Liverpool v Man City goes crazy late – Anfield thriller shakes title race live
24.01.2026 - 01:43:46
Kick-off! As of today, 2026-01-24, the pitch is on fire... You wanted football results today? Buckle up. Anfield just served up a straight-up chaos classic as Liverpool 2-2 Manchester City blew the Premier League wide open, with Mohamed Salah and Erling Haaland
First blood: Haaland being Haaland
City struck first. On 18 minutes, Kevin De Bruyne picked up a loose ball between the lines, slid a filthy reverse pass into the channel, and Erling Haaland
Salah answers with pure composure
But Liverpool weren’t going quietly. On 34 minutes, Darwin Núñez bullied Rúben Dias off a long diagonal, cut it back across the box, and who’s there at the penalty spot? Mohamed Salah. One touch to kill it, second to send Ederson the wrong way. 1-1, the stadium absolutely exploding. Salah’s form had been questioned the last couple of weeks – tonight he played like he took that personally.
Second half: Foden magic, Anfield comeback
Right after the break, City looked like they’d broken Liverpool’s back. On 52 minutes, a short corner routine had Liverpool sleeping. De Bruyne rolled it to the edge of the box, Phil Foden
Liverpool were wobbling, but Jurgen Klopp’s side flipped the switch. Trent Alexander-Arnold, who’d been roasted a couple of times by Doku, suddenly turned playmaker. On 71 minutes, he whipped a vicious ball to the back post, Núñez nodded it across, and substitute Diogo Jota crashed it in from close range. 2-2, game back on, and the noise went borderline illegal.
Mohamed Salah meanwhile was pure leader mode. A goal, a couple of filthy first touches wide right, and he set up two big chances that Núñez just couldn’t convert. Salah’s pressing off the ball kept forcing City backwards. If Liverpool had nicked a late winner, we’d be calling this a statement Salah masterclass. As it stands: top-class, but not quite the match-winner.
Replay showed Darwin Núñez standing just offside in front of Ederson as the shot came in. Did he interfere? The on-field goal was given, but VAR sent referee Michael Oliver to the monitor. After a long, brutal wait, the decision: goal disallowed. Núñez was judged to be blocking the keeper’s line of sight.
Liverpool fans: fuming. City fans: claiming justice. Neutrals: just sharing memes. It’s the classic modern football story – a stunning late moment turned into a cold technical debate. That incident is exactly what everyone’s yelling about online right now.
In terms of the table, it’s razor-thin margins now – a single win swing could flip first to third and back again. Before you start doing your own maths:
La Liga: Real Madrid 3-1 Real Betis
At the Bernabéu, Jude Bellingham carried on his ridiculous scoring habit. He opened the scoring with a late run into the box, guiding home a cut-back from Vinícius Júnior. That’s Bellingham at his best – timing, control, and zero panic in front of goal.
Betis equalised via Borja Iglesias after a defensive mix-up, but Madrid stepped it up. Vinícius Júnior curled in a beauty from the left, and Rodrygo killed it off late on with a drilled finish after another Bellingham line-breaking pass. Bellingham wasn’t flawless – he fluffed a big chance for a brace – but he was absolutely the heartbeat of Madrid’s attack again.
Ligue 1: PSG 2-0 Lyon
In France, Kylian Mbappé didn’t need many touches to decide things. A trademark dart in behind saw him latch onto a through ball and slot home the opener, and he later buried a penalty for his second. Lyon had their moments, but Mbappé was cruising. Two goals, a couple of showboat dribbles, and an early sub to a standing ovation – that’s superstar business as usual.
That late disallowed goal is absolutely running the show online – freeze-frames of Núñez, screenshots of offside lines, and split-screen comparisons to old decisions. Welcome to football in 2026.
From a neutral perspective, this was elite entertainment. But if I’m in that Liverpool dressing room, I’m frustrated. With City not quite at their absolute robot best and Arsenal quietly stacking wins, these are the nights where you have to be ruthless. Salah and Jota did their part, but the missed chances and small lapses at the back might be what everyone remembers if Liverpool fall short by a point or two in May.
For City, it’s classic survival mode. Not their most fluent display, but Haaland scores, Foden delivers a big moment, and they walk away with a point in one of the toughest stadiums in world football. It’s not pretty, but it’s very, very title-contender behaviour.
If you’re trying to make sense of where this leaves the Premier League in particular, don’t guess – check the live data and see exactly how that 2-2 at Anfield has shuffled the pack:
Liverpool 2-2 Man City – Heavyweight clash, no knockout
This felt like a Champions League semi-final more than a January league game. The tempo was ridiculous from minute one, and the star names actually showed up.First blood: Haaland being Haaland
City struck first. On 18 minutes, Kevin De Bruyne picked up a loose ball between the lines, slid a filthy reverse pass into the channel, and Erling Haaland
Salah answers with pure composure
But Liverpool weren’t going quietly. On 34 minutes, Darwin Núñez bullied Rúben Dias off a long diagonal, cut it back across the box, and who’s there at the penalty spot? Mohamed Salah. One touch to kill it, second to send Ederson the wrong way. 1-1, the stadium absolutely exploding. Salah’s form had been questioned the last couple of weeks – tonight he played like he took that personally.
