Liverpool vs Man City goes wild: Salah, Haaland & title race chaos live
07.02.2026 - 07:58:39
Liverpool 3–2 Manchester City: Salah vs Haaland, pure madness
Anfield under the lights, title race on the line, and from the first whistle you could feel the electricity. Liverpool flew out of the blocks, pressing like crazy and turning every 50–50 into a war. The opener came early and it was classic Liverpool chaos: Trent Alexander-Arnold whipped in a vicious ball, Darwin Núñez knocked it down, and Mohamed Salah smashed home from close range. 1–0, Salah again in a big-game moment.
City answered like champions. Just before the half-hour mark, Kevin De Bruyne sliced Liverpool open with one of those ridiculous through balls only he sees. Erling Haaland bullied his way between Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konaté, took one touch, and drilled it low into the corner. 1–1, Haaland with the ice-cold finish – you could almost hear the collective Premier League live audience gasp.
But the first-half script wasn't done. Right before the break, Liverpool earned a free-kick on the edge of the box. Alexander-Arnold went for goal, his shot clipped the wall and deflected into the path of Dominik Szoboszlai, who reacted fastest and buried it. 2–1 Liverpool, Anfield exploding, Jürgen Klopp losing his mind on the touchline. City players swarmed the ref for a possible offside, VAR checked, lines drawn, goal stands. Cue absolute noise.
Second half: Haaland double and a wild winner
Pep Guardiola wasn't sitting on his hands. He threw on fresh legs, pushed Bernardo Silva higher and City turned the screw. On 63 minutes, they got their reward. De Bruyne drove forward again, slipped it wide to Phil Foden, whose low cross found Haaland in the box. One touch, bang – Haaland again, his second of the night. 2–2, the Norwegian machine just refuses to have a quiet evening.
At that point it felt like City might suffocate Liverpool, but this Liverpool team just doesn't know how to quit. Klopp rolled the dice with a double change, bringing on Diogo Jota and Harvey Elliott, and the tempo flipped. Salah started drifting inside, dragging defenders with him, and the space widened.
The winner? Absolute scenes. In the 86th minute, Liverpool broke at speed. Núñez raced down the left, cut it back into the box where Salah let the ball run, totally selling John Stones. Out of nowhere, Diogo Jota arrived and smashed a low shot into the far corner. 3–2 Liverpool. Anfield shook. City collapsed to the turf. Klopp sprinted down the touchline like it was his first ever win.
VAR drama: Penalty or robbery?
And then the moment the entire football world is arguing about. Deep in stoppage time, Jeremy Doku burst into the Liverpool box and went down under a challenge from Konaté. City screamed for a penalty, Guardiola lost his mind, the ref waved play on. VAR checked it for what felt like an eternity. On the replays you could see contact, but the decision: no penalty, no clear and obvious error. Play on. Final whistle moments later. X/Twitter went nuclear.
Stars of the show: Heroes & flops
- Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) – One goal, one pre-assist, endless chaos. Every time he got on the ball you felt danger. His movement pulled City's backline all over the place.
- Erling Haaland (Man City) – Two elite finishes, constant menace. Physically dominated at times, but you can't argue with that scoring instinct. Total number nine performance.
- Kevin De Bruyne (Man City) – Two key passes that led directly to Haaland's goals. When City were on top, he was the conductor. Faded slightly late on as Liverpool's press ramped up.
- Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool) – Not flawless, but immense in the air and calm when Liverpool were under siege. Some huge blocks late on.
- Phil Foden (Man City) – Bright and brave, assist for Haaland’s second, but drifted in and out of the game.
One big talking point: Alisson Becker had a strangely shaky night with the ball at his feet. A couple of dodgy passes nearly gifted City chances, and you could see the Kop holding its breath. On the other side, Ederson could do little about any of the three goals – all high-quality finishes through traffic.
Title race shockwaves: What this does to the table
So what does this 3–2 win mean for the football league table? Simple: it blows the Premier League title race wide open. Liverpool leapfrog City and sit top (at least for now), while City suddenly look human for the first time in months. Arsenal, watching from home, will be rubbing their hands – one slip from either side and they're right back in it.
City’s defense, usually so tight, was pulled apart by Liverpool's direct runs and quick transitions. Guardiola will hate conceding three, and with fixtures piling up and Champions League news on the horizon, squad depth and mentality are about to be tested like crazy.
What does this mean for the title race? Click here for the live standings
Social Media Spotlight: Fans lose it over VAR & late drama
While the players were collapsing on the pitch, your phone probably went wild. The official hashtag #LIVMCI is absolutely flooded. The hot topic? That stoppage-time penalty shout on Doku vs Konaté. Half the world is yelling "stonewall pen", the other half screaming "never enough for VAR to overturn".
The Internet is Exploding: 3 Social Media Highlights
X Discussion: Fans furious over the late VAR no-penalty call
Reporter's take: This felt like a statement
From my seat, this wasn't just another big game – it felt like a line in the sand. Liverpool showed they can still go toe-to-toe with the slickest squad in Europe and drag them into a fight. Salah looked like a man on a mission, Núñez played like chaos rebranded as a weapon, and the whole side fed off the crowd.
For City, I'm not hitting panic mode, but there are warning signs. When De Bruyne and Haaland are on, they're terrifying – but if the structure behind them wobbles, they can be got at. The midfield looked stretched late on, and the full-backs struggled with Liverpool's wide overloads.
In my opinion, this is one of those nights we might look back on in May and say: that was the moment the momentum shifted. If Liverpool ride this wave and keep their key players fit, they're absolutely in the title conversation. And if City don't tighten up defensively, you can bet every top side – at home and in Europe – will be studying this match report on repeat.
Closing whistle: Don't blink now
So yeah, if you missed this, you basically missed the game of the season so far. World-class players, huge stakes, wild twists, and a social media firestorm to top it all off. The title race is alive, breathing fire, and the next round of soccer news is going to be relentless.
Want to see exactly how this result reshapes the race, who's climbing, who's slipping, and who's suddenly in trouble?
Check full stats & standings now
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