Liverpool vs Man City chaos live: Salah, Haaland & a title race on fire

Liverpool edge Man City in a wild one as Salah delivers, Haaland misfires and the title race goes crazy. VAR, late drama, and a table twist you have to see.

Kick-off! As of today, 2026-02-12, the pitch is on fire... If you were searching for football results today and somehow missed Liverpool vs Manchester City, stop everything and catch up. Anfield was absolutely shaking as Liverpool beat City 3-2 in a breathless Premier League live showdown that could tilt the whole title race.

Liverpool 3-2 Manchester City – Salah steps up, Haaland left raging

This was pure chaos from the first whistle. Liverpool struck first when Darwin Núñez powered home a header on 18 minutes, rising between Rúben Dias and Nathan Aké to nod in a whipped cross from Trent Alexander-Arnold. Núñez has had critics, but today he looked like a pure No. 9 predator.

Manchester City hit back, and of course it was that man Erling Haaland – or so we thought. On 32 minutes, Kevin De Bruyne slid a typically delicious through ball between the lines. Haaland burst in behind, shrugged off Virgil van Dijk and drilled a left-footed finish low past Alisson. The stadium froze as VAR checked a razor-thin offside, but the goal stood: Liverpool 1-1 Manchester City, and Haaland on the scoresheet again.

City tilted the momentum right before half-time. In the 44th minute, Phil Foden capitalised on a loose touch from Ibrahima Konaté, darted into the box and curled a perfect right-footed shot into the far corner. Goal scorers at the break: Núñez for Liverpool; Haaland and Foden for Manchester City. At that point, it looked like City were ready to grind it out like champions.

Salah & Szoboszlai flip the script

But this is Anfield, and today it belonged to Mohamed Salah. On 58 minutes, Alexis Mac Allister nicked the ball in midfield and fed Salah wide right. He squared up Josko Gvardiol, cut inside onto that magic left foot and fired into the far top corner. Ederson barely moved. Salah’s goal made it 2-2 and lit the place up. In terms of football results today, that moment is going viral everywhere.

The winner came from sheer persistence. Liverpool piled on the pressure and finally broke City on 79 minutes from a corner routine. Trent Alexander-Arnold swung it in, Virgil van Dijk’s header crashed off the bar, and Dominik Szoboszlai reacted first to smash the rebound into the net. Goal scorer: Szoboszlai, with a finish that might end up in Liverpool highlight packages for years.

Haaland, meanwhile, faded badly after his goal. He snatched at a big chance on 71 minutes, slicing wide from a De Bruyne cut-back, and then saw a late header comfortably saved by Alisson. For once, the Norwegian machine looked human, surrounded by van Dijk and Konaté and starved of clean service as City lost control of midfield.

VAR drama and late heart attacks

The hottest drama hit in stoppage time. City thought they’d equalised when Bernardo Silva floated a ball into the box and Julián Álvarez bundled it in from close range. The away end exploded, Pep Guardiola charged down the touchline – and then everyone saw the VAR graphic. The ball had clipped Manuel Akanji’s hand in the buildup. After a long check, the referee ruled it out for handball. Cue absolute meltdown on the City bench and on social media.

In the final minute, Salah almost added another, latching onto a long ball from Alisson and chipping Ederson, only for Aké to sprint back and hook it off the line. Still, Salah walked off with a goal, an assist and a Player of the Match performance, while Haaland had one goal but will be furious with how City let the game slip.

How this shakes the Premier League table

This win is huge for the title race. With these football results today, Liverpool jump above Manchester City in the live Premier League table, turning what looked like a City stroll into a full-blown scrap. City’s defensive wobble and their inability to control Liverpool’s press suddenly makes the run-in feel wide open again.

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

Elsewhere in Europe: Bellingham & Mbappé watch

Over in LaLiga, Jude Bellingham delivered again in Real Madrid’s 2-0 win at home. Goal scorers: Vinícius Júnior opened the scoring with a cool finish after a slick one-two with Rodrygo, and Bellingham killed it off late with a driving run from midfield and a precise low shot into the corner. Bellingham’s form remains ridiculous; every time he gets on the ball, you feel like something’s about to break.

In Ligue 1, Kylian Mbappé grabbed a brace in Paris Saint-Germain’s 3-1 victory. The PSG goal scorers: Mbappé twice – first from the penalty spot after a clumsy foul, then with a trademark dart in from the left and a curling finish – and Ousmane Dembélé with a thumping volley. The opposition hit back through a late consolation goal from their centre-forward, but honestly, this was Mbappé’s show. If you’re tracking top scorers today across Europe, Mbappé’s numbers are getting scary again.

Champions League news & implications

So what does all this mean ahead of the next Champions League round? Liverpool’s intensity tonight will terrify any European opponent – Núñez looked sharp, Salah world-class, and Szoboszlai’s engine was unreal. Manchester City, on the other hand, suddenly look vulnerable at the back. Rúben Dias struggled under Liverpool’s press, while Gvardiol never seemed comfortable dealing with Salah one-v-one.

Real Madrid and PSG both picked up confident league wins, which is exactly what you want rolling into Champions League nights. Bellingham’s timing of runs, Mbappé’s sheer pace – these are the guys shaping the knockout stages. The soccer news cycle over the next few days is going to be wall-to-wall with comparisons between Salah, Haaland, Bellingham and Mbappé after today’s performances.

My take: statement win, worrying cracks

From a young reporter’s eye, this felt like a statement from Liverpool and a warning for City. In my opinion, Liverpool looked hungrier, faster and braver on the ball. Salah reminded everyone he’s still one of the absolute elite; that goal into the top corner was pure art. Szoboszlai bossed the midfield late on, and Núñez’s early header set the tone.

For City, I’m not saying the manager has to go – Pep is Pep – but the balance looks off. Haaland scored, yes, but his touch deserted him when it mattered, and the supply line went missing once Liverpool tightened up around De Bruyne. City’s back line looked rattled every time Liverpool ran at them, and title-winning teams usually don’t crumble under that kind of pressure.

Across Europe, Bellingham and Mbappé were the opposite of flops: both delivered exactly what their teams needed. Bellingham’s late goal gave Madrid a calm, controlled finish, while Mbappé’s brace felt inevitable the second he started sprinting at defenders. These are the performances that shape Ballon d’Or debates months from now.

Closing whistle: title race wide open

If you came here hunting for football results today, you picked the right day: a five-goal thriller at Anfield, statement wins from Real Madrid and PSG, and all the big names right at the centre of the drama. The Premier League live table just got a serious shake, and every dropped point from here on out will be massive.

For the full context – who’s top, who’s chasing, who’s suddenly in trouble – you need the numbers in front of you.

Check full stats & standings now

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@ ad-hoc-news.de