Liverpool stun City in late thriller as Haaland fires, Salah answers live
07.02.2026 - 04:11:10
Liverpool 3–2 Manchester City – Anfield turns into a pressure cooker
Anfield under the lights, the Premier League live narrative running at full speed, and two teams swinging like heavyweights. Manchester City landed first: in the 18th minute, Erling Haaland did exactly what Erling Haaland does. Kevin De Bruyne slid a filthy through ball between Van Dijk and Konaté, Haaland bullied his way into the box and slammed a low left-foot shot past Alisson for 0–1. Clinical, cold, typical Haaland.
But Liverpool didn’t blink. On 32 minutes, they struck back with a pure chaos goal. Mohamed Salah drifted inside, fed Dominik Szoboszlai at the edge of the box, his shot was blocked, and the rebound fell perfectly for Darwin Núñez who smashed it home from eight yards to make it 1–1. Anfield erupted, Núñez screaming into the Kop – you could feel the momentum swing instantly.
City, though, always have another gear. Right before half-time, in the 44th minute, Bernardo Silva ghosted into a pocket of space, exchanged a slick one-two with Phil Foden, and curled a gorgeous left-foot finish inside the far post. 1–2 City, and Jürgen Klopp looked furious on the touchline at how easily Liverpool were opened up between the lines.
Second-half madness: Salah wakes up, Haaland fades
The second half turned into a character test. Would Liverpool fold? Not today. On 57 minutes, Núñez bullied Rúben Dias in the air, nodding down a long diagonal into the path of Salah. The Egyptian King took one touch and rifled a right-foot rocket into the top corner for 2–2. Ederson barely moved. That’s a top scorers today moment if ever there was one.
From there, Haaland’s influence started to dip. He had one big chance on 65 minutes – Foden whipped in a cross, Haaland got across Van Dijk but headed over from six yards. That miss felt massive. You could see him getting frustrated, arms thrown in the air, body language turning heavy while Virgil tightened the screws.
And then, the moment everyone’s arguing about right now: the 82nd-minute winner. Luis Díaz drove into the box, tangled with Kyle Walker, and went down. The referee initially waved play on, but VAR called him over. After a long look, he pointed to the spot. City players surrounded him, Pep was losing his mind on the touchline, and social media exploded instantly with the usual “VAR’s ruined football” takes.
Mohamed Salah stepped up under insane pressure. He stuttered, sent Ederson the wrong way, and rolled it into the bottom corner for 3–2. Anfield absolutely shook. Salah turned to the Kop, arms wide, and you could see exactly why he’s still one of the game’s deadliest big-game killers. On the flip side, Haaland was left staring at the turf, a goal on the board but no points to show for it – hero for a moment, ultimately overshadowed.
What it means for the title race
This result blows the top of the football league table wide open. Liverpool’s win tightens the gap at the summit and piles serious pressure on Manchester City, who came into this one trying to create daylight. Instead, they walk away with nothing and a ton of questions about their defensive concentration in big away games.
City’s usually bulletproof back line looked rattled once Núñez started throwing his weight around. Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson kept pinning them back with deep crosses, and Rodri was left doing way too much cleaning up. If you’re thinking about the title race, this feels like a momentum swing straight into Liverpool’s hands.
What does this mean for the title race? Click here for the live standings
Elsewhere in Europe: Bellingham and Mbappé keep the Champions League talk buzzing
Across the continent, the stars who dominate Champions League news also made some noise today. In La Liga, Jude Bellingham bagged a cool brace in Real Madrid’s comfortable win, ghosting into the box twice like a seasoned striker. Both goals were classic Bellingham – late runs, immaculate first touch, ice-cold finishing. He keeps playing like this and the Ballon d’Or chatter isn’t going away.
Over in Ligue 1, Kylian Mbappé did exactly what people expect: one goal, one assist in a dominant PSG win. His goal came from a trademark diagonal run from the left, cutting in and bending it into the far corner. He then squared unselfishly for Gonçalo Ramos to tap in. For once, no drama around his contract, no touchline sulks – just raw output.
All of this feeds the bigger soccer news storyline: these league performances are the dress rehearsals for the Champions League knockout stage. Bellingham and Mbappé both looked like they’re already in March mode, while Haaland’s mixed night at Anfield will ignite a ton of debates about whether City can keep their nerve on the biggest away days.
Social Media Spotlight – Anfield goes nuclear
Right now the online conversation is basically one big shouting match about that late VAR penalty on Walker and Díaz. Half the timeline is screaming “soft”, the other half is posting still images showing contact on the ankle. Classic modern football.
The Internet is Exploding: 3 Social Media Highlights
X Discussion: Fans furious and divided over late VAR penalty in #LIVMCI
Reporter’s take: This felt like a statement
I’m not going to lie – this felt bigger than just three points. In my opinion, this was Liverpool planting a flag and saying, “We’re not done.” Salah looked like vintage Salah again: one ruthless strike from open play, one massive penalty under pressure, constant threat. Núñez is chaos in boots, but it’s the kind of chaos that big defenders secretly hate dealing with.
On the other side, City looked… mortal. De Bruyne was brilliant in spells, that assist for Haaland was pure art, but once Liverpool raised the tempo, City never fully wrestled control back. Haaland scoring but missing that huge header? That’s the tiny margin that flips narratives from “unstoppable” to “can he do it every time when it really counts?”
If Pep doesn’t tighten that back line in away blockbusters, this title race could slip away fast. The mentality monsters tag belongs to Liverpool tonight, no question.
Closing whistle
So if you were hunting for football results today that actually mean something, this was the one. Five goals, superstar swings, VAR rage and a title race twisted in 90 wild minutes.
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.
