this tight, those fine margins define the narrative. Tonight, Haaland walks off in the "nearly" category.
Kevin De Bruyne: Another assist, several killer passes, and that dangerous free-kick late on. He did his bit creatively, but Liverpool managed to crowd him out more effectively as the game wore on.
Trent Alexander-Arnold & Luis Díaz: Trents distribution was outrageous at times, switching play and stretching City wide. Díaz constantly ran at Kyle Walker, drawing fouls and panic. Between them, they gave Liverpool attacking width and chaos.
Defensive chaos on both sides: Neither back line covered itself in glory. For Liverpool, Ibrahima Konaté had huge interventions but also a couple of wild moments stepping out. For City, Dias and Gvardiol never really got comfortable with Núñezs movement and physicality.
Table shock: title race blown wide open
With this win, Liverpool leapfrog City and crank the pressure back up in the Premier League title race. City, who looked like they were cruising a few weeks ago, suddenly feel a little fragile. The gap at the top tightens, and Arsenal plus the rest watching on will be licking their lips.Liverpools three points mean that the margin between first and third is razor thin – one bad week and everything flips. City cant afford many more slip-ups like this, especially against direct rivals.
What does this mean for the title race? Click here for the live standings
Social Media Spotlight: VAR fury and Salah love
Right now, your timeline is a war zone. Half the world is screaming that the Núñez–Ederson collision was soft, the other half calling it a stonewall penalty. And right in the middle of that chaos: Salah memes, Haaland banter, and slowed-down VAR clips from every angle imaginable.The Internet is Exploding: 3 Social Media Highlights
X Discussion: Fans losing it over the late VAR penalty decision
Reporters take: Liverpool are alive, City look human
Heres the honest verdict: Liverpool looked like a team that absolutely refuses to let this title go without a fight. The energy, the aggression, the way they fed off the crowd – thats what champion-level mentality looks like.City, on the other hand, suddenly dont feel inevitable. The control is still there in phases, but defensively theyre giving up high-quality chances, and when Haaland isnt at alien mode, they look… beatable. Guardiola will rage at the VAR call in the press conference, but deep down he knows the game shouldnt have been left hanging like that.
In my opinion, this was a statement night for Salah more than anyone else. When people start whispering about whether hes dipping, he drops a brace against the champions-elect and drags his team back into the conversation. If Liverpool go on to win the league, this game will be replayed for years as the turning point.
Whats next?
The title race is now a street fight. City need a reaction in their next run of fixtures, Liverpool have momentum and swagger back, and every neutral just won – because the business end of the season is about to be chaos.If youre tracking top scorers today, Salah just boosted his Golden Boot shout, while Haalands missed chances might actually matter in that race too. Add in the Champions League news swirling around both clubs and you can feel the pressure building on every front.
Check full stats & standings now
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