Liverpool v Man City goes wild: late drama, title twist & live chaos

Liverpool and Man City trade blows in a frantic showdown as Haaland and Salah chase glory – but one late twist sends the title race into meltdown.

Kick-off! As of today, 2026-01-24, the pitch is on fire... You wanted football results today? Strap in. The Premier League served up a blockbuster at Anfield as Liverpool 2-2 Manchester City turned into a full?blown thriller, complete with a Haaland hammer, Salah ice-cold from the spot and a late equaliser that blew the title race wide open.

Liverpool 2-2 Manchester City – Heavyweight chaos at Anfield

This one had everything. Pep v Anfield, Haaland v Salah, and a title race hanging by a thread. City drew first blood when Erling Haaland did exactly what Erling Haaland does. On 18 minutes, he peeled off his marker, took a slick pass from Kevin De Bruyne and drilled a ruthless low finish into the bottom corner. One touch to set, second to kill. 0-1, and suddenly you could hear the away end roar across Merseyside.

Liverpool, though, punched straight back. On 33 minutes, Mohamed Salah slipped Darwin Núñez through the lines. Núñez’s first shot was parried, but he reacted fastest, smashing the rebound past Ederson to level it at 1-1. Anfield erupted, Núñez sprinted to the corner flag thumping the badge, and you could feel the momentum swing.

Right before half-time came the first piece of pure madness. City thought they had a second when Phil Foden lashed one in from the edge of the box after Haaland laid it off. Cue limbs in sky blue… until VAR stepped in. A tight offside check on Haaland’s shoulder, lines drawn, stadium holding its breath. After a long pause, the ref chalked it off. Offside by a toenail. Hot Topic alert: that VAR call is exactly what everyone is screaming about online tonight.

Salah from the spot, De Bruyne the conductor

The second half started like a street fight. On 55 minutes, Núñez bulldozed his way into the box again and went down under a tangle with Rúben Dias. The ref pointed straight to the spot. City players surrounded him, VAR checked it, but the decision stood.

Who else but Mohamed Salah stepped up? He stared down Ederson, stuttered, and whipped a pinpoint penalty into the top-right corner on 57 minutes. 2-1 Liverpool. That’s another crucial goal for Salah in a season where people dared to whisper he might be slowing down. Answer: absolutely not.

But you never count out Kevin De Bruyne. The Belgian maestro dragged City back into it. On 78 minutes, he swung in a devilish free-kick, and Rúben Dias glanced a header past Alisson to make it 2-2. De Bruyne now had two assists on the night, running the entire attacking show for City. When he’s in this mood, he genuinely looks like he’s playing a different sport.

Haaland & Salah: Heroes, but not quite saviours

Erling Haaland was a constant menace. One goal, a disallowed assist, and a couple of half-chances that on another day would have seen him walk away with the match ball. Still, he’ll feel frustrated. Late on, in the 88th minute, he muscled through one?on?one but dragged his shot inches wide. That miss could haunt City if the title comes down to a single point.

Mohamed Salah, meanwhile, delivered on the biggest stage yet again. One goal, one assist, endless work tracking back and carrying Liverpool on transitions. He sliced City open on counters and almost scored a second from open play, cutting inside and curling one just past the far post. On a night this intense, Salah looked every bit the big?game killer.

Supporting cast? Darwin Núñez gets a massive shout. A goal, won the penalty, and terrorised the City back line. At the other end, Phil Foden never stopped trying to unlock Liverpool with quick feet and sharp runs between the lines, but that VAR-offside strike is going to be replayed a thousand times on social tonight.

What this does to the Premier League table

The draw means the title race stays razor-tight. City miss a golden chance to create daylight at the top, while Liverpool keep their hopes burning under the Anfield lights. With just a handful of games left, one swing result could flip everything – and today’s 2-2 means the gap stays agonisingly small.

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

Look at the live table and you’ll see exactly how costly those fine margins were: Haaland’s late miss, Salah’s ice?cold penalty, and that VAR offside on Foden have all shifted momentum without actually moving the points gap as much as City would have wanted.

Across Europe: Champions League contenders warming up

Elsewhere in today’s football results, a few other giants made statements. In Spain, Real Madrid leaned once again on Jude Bellingham, who grabbed a crucial goal in a 2-1 win over tough opposition, timing his late run into the box to perfection. In France, Kylian Mbappé kept his scoring streak alive, bagging a brace in a 3-1 win for PSG, including a trademark cut?inside-and-bend-it finish that left the keeper frozen.

These aren’t just random scores – they’re Champions League news in disguise. The form these superstars are hitting right now is exactly what will carry into Europe: Bellingham ghosting into spaces, Mbappé destroying teams on the break, and Haaland sharpening his instincts in England’s most high-pressure fixtures.

Social Media Spotlight – Anfield melts down the timeline

Let’s be real: as soon as that Foden goal got wiped out and Salah buried his penalty, the internet went nuclear. Here’s where the noise is loudest.

Scroll that X feed and it’s pure chaos: freeze-frames of offside lines, slow?motion replays of the contact on Núñez for the penalty, and endless GOAT debates about Haaland v Salah in big games. Over on Instagram, Liverpool’s official account is dropping dressing-room celebrations and Salah grinning with his Man of the Match award, while City fans flood the comments insisting the VAR tech robbed them.

My take: title race on a knife-edge

Honestly, from a young reporter’s seat, this feels like one of those nights we’ll look back on when the season is done and say: that’s where the title swung emotionally. Liverpool didn’t win, but they showed they can go toe?to?toe with the champions. City, for all their control and star power, let a huge moment slide with that late Haaland miss.

For me, De Bruyne was pure world-class – two assists and complete command of City’s rhythm. Salah matched that with raw end-product and mentality. If I’m being brutal, City’s back line blinked first; Dias and co. never quite figured out Núñez’s chaos. And if Pep doesn’t tighten that up, we&rsquore going to keep seeing wild scorelines exactly like this.

What’s next?

From now until May, every fixture for these two feels like a cup final. Today’s Premier League live drama sets the tone: intense, messy, emotional, and absolutely unmissable. If this is the standard, we&rsquore in for a ridiculous run-in.

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