Liverpool vs Man City goes wild: Salah, Haaland & title race live

Liverpool edge Man City in a chaotic Anfield classic as Salah and Haaland trade blows – but one late twist flips the Premier League title race on its head.

Kick-off! As of today, 2026-02-18, the pitch is on fire... You wanted insane soccer games? Anfield just delivered a Premier League live thriller that could define the whole season. Liverpool 3–2 Manchester City, late drama, star power everywhere, and a title race that’s suddenly looking very different.

The atmosphere was electric from the first whistle, and you could feel it: this wasn’t just another league match, this was a statement night. From Mohamed Salah squaring up against Erling Haaland to the midfield battle around Kevin De Bruyne and Dominik Szoboszlai, every touch felt like it weighed double.

Liverpool 3–2 Manchester City: A Five-Goal War

Anfield nights just hit different, and this one is going straight into the classics folder. Liverpool flew out of the blocks, pressing City like mad. The opener came early: a slick move down the right, Trent Alexander-Arnold slipping in a pass for Mohamed Salah, who cut inside on his left and drilled it low into the far corner. Goal: Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) – the King of Anfield doing King things.

City needed a response, and of course it came from the big man. After a spell of controlled possession, Phil Foden whipped in a devilish cross from the left and Erling Haaland shrugged off his marker to bury a towering header into the top corner. Goal: Erling Haaland (Manchester City), 1–1, and Anfield suddenly went a little quiet. But this was no slow chess match. The tempo stayed ridiculous. Just before half-time, Darwin Núñez turned chaos into gold. A long ball over the top caused confusion between Rúben Dias and his keeper; Núñez pounced, nicked it away and rolled it into an empty net. Goal: Darwin Núñez (Liverpool) – pure striker’s instinct and pure City panic.

Second-Half Fire: VAR Chaos and a Late Winner

City came out after the break furious and sharper. Kevin De Bruyne started pulling strings, and you could feel Liverpool sinking deeper. The equaliser came from a classic City pattern: De Bruyne slipped a through ball into the box, Bernardo Silva cut it back and Julián Álvarez swept it home first time. Goal: Julián Álvarez (Manchester City), 2–2, and we were right back on a knife-edge.

Then came the moment everyone is screaming about online: the VAR penalty mayhem. Haaland drove into the box, tangled with Virgil van Dijk, hit the turf, and the referee pointed to the spot. Anfield exploded in protest. On first view it looked soft, but the ref stuck with his call. Haaland stepped up, went low to the right… and Alisson guessed correctly, pushing it wide. No goal, still 2–2, and the place went absolutely nuts. That save might end up as a season-defining moment.

City never fully recovered from that missed chance. Liverpool smelled blood and started to push again on the counter. In the 88th minute, the roof came off. A quick break saw Luis Díaz drive at Nathan Aké, cut inside, and unleash a rocket towards the far post. Ederson got a glove, but the rebound dropped right in front of Mohamed Salah, who reacted faster than everyone to smash it in. Goal: Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) again, 3–2, and the title race just swung hard in Liverpool’s favour.

Stars Under the Spotlight: Heroes and Flops

Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) – Two massive goals, endless work off the ball, constant pressure on City’s back line. On nights like this he looks absolutely world-class, the kind of player who drags his team through the storm. When Liverpool needed a leader, he showed up.

Erling Haaland (Man City) – Bullet header, constant menace, but that missed penalty is going to haunt the highlights. He did score, he did his job in open play, but when you’re Haaland, you’re judged on the big moments. Tonight, Alisson won that duel.

Kevin De Bruyne – Not vintage KDB, but still produced the crucial pass that led to City’s second. He drifted in and out; when he turned it on, Liverpool panicked, but he couldn’t quite dominate the full 90.

Virgil van Dijk & the Liverpool defence – It wasn’t pretty at times. Haaland pulled them around, and there were shaky moments, especially around that penalty call. But in the final minutes, when the box was raining crosses, Van Dijk and Ibrahima Konaté threw their bodies into everything.

What This Does to the Premier League Table

This result is massive for the title race. Liverpool grab three points at home against their biggest rivals, while City drop a crucial game in a stadium where you just can’t afford many mistakes this deep into the season. The gap at the top tightens, and you can already sense the tension heading into the next round of soccer games across the league.

Maybe you’re wondering: are Liverpool now in pole position, or can City still claw it back with their run-in? The live standings have shifted, other contenders are lurking, and the fixture list ahead is brutal.

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

Social Media Spotlight: VAR Meltdown & Salah Mania

The internet is absolutely losing it over that penalty call and Haaland’s miss. Clips of the incident are everywhere, freeze-frames from every angle, and fanbases going head-to-head over whether it was a soft call or stonewall pen. On the flip side, Salah’s late winner is already being cut into edits with dramatic music and epic captions. Scroll that #LIVMCI feed and it’s chaos: slow-mos of the contact between Haaland and Van Dijk, screenshots of the ref at the monitor, and split-screen comparisons to old controversial calls. Liverpool fans are posting Alisson save compilations like they’re Marvel trailers, City fans are dissecting every pixel of contact.

Reporter's Hot Take: Klopp Masterclass, City Look Human

From where I'm sitting, this felt like a classic Jurgen Klopp statement win. The brave high press early on, then the guts to keep Núñez on when the game got scrappy – it all paid off. The subs added energy instead of just killing time, and Liverpool never fully parked the bus, even when they were hanging on.

For City, this is a warning sign. When teams really go at them with intensity, they suddenly look a bit more human. Haaland will get slaughtered online for the missed penalty, but the deeper issue is how easily Liverpool created chaos with direct runs and transitions. If other teams copy that blueprint, the run-in could get very uncomfortable for Pep Guardiola.

In my opinion, this was an absolutely world-class performance from Salah and Alisson, and a slightly rattled one from City under real pressure. Nobody’s writing City off – they never go away quietly – but mentally, this feels like a massive Liverpool punch.

Closing Whistle: Title Race on Fast-Forward

So, we end the night with Anfield singing, Salah grinning, Haaland shaking his head, and the whole league looking at that table again. This wasn’t just three points, it was a message: Liverpool are absolutely in this, and City can be shaken when the stadium turns into a storm.

If you’re trying to process what this means for the rest of the season – for the Champions League spots, for the top scorers today, for every nerve-wracking fixture still to come – you need to keep one eye on those standings.

Check full stats & standings now

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@ ad-hoc-news.de