Second half: Foden magic, Anfield comeback
Right after the break, City looked like they’d broken Liverpool’s back. On 52 minutes, a short corner routine had Liverpool sleeping. De Bruyne rolled it to the edge of the box, Phil Foden
Liverpool were wobbling, but Jurgen Klopp’s side flipped the switch. Trent Alexander-Arnold, who’d been roasted a couple of times by Doku, suddenly turned playmaker. On 71 minutes, he whipped a vicious ball to the back post, Núñez nodded it across, and substitute Diogo Jota crashed it in from close range. 2-2, game back on, and the noise went borderline illegal.
Haaland & Salah – Hero status… but not perfect
Erling Haaland was a menace all game. One goal on the sheet, but it could easily have been a hat-trick. He smashed one off the bar from a De Bruyne cross and forced a huge one-on-one save from Alisson. Still, when the game got stretched late on, he faded slightly – Liverpool’s defenders finally got tight and stopped letting him turn.Mohamed Salah meanwhile was pure leader mode. A goal, a couple of filthy first touches wide right, and he set up two big chances that Núñez just couldn’t convert. Salah’s pressing off the ball kept forcing City backwards. If Liverpool had nicked a late winner, we’d be calling this a statement Salah masterclass. As it stands: top-class, but not quite the match-winner.
The VAR flashpoint that broke the internet
The hottest talking point? No doubt: the 89th-minute VAR call. Liverpool thought they’d won it when Dominik Szoboszlai hammered in from the edge of the area after a scramble. Anfield went wild, Klopp sprinted down the touchline… and then the dreaded check.Replay showed Darwin Núñez standing just offside in front of Ederson as the shot came in. Did he interfere? The on-field goal was given, but VAR sent referee Michael Oliver to the monitor. After a long, brutal wait, the decision: goal disallowed. Núñez was judged to be blocking the keeper’s line of sight.
Liverpool fans: fuming. City fans: claiming justice. Neutrals: just sharing memes. It’s the classic modern football story – a stunning late moment turned into a cold technical debate. That incident is exactly what everyone’s yelling about online right now.
Title race shockwaves – who really won this draw?
So what do these football results today mean for the bigger picture? Arsenal had already taken care of business earlier with a professional 2-0 win, meaning this draw at Anfield tightens the top three into a proper street fight. Liverpool might feel robbed, but they stay right in the mix. City avoid disaster, but yet again look just a touch vulnerable away to the elite sides.In terms of the table, it’s razor-thin margins now – a single win swing could flip first to third and back again. Before you start doing your own maths:
What does this mean for the title race? Click here for the live standings
Elsewhere in Europe – Mbappé & Bellingham keep shining
While England went full Hollywood at Anfield, the rest of Europe had its own headliners.La Liga: Real Madrid 3-1 Real Betis
At the Bernabéu, Jude Bellingham carried on his ridiculous scoring habit. He opened the scoring with a late run into the box, guiding home a cut-back from Vinícius Júnior. That’s Bellingham at his best – timing, control, and zero panic in front of goal.
Betis equalised via Borja Iglesias after a defensive mix-up, but Madrid stepped it up. Vinícius Júnior curled in a beauty from the left, and Rodrygo killed it off late on with a drilled finish after another Bellingham line-breaking pass. Bellingham wasn’t flawless – he fluffed a big chance for a brace – but he was absolutely the heartbeat of Madrid’s attack again.
Ligue 1: PSG 2-0 Lyon
In France, Kylian Mbappé didn’t need many touches to decide things. A trademark dart in behind saw him latch onto a through ball and slot home the opener, and he later buried a penalty for his second. Lyon had their moments, but Mbappé was cruising. Two goals, a couple of showboat dribbles, and an early sub to a standing ovation – that’s superstar business as usual.
Social Media Spotlight – VAR rage & Anfield vibes
The Internet is Exploding: 3 Social Media Highlights
X Discussion: Fans melting down over the late VAR offside call on Núñez
My take: This felt like Liverpool’s night – but they blinked
Honestly, from the 60th minute onwards, it felt like Liverpool were going to find a way to win. The crowd, the pressure, the momentum – City looked like they were hanging on. Yet when the killer moment came, it was chaos instead of clarity. Too many bodies in front of Ederson, not enough composure at the edge of the box.From a neutral perspective, this was elite entertainment. But if I’m in that Liverpool dressing room, I’m frustrated. With City not quite at their absolute robot best and Arsenal quietly stacking wins, these are the nights where you have to be ruthless. Salah and Jota did their part, but the missed chances and small lapses at the back might be what everyone remembers if Liverpool fall short by a point or two in May.
For City, it’s classic survival mode. Not their most fluent display, but Haaland scores, Foden delivers a big moment, and they walk away with a point in one of the toughest stadiums in world football. It’s not pretty, but it’s very, very title-contender behaviour.
One last look at the bigger picture
The beauty of days like this is that nothing is settled – but everything feels bigger. Anfield drama, Bellingham bossing La Liga, Mbappé cruising through Ligue 1 – it’s wall-to-wall action across the continent.If you’re trying to make sense of where this leaves the Premier League in particular, don’t guess – check the live data and see exactly how that 2-2 at Anfield has shuffled the pack:
Check full stats & standings now
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