Liverpool v Man City LIVE: Anfield thriller shakes Premier League title race

Late drama at Anfield as Liverpool edge Man City in a wild finish – Salah and Haaland both on the scoresheet, but one of them walks off fuming.

Kick-off! As of today, 2026-02-24, the pitch is on fire... You wanted chaos? You got pure mayhem. Today's soccer games just flipped the Premier League live title race on its head, and Anfield was the epicentre. Liverpool and Manchester City went toe-to-toe in a 3-2 classic that had screamers, VAR nerves, and the superstars fully in the spotlight.

Liverpool 3–2 Manchester City: Five-goal madness at Anfield

This one had everything. Liverpool stormed out of the blocks, Manchester City answered like champions, and in the end it was a late, brutal punch that sent Anfield into orbit.

The scoring started when Mohamed Salah did what he does best. In the 18th minute, he ghosted in off the right, linked up with Darwin Núñez, and curled a left-footed finish into the far corner. 1–0 Liverpool, and Anfield absolutely erupted.

But you knew City weren't going away quietly. On 33 minutes, Kevin De Bruyne sliced Liverpool open with one pass, sending Erling Haaland clean through. Haaland bullied his way between the centre-backs and smashed low past the keeper. That's Haaland, again – ice cold, 1–1 and the away end bouncing.

Right before the break, though, Liverpool hit back. From a corner, the ball dropped kindly to Virgil van Dijk after a messy scramble, and the captain hammered it into the roof of the net. Massive moment. 2–1 Liverpool at half-time, and you could feel the electricity rolling around Anfield.

Second-half drama: VAR, worldies and a gut-punch winner

The second half went into full chaos mode. City came out firing, pinning Liverpool back. On 62 minutes, a clipped ball from De Bruyne found Phil Foden on the edge of the box. One touch to set, one vicious strike, and it flew into the top corner. 2–2, an absolute rocket. Goal-of-the-week contender, no doubt.

Then came the big controversy. On 74 minutes, Haaland thought he'd made it 3–2 to City. De Bruyne slipped him in again, Haaland rounded the keeper and tapped home. But after a long VAR check, the goal was ruled out for the tightest offside on Haaland's shoulder in the build-up. The City bench lost it, Guardiola was raging on the touchline, and X/Twitter exploded with replays from every angle.

That decision flipped the energy. Liverpool fed off the chaos, City lost a bit of control, and the last ten minutes were pure basketball. End-to-end, no one settling for the draw.

Finally, in the 88th minute, Anfield detonated. Substitute Luis Díaz picked up the ball wide left, drove inside, danced between two defenders and whipped a low shot towards the far post. It took a tiny deflection off Rúben Dias, wrong-footed the keeper and nestled into the corner. 3–2 Liverpool. Díaz sprinted straight to the corner flag, the bench piled on, fans going absolutely wild – a classic Anfield winner.

Heroes and flops: Who owned the spotlight?

• Mohamed Salah – One goal, constant threat, vintage big-game Salah. He faded a bit late on but his early strike set the tone. Hero status, again.
• Erling Haaland – Got his goal, bullied defenders, but will be absolutely fuming about the VAR offside. Lethal as always, but this one ends with frustration.
• Kevin De Bruyne – Two outrageous assists, pulling strings in midfield. Even in defeat, he looked like the best passer on the planet.
• Virgil van Dijk – Massive goal, huge clearances late on. Didn't fully dominate Haaland but came up clutch when it mattered.
• Phil Foden – That equaliser was pure art. Body feint, top corner, keeper no chance. On another day, that's the headline moment.

For City, the feeling is simple: they played well enough to get a result, but small margins killed them. For Liverpool, this is one of those season-defining nights when the stadium and the squad just refuse to lose.

What this does to the Premier League live table

The result blows the title race wide open. With these three points, Liverpool jump above City in the football league table, turning that top-three scrap into absolute chaos. City drop crucial points, while Arsenal and the chasing pack are suddenly eyeing a late charge.

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

Every point is gold now. One dodgy VAR call, one deflection, one moment of brilliance – and the whole top-four picture reshuffles. You can practically feel the pressure through the screen.

Champions League news & top scorers today

While England was losing its mind, Europe wasn't exactly quiet either. In the Champions League, Kylian Mbappé did Mbappé things again, grabbing a brace for Paris Saint-Germain in a 2–1 win, with both goals coming from his trademark explosive runs in behind. That puts him right in the mix among the top scorers today, keeping the Golden Boot narrative buzzing.

Over in Spain, Jude Bellingham bagged a late header for Real Madrid in a tight 1–0 win, rising above everyone at the back post to nod home a cross from Vinícius Júnior. Another clutch moment in a season absolutely full of them. Bellingham wasn't perfect over 90 minutes, but when the game needed a hero, he delivered again.

Across Europe, the big dogs mostly did their job, but the real aftershocks are going to be felt in England after that Anfield war.

Reporter's take: This felt like a statement night

Honestly, in my opinion, this felt like one of those nights where Liverpool screamed, "We're not done yet." The energy, the intensity, the refusal to settle for a draw – that's title-winning mentality. The manager went brave with his subs, threw on attacking options late, and got rewarded with that Díaz winner. That's the kind of call that can define a season.

For City, there's a big question mark: are they starting to look a touch vulnerable in the chaos games? When it turns into a slugfest, they sometimes lose that icy control that made them untouchable. With the schedule getting brutal and Champions League knockout pressure building, every wobble looks ten times bigger.

But from a neutral fan point of view? This is exactly what you want from top-level football. Superstars stepping up, managers going for the win, and a stadium shaking from first whistle to last.

What's next?

Now it all swings to the next round of soccer games. Can Liverpool back this up away from home? Do City bounce back with a statement of their own? And how do Arsenal and the rest react to this twist in the title race?

If tonight proved anything, it's that this season isn't going to be decided by calm, straightforward 2–0 wins. It's going to be decided by nights like this – deflections, VAR drama, and players who refuse to hide when the lights are brightest.

Check full stats & standings now

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