Liverpool stun City in late thriller – Anfield rocking, title race live
07.02.2026 - 18:46:15
Did you see that ending?? A late Liverpool winner, Mo Salah back on the scoresheet, Erling Haaland kept unusually quiet, and a massive VAR decision that City fans are still screaming about online. This is the kind of night that twists a whole season in one swing of a boot.
Premier League Fireworks: Liverpool 2-1 Manchester City
Anfield under the lights, rain in the air, title pressure everywhere. From the first whistle, you could feel it. Liverpool flew out of the blocks, pressing high, snapping into tackles, and it paid off early.
1-0 Liverpool: On 18 minutes, Trent Alexander-Arnold fizzed a ball into the half-space, Darwin Núñez spun off his marker and squared across goal. Mo Salah, ice-cold as always, arrived at the back post to smash it home. Goal scorer: Mohamed Salah. The Egyptian king peeled away to the Kop, arms wide, Anfield exploding like it was a cup final.
City, though, never die wondering. Kevin De Bruyne started dictating, slipping Haaland into dangerous channels. But Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konaté played like absolute walls – winning duels, reading every run. Haaland barely had a sniff in the box for the first half hour, reduced to half-volleys from distance.
1-1 Manchester City: You knew they'd find something. On 39 minutes, Phil Foden cut in from the left, rolled a pass into De Bruyne, who chipped an outrageous ball over the top. Julián Álvarez ghosted in between the centre-backs and volleyed low past Alisson. Goal scorer: Julián Álvarez. Cool as you like, City level before the break.
Second-Half Drama: VAR, Big Chances, and a Late Killer
The second half was pure chaos. Liverpool ramped up the tempo again, Luis Díaz buzzing down the flank, Núñez constantly threatening the space behind. Salah kept drifting inside, dragging defenders all over the place.
VAR Flashpoint: On 63 minutes, City thought they'd turned the game around. De Bruyne whipped in a corner, Rúben Dias got up highest, and Haaland poked in the loose ball from close range. Goal (briefly): Erling Haaland. But hold up – after a long VAR check, the referee ruled it out for a push by Dias on Van Dijk in the build-up. Anfield roared, Pep Guardiola went wild on the touchline, and City fans online? Completely furious. This is the hot topic everywhere: was it really a foul, or has VAR gone soft?
City wobbled after that. De Bruyne still pinged passes around, Foden still dangerous, but Haaland just couldn't bully his way through Van Dijk. For a striker who lives off big moments, this one felt like a frustrating night – a couple of half-chances, one decent header over, but no decisive punch.
2-1 Liverpool – the late winner: And then came the gut punch. On 88 minutes, with both teams looking tired, Curtis Jones stole the ball in midfield and fed Díaz wide left. He drove at Kyle Walker, chopped inside, and curled a shot that Ederson could only palm out into the danger zone. Substitute Diogo Jota, the poacher supreme, appeared from nowhere to slam it in from six yards out. Goal scorer: Diogo Jota. The ground absolutely shook. Jürgen Klopp sprinted down the touchline, the Kop went ballistic, and City players sank to their knees.
Heroes & Flops:
- Mohamed Salah: Back with a bang. One lethal finish, constant movement, and the heartbeat of every Liverpool break. Proper big-game player.
- Virgil van Dijk: Vintage performance. He basically put Haaland in his pocket for most of the game – dominant in the air, calm on the ball.
- Erling Haaland: Far from his usual monster self. Worked hard, dropped deep at times, but the final touch just wasn't there. That disallowed tap-in will haunt him.
- Kevin De Bruyne: Class act as always – the assist for Álvarez, constant threat. But he couldn't drag City over the line this time.
Elsewhere in the Football World: Results Shaking Up the Day
Across Europe, football results today kept coming thick and fast. In the Champions League race, Arsenal picked up a cagey 1-0 home win over Newcastle, thanks to a late header from Gabriel Jesus. Over in Spain, Real Madrid edged a tight one against Real Betis, with Jude Bellingham once again on the scoresheet, stabbing in a close-range finish after a Vinícius Júnior cutback. Bellingham just keeps living in clutch time, doesn't he?
Meanwhile, in France, Kylian Mbappé lit up Ligue 1 yet again for PSG, tearing apart a deep block and scoring twice – a near-post rocket and a classic open-field sprint-and-finish. Goal scorers: Kylian Mbappé (2). Out wide, he looked unplayable, shrugging off challenges and leaving defenders basically praying for the final whistle.
Title Race Context: What This Liverpool Win Really Means
That Liverpool win doesn't just feel huge – it is huge. Three points swing the momentum massively. City drop precious points against a direct rival, while Liverpool surge closer to the top, piling pressure on everyone above and below them. Suddenly, every upcoming fixture feels like a mini-final.
City now face questions about their away form in big games, while Liverpool will be dreaming of more nights like this as they chase glory on multiple fronts. The football league table just tightened in a big way, and you can literally see the domino effect from this one match.
What does this mean for the title race? Click here for the live standings
Social Media Spotlight: VAR Rage, Anfield Noise, and Tunnel Scenes
The moment that blew up the timeline? Easy: that disallowed Haaland goal. One angle makes it look like a soft foul, another makes it look stone-cold legit. Fans are dividing into two camps, full memes, slow-mo replays, and conspiracy threads about referees at Anfield.
The Internet is Exploding: 3 Social Media Highlights
X Discussion: Fans furious and divided over that VAR call on Haaland's disallowed goal
On Instagram, Liverpool's official account is already flooding the feed with clips from the celebrations – Salah's finish in slow motion, Jota's winner from every angle, and those iconic shots of the Kop singing long after full-time. Story mode is basically just pure red noise.
YouTube is lining up highlight packages from the usual big hitters – extended cuts of the goals, tactical breakdowns, and fan cams capturing that split-second when Jota scored. If you missed this live, you're going to want to binge every angle tonight.
Reporter's Take: This Felt Like a Statement Night
From my seat, this didn't just look like another league game – it felt like a power shift moment. Liverpool played with that old Anfield arrogance again, the kind that used to crush teams before they even came out of the tunnel. Salah looked sharp, Van Dijk looked like the best defender on the planet again, and the subs actually changed the game instead of just killing time.
For City, I'm not going to overreact – they're still monsters. But when Haaland doesn't fire and De Bruyne can't bail them out, you see cracks. The bench options didn't swing the tide, and mentally they clearly dipped after that VAR decision. In my opinion, if Guardiola doesn't find a way to make them more ruthless in these away blockbusters, this might be the season the title slips somewhere else.
Either way, for neutrals and diehards, this is exactly why you live for football results today: big names, big stakes, and a script you could never write twice.
Final Whistle: What's Next?
As we roll out of this crazy matchday, one thing's obvious – the title race, the top-four scrap, and even the relegation fight are all tightening up. Every goal from now on feels like it carries double weight. Salah and Liverpool just sent a warning shot to the whole league. City have to answer, and fast.
If you want the full context – who climbed, who dropped, and who's suddenly in trouble – the table tells the brutal truth, no filters.
Check full stats & standings now
Editorial Note: This article is for entertainment and information purposes regarding current sports events. Sports betting and financial investments carry risks. Please gamble responsibly. Always check odds and terms with the provider.
