Liverpool v Man City live thriller: Salah & Haaland light up title race
22.02.2026 - 05:39:33 | ad-hoc-news.de
Liverpool 2–2 Manchester City – Superstars, screamers, and total chaos
Anfield under the lights, rainy sky, noise off the charts – and the two deadliest forwards on the planet going head?to?head. If you missed this, honestly, what were you doing?
Manchester City struck first. After a slick move through midfield, Kevin De Bruyne slid the ball into a half?space, Phil Foden dragged Virgil van Dijk out wide, and suddenly there was room. Foden cut it back to the edge of the box and Erling Haaland did what Erling Haaland does – one touch out of his feet, low rocket into the bottom corner. 0–1 City, Haaland on the scoresheet again, and the away end exploded.
But Liverpool hit back in pure Anfield style. Trent Alexander-Arnold pinged a diagonal towards Darwin Núñez, who bullied his way between Rúben Dias and John Stones. The loose ball broke kindly and Mohamed Salah pounced, smashing it past Ederson from close range. 1–1, Salah screaming at the Kop, the place absolutely bouncing.
The second half went even more insane. City retook the lead after a clever short corner. De Bruyne rolled it to Bernardo Silva, who clipped a teasing ball to the back post where John Stones had peeled away from his marker. Simple header, 1–2 City, and Jürgen Klopp was raging on the touchline about the defending.
Then came the moment everyone’s arguing about in the football results today feed – the big VAR call. Núñez burst into the box, tangled with Stones, and went down. The ref initially waved play on. Anfield lost it. After a long VAR check, the ref went to the monitor, spotted the clip on Núñez’s heel and pointed to the spot. Massive call.
Up stepped Mohamed Salah, eyes locked on Ederson. Nerves of steel. He sent the keeper the wrong way, slamming the penalty into the corner to make it 2–2. Cue limbs everywhere. City players surrounded the ref, Guardiola was losing his mind on the touchline, and X was instantly full of screenshots and freeze-frames of the contact on Núñez.
Both teams chased a winner. Haaland nearly stole it late with a towering header from a Jack Grealish cross, but Alisson stretched every inch of his frame to claw it out. At the other end, Salah slipped in Luis Díaz, who curled just wide of the far post. In the end, it finished 2–2 – probably fair, but it leaves the title race hanging by a thread.
Stars under the spotlight: Heroes and nearly-men
- Erling Haaland (Man City): Clinical again. One chance, one finish. He bullied Liverpool’s back line all game, but he’ll be annoyed he didn’t bury that late header. Still, he’s right in the mix for the top scorers today and for the Golden Boot.
- Mohamed Salah (Liverpool): Big players deliver on big nights. Two huge goals – one poacher’s finish, one ice?cold penalty. When Liverpool needed someone to drag them up the pitch, it was Salah every time.
- Kevin De Bruyne (Man City): Quiet by his own insane standards but still walked away with a key assist for Haaland. Some of his passing between the lines was ridiculous, slicing through Liverpool’s midfield.
- Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool): Had his hands full with Haaland all night. Won a lot of aerial duels but switched off on the Stones goal. Not a disaster-class, but not peak Van Dijk either.
Elsewhere in the Premier League – title race and top-four scrap
While Anfield hosted the blockbuster, the rest of the Premier League live slate delivered serious drama too.
At the Emirates, Arsenal 3–1 Newcastle kept the Gunners firmly in the chase. Bukayo Saka opened the scoring with a trademark left?foot curler after cutting in from the right. Gabriel Jesus added a scruffy second after chaos in the box, before Martin Ødegaard sealed it with a calm finish from the edge of the area. Newcastle’s only reply came from Alexander Isak, who finished a slick counter, but it was too little, too late.
At Stamford Bridge, Chelsea 1–1 Tottenham was pure frustration for both sides. Son Heung-min slid Spurs ahead with a neat near?post finish, but a late header from Christopher Nkunku rescued a point for Chelsea. Spurs fans are fuming about a disallowed goal for Richarlison after another razor?thin offside call that VAR took forever to sort out.
What today means for the football league table
So where does all this leave us? The draw at Anfield keeps both Liverpool and Manchester City right at the top of the football league table, with Arsenal breathing down their necks after their win. It feels like every dropped point now is going to be massive. City missed a chance to pull away, Liverpool missed a chance to lay down a huge marker, and Arsenal quietly keep stacking wins. The Champions League news might be loud, but this title race is even louder.
What does this mean for the title race? Click here for the live standings
Social Media Spotlight – VAR, vibes, and viral clips
The moment Núñez went down and VAR got involved, the internet basically melted. The official hashtag #LIVMCI shot straight to the top of football and soccer news trends. Half the timeline is Liverpool fans yelling "stonewall pen", the other half is City supporters posting slow?mo clips saying "minimal contact". Classic.
The Internet is Exploding: 3 Social Media Highlights
X Discussion: Fans losing it over the late VAR penalty for Núñez
Liverpool’s official Instagram is already pumping out tunnel shots, Salah celebrations, and that slow?mo walk back to halfway after the equaliser. You can practically feel the noise through your phone. On YouTube, the highlight packages are climbing fast – every angle of Haaland’s finish, every frame of the VAR penalty, every near?miss in those wild final minutes.
Reporter’s Take – no sitting on the fence tonight
Here’s my honest take: this was two giants swinging, but neither landing the knockout. Liverpool will feel they could’ve stolen it with Díaz’s late chance and the energy of the Kop. City will swear the VAR call robbed them of a massive away win in the title race. But over 90 minutes, a draw just about feels right.
From a pure football perspective though – this was elite. Haaland and Salah both turning up on the same night is exactly what you want from a supposed title decider. If you’re picking a top scorer today on form alone, you still can’t look past Haaland for the Golden Boot, but Salah’s big?game gene is unreal. He doesn’t just pad stats; he scores when everything is on the line.
In my opinion, the real worry for both managers is at the back. Liverpool gave City way too much space on set pieces, and City looked weirdly vulnerable when Liverpool went direct to Núñez. If either of these sides tightens up defensively, they become instant favourites. Until then, this might be the messiest, most entertaining title fight we’ve seen in years – and honestly, I’m here for every second of it.
Closing Whistle – the title race is alive and kicking
So, after all the noise, all the VAR replays, all the Haaland versus Salah debates, we end the night with the title race still wide open. Arsenal lurking, Liverpool and City trading blows, and every weekend now feeling like a cup final. If you’re into football results today, keep your notifications on – this run?in is going to be chaos.
Check full stats & standings now
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