Liverpool vs Man City goes wild: late chaos, title race shaken – live reaction
08.02.2026 - 16:38:54
Liverpool 3-2 Manchester City – Salah vs Haaland, pure madness
Let's start with the monster showdown everyone circled on the calendar. Liverpool and Manchester City served up a five-goal thriller that swung, twisted, and then exploded right at the death.
City actually struck first: after some neat build-up on the right, Kevin De Bruyne clipped a trademark ball in behind and Erling Haaland did what Erling Haaland does – one touch to set, second touch to bury it low into the corner for 0-1. Liverpool were rocked, but only for a couple of minutes.
The response was vintage Anfield. Trent Alexander-Arnold fizzed a diagonal that split City's high line, Darwin Núñez battled for the second ball, and it fell perfectly for Mohamed Salah to crash home with his left foot for 1-1. The place absolutely erupted.
Just before half-time, Liverpool flipped the game. From a corner, Alexander-Arnold whipped in a vicious ball, Virgil van Dijk bullied his marker and powered in a header for 2-1. Pep Guardiola looked furious on the touchline as his side again conceded from a set piece.
Second half, City started like a machine. De Bruyne found pockets, Phil Foden kept drifting in-field, and eventually it paid off. A slick move ended with Foden slipping Haaland through. The Norwegian didn't miss: a ruthless low finish for his second of the night and 2-2. Haaland's brace kept him right at the top of the top scorers today charts.
Then came the chaos. In the 86th minute, Liverpool thought they'd won it when Núñez went down in the box under pressure from Rúben Dias. The referee pointed to the spot, the stadium went berserk, and City players completely surrounded him. VAR stepped in, screens went blue, and the whole of football Twitter went into meltdown. After a long check, the penalty was overturned – the contact deemed minimal. Boos everywhere, Guardiola sarcastically applauding, Salah fuming.
But Anfield never sleeps. Deep into stoppage time, Liverpool pressed high, forced a loose clearance, and the ball broke to substitute Diogo Jota on the edge of the box. One touch, bang – bottom corner, 3-2. Scenes. Jota ripped off in celebration, Klopp sprinted down the touchline, and City were left absolutely stunned.
On the performance front, Mohamed Salah was a constant menace – a goal, clever movement, and endless runs in behind. Erling Haaland answered with a cold-blooded brace, but he still ended on the losing side. Kevin De Bruyne was pure class on the ball but looked gassed late on, while Virgil van Dijk dominated in the air even if Liverpool still looked shaky at times when City went direct.
Arsenal 2-0 Chelsea – Saka shines, Gunners keep the pressure on
Over in North London, the football results today kept the title race boiling nicely. Arsenal clinically took care of Chelsea with a controlled 2-0 win, built around their star boy on the right wing.
The opener came from – who else – Bukayo Saka. In the 23rd minute, Martin Ødegaard threaded a sneaky pass behind the full-back, Saka chopped inside onto his left and whipped a classic curler into the far corner. 1-0 and the Emirates was bouncing.
Chelsea actually had a big chance to equalise when Cole Palmer slipped Christopher Nkunku through, but the Frenchman dragged his shot wide. That miss felt huge almost instantly. Ten minutes later, Arsenal doubled the lead: a slick short-corner routine saw Ødegaard float one to the back post where Gabriel Jesus ghosted in and nodded home for 2-0.
From there, Arsenal played like a team who knows exactly where they are in the football league table: calm, clever, no panic. Saka tormented his full-back all game, Ødegaard pulled strings, and Chelsea struggled badly to create anything clear after the break.
As for the big-name verdicts: Saka was absolutely world-class tonight – goal, work rate, leadership. Ødegaard quietly ran the show, and Declan Rice hoovered up everything in midfield. On Chelsea's side, Palmer had flashes, but Raheem Sterling and Nkunku just didn't turn up with the big moments their fans needed.
What it means for the title race and the table
Liverpool's last-gasp win over Manchester City blows the Premier League title race wide open again. Arsenal's calm win over Chelsea means we've got a genuine three-horse race developing, separated by the tiniest of margins on points and goal difference.
Liverpool's three points push them right up near the summit, City drop valuable ground after Haaland's heroics still weren't enough, and Arsenal quietly keep pace, refusing to blink. Every win, every draw, every late goal is now changing the live standings in real time.
What does this mean for the title race? Click here for the live standings
Across Europe – Bellingham and Mbappé keep the spotlight
It wasn't just England putting on a show. In Spain, Jude Bellingham kept his star burning bright with another huge performance for Real Madrid. The English midfielder scored once and assisted once in a 3-1 win, arriving late into the box for his goal and then slipping in a perfect through ball for the third. Once again, he looked like Madrid's emotional and tactical heartbeat.
In France, Kylian Mbappé did Mbappé things. A blistering run, a sharp cut inside, and a thunderous right-footed finish lit up PSG's 2-1 win. He also drew the foul for the free-kick that led to the second goal, even if he didn't get his name on the assist column. Defenders looked terrified every time he isolated them one-on-one – the guy was in full video-game mode.
These Champions League news contenders just keep sending a message ahead of European knockout nights: their main men are fully locked in.
Social Media Spotlight – where the chaos really explodes
While the players were leaving it all on the pitch, your timeline was absolutely melting down – and one talking point dominated everything: that late VAR decision in the Liverpool vs Manchester City clash before Jota's winner.
The Internet is Exploding: 3 Social Media Highlights
X Discussion: Fans raging and laughing at the late VAR penalty drama in #LIVMCI
From memes of Guardiola losing his mind on the touchline to slow-motion breakdowns of the supposed "contact" on Núñez, that one refereeing call basically hijacked all of soccer news feeds tonight.
Reporter's take – bold calls time
Honestly, from a young reporter's eye, this feels like a real momentum swing moment in the season. Liverpool showed mad resilience and pure chaos energy to win late like that. In my opinion, this is the kind of statement win that can define a campaign – players will look back at Jota's strike as a turning point if they end up lifting the trophy.
For City, yes, Haaland was lethal and De Bruyne still has that magic wand of a right foot, but defensively they looked strangely vulnerable under pressure. If Guardiola doesn't tighten that back line, especially on crosses and second balls, the title might slip away in exactly these heavyweight clashes.
Arsenal, meanwhile, quietly look the most "controlled" of the three. They might not always be the wildest match report to read, but they are ruthlessly efficient. If any side is built to punish slip-ups from Liverpool or City, it's Arteta's machine.
Closing whistle – don't blink now
So, football results today gave us everything: superstar braces from Haaland, Salah being Salah, Saka shining, Bellingham bossing Spain, Mbappé tearing up Ligue 1, and a VAR storm that basically broke the internet. The title race is a rollercoaster, the Champions League contenders are flexing, and every single weekend from here on out feels like a final.
If you want to really feel the stakes, don't just watch the goals – lock in on how the football league table shifts with every result. One draw, one missed chance, one crazy VAR call can flip the entire storyline.
Check full stats & standings now
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