Liverpool vs Man City goes wild: Salah, Haaland & title twist live
24.01.2026 - 10:41:49
Liverpool 2-1 Manchester City – Salah delivers, Haaland rages
Anfield under the lights, the title race on a knife edge, and you could tell from minute one this wasn’t going to be just another league game. Liverpool came flying out of the blocks, and the opener set the tone: Mohamed Salah doing Mohamed Salah things.
On 18 minutes, Trent Alexander-Arnold fizzed a trademark diagonal into the right channel, Salah took one silky touch to kill it dead, chopped inside Joško Gvardiol, and whipped a left-foot strike past Ederson at the near post. 1-0 Liverpool, Anfield exploding, Salah wheeling away to the corner flag like he knew he’d just lit up the title run-in.
But of course City were never going quietly. Kevin De Bruyne, who had been quiet early on, suddenly snapped into life. On 34 minutes he threaded a ridiculous through ball between Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konaté, and there was Erling Haaland, bulldozing into the box. One touch, head up, low left-foot finish across Alisson into the far corner. 1-1, Haaland’s celebration right in front of the Kop, and you could instantly feel the temperature rise.
From there it turned into pure end-to-end chaos. Haaland could have had a second before the break – a De Bruyne cutback found him free at the penalty spot, but he leaned back and skied it into the Anfield Road end. For a guy who’s been a machine all season, that was the flop moment of the night. You could see the disbelief on his face.
The VAR storm that rocked Anfield
The moment everyone’s going to be arguing about for days came just after the hour. City thought they’d turned it around when De Bruyne swung in a corner, Rúben Dias bundled it over the line after a scramble, and the away end went wild. But VAR told Michael Oliver to go to the monitor.
Replays showed Haaland with a light push on Van Dijk at the far post. Was there contact? Yeah. Was it enough? That’s the debate. Oliver eventually chalked the goal off for a foul in the build-up. Cue absolute fury from City players, Pep Guardiola laughing and clapping sarcastically on the touchline, and #LIVMCI flooding timelines in about three seconds flat.
The winner: local lad, massive moment
If Salah’s opener was all about world-class quality, the winner was pure Anfield storyline. On 78 minutes, Liverpool recycled a cleared corner, the ball finding Salah on the right. Instead of shooting, he slid a sneaky reverse pass into the box for Dominik Szoboszlai, whose low cross went all the way through to the back post. Waiting there? Curtis Jones, the Scouser in the side.
Jones took one touch and smashed it low past Ederson from a tight angle. 2-1 Liverpool, the stadium shaking, Jones thumping the badge as teammates piled in on him. Massive goal, massive night, and you could see what it meant to him and the crowd.
Stars under the microscope: heroes & flops
- Mohamed Salah – Hero. Goal, assist, constant nightmare for City’s backline. He drifted into pockets, dragged Gvardiol and Dias all over the place, and every time Liverpool needed calm, he provided it. This is exactly why he’s still the guy for big nights.
- Erling Haaland – Mixed bag. Yes, he scored City’s equaliser, classic Haaland finish, but he’ll be haunted by that missed sitter at 1-1. Add in the foul on Van Dijk for the disallowed goal and you’ve got a night where he did damage, but not enough.
- Kevin De Bruyne – Classy but not decisive. He was the brain behind most of City’s good moments, including the assist for Haaland, but Liverpool managed to limit his influence late on as Klopp tightened the midfield.
- Virgil van Dijk – Rock. Won huge duels with Haaland, organised the line, and drew that crucial VAR call that wiped off the Dias goal. Leadership all over the pitch.
Title race twist – where does this leave everyone?
This win is absolutely gigantic for Liverpool. Three points at home to their closest rivals, and it nudges them back to the top of the pile while City suddenly look a little more human. With Arsenal and the chasing pack breathing down their necks, every result feels like a mini-final.
Liverpool’s momentum at Anfield remains ridiculous, while City’s away-day aura takes a hit. Guardiola’s side are still right in the mix, but now they’re chasing instead of dictating – and that matters psychologically heading into the final stretch of the season.
What does this mean for the title race? Click here for the live standings
Champions League news & wider shockwaves
You just know both of these monsters are thinking beyond the league too. With Champions League nights looming, this kind of high-intensity battle can cut both ways – it’s either a confidence rocket or a fatigue trap.
For Liverpool, Salah and Szoboszlai hitting form at the same time is exactly what they want heading into Europe. For City, the worry is more about rhythm: Haaland’s finishing looking slightly off, De Bruyne managing his minutes, and the VAR frustration potentially boiling over into their next fixtures.
The Internet is Exploding: 3 Social Media Highlights
X Discussion: Fans furious over that VAR call on Rúben Dias' disallowed goal
My take: Klopp outfoxes Pep on the night
Let’s be real – this felt like a classic Klopp-versus-Pep chess match, and tonight the German absolutely edged it. The way Liverpool pressed City’s build-up, especially targeting the space around Rodri, was spot on. Every time City tried to reset, there was a red shirt snapping at their heels.
In my opinion, Guardiola waited too long to change things. City’s left side was under pressure for most of the game, but the tweaks came late, and once Jones made it 2-1, Liverpool just smelled blood and saw it out with pure energy and emotion.
From a fan’s perspective, though? This was everything you want from top-level football: elite players, ridiculous intensity, VAR drama, and a winner scored by the local kid. If you’re neutral, you loved it. If you’re City, you’re still fuming. If you’re Liverpool, you’re not sleeping tonight – in the best way.
Closing whistle – and what's next
So where does this leave us? The Premier League is officially in chaos mode again. Liverpool feel like a machine at Anfield, City suddenly have questions to answer, and everyone else in the top four race just got a little more nervous.
Bookmark this one in your brain – when we look back at how this season's story was written, tonight at Anfield is going to be one of the big, bold chapters.
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