Liverpool vs Man City goes wild: title drama, late twist & live fallout
26.02.2026 - 01:51:40 | ad-hoc-news.de
Kick-off! As of today, 2026-02-26, the pitch is on fire... You wanted football results today, you got absolute chaos. The Premier League live title race just went up a few notches after a breathless showdown at Anfield where Liverpool and Manchester City smashed into each other for 90+ minutes and refused to blink.
Liverpool 2–2 Manchester City – Heavyweights trading haymakers
This one had it all: superstar goals, tactical tweaks, and a VAR sting right at the death. From the first whistle, you could feel this wasn’t just another game – this was a potential title decider.
Manchester City drew first blood. In the 18th minute, Erling Haaland did exactly what Erling Haaland does: one touch to set, one touch to smash. Kevin De Bruyne slipped a filthy disguised pass between the lines, Haaland rolled Virgil van Dijk with that trademark body feint and drilled a low left?footer into the bottom corner. 0–1, City, and Anfield went silent for a second.
Liverpool’s response was furious. Mohamed Salah dragged his side up the pitch every time he got on the ball, and the equaliser felt inevitable. It came on 34 minutes: Trent Alexander-Arnold whipped in a vicious cross from the right, Darwin Núñez attacked the near post, and the ball dropped kindly off a deflection. Salah pounced, smashing it in from close range. 1–1, and suddenly City were the ones wobbling.
After the break, the tempo didn’t drop. City looked slick, but Liverpool had the chaos factor. In the 61st minute, Anfield exploded again. A quick counter saw Dominik Szoboszlai release Núñez down the left; he cut inside and fizzed a low ball across the box. It bypassed everyone until Luis Díaz arrived late at the back post to bury it. 2–1 Liverpool, the stadium bouncing, Guardiola raging on the touchline.
But you never write off this City side. They kept their cool and slowly turned the screw. In the 79th minute, substitute Phil Foden delivered a wicked in?swinging corner, and Rúben Dias bullied his marker to power a header into the net. 2–2, and suddenly it was Liverpool clinging on.
Haaland & Salah – heroes… but not quite match?winners
Haaland’s performance was classic Haaland: maybe 25 touches all game, but every one felt lethal. He scored the opener, nearly grabbed a second with a near?post run that forced Alisson into a stunning save, and constantly occupied both centre-backs. Still, he’ll be annoyed – this felt like a game he could have decided with one more big moment.
Salah, meanwhile, was Liverpool’s heartbeat. One goal, constant movement, and he repeatedly dragged City’s back line into uncomfortable positions. Late on, he almost produced a winner when he slipped Núñez through in stoppage time, only for Ederson to race off his line and smother. Not a hat-trick type night, but a proper big?game captain’s performance from the Egyptian king.
VAR drama at the death – the moment everyone is talking about
And then came the flashpoint. Deep into added time, Liverpool thought they’d won it. A long ball from Alisson found Salah, who flicked on to Núñez. He broke into the box, nudged it past Ederson, and went down under contact. The referee pointed straight to the spot, Anfield went wild, and City players surrounded the official in disbelief.
Enter VAR. After a long check, the decision was overturned – not for the contact, but for a razor?thin offside against Salah in the build?up. The lines came out, the margins were brutal, and the penalty was chalked off. Jürgen Klopp was fuming on the touchline, Guardiola was half?celebrating, half?relieved, and social media instantly melted down. The full-time whistle blew moments later, leaving both sides with a point and fans with about a million questions.
Title race twist – who really won tonight?
The draw keeps the title race ridiculously tight. Liverpool stay right in the hunt, City avoid a killer blow away at Anfield, and both now know one single slip in the next few weeks could be fatal. Arsenal and the chasing pack will be licking their lips – this 2–2 might be the moment that drags them properly back into the conversation.
From top to mid?table, everything is compressed. That late VAR call doesn’t just change a scoreline, it potentially changes who has the psychological edge heading into the final stretch of the season.
While Anfield stole the headlines, there was more drama across Europe. In Spain, Real Madrid kept their grip on La Liga with a solid home win, with Jude Bellingham once again on the scoresheet. He ghosted into the box to finish a cutback with his usual calm, reminding everyone why he’s one of the most feared midfielders on the planet right now.
In France, Paris Saint-Germain saw Kylian Mbappé deliver in the big moments again. A clinical brace – one from the spot, one after burning his marker for pace – kept PSG right at the top of Ligue 1. Mbappé looked untouchable, destroying defenders one?on?one and drawing fouls all over the final third.
Across today’s top clashes, the usual stars kept their numbers ticking over: Haaland, Salah, Bellingham, Mbappé – all on the scoresheet, all driving their teams as the seasons move into the decisive phase. If you’re tracking top scorers today, those four just padded their resumes again.
Social Media Spotlight – the world reacts in real time
You didn’t even need to check the whistle to know when full time hit at Anfield – your timeline told you. One topic surged above all: that overturned penalty. Neutral fans, Liverpool fans, City fans – everyone had a take.
Scroll that hashtag feed and it’s wall?to?wall screenshots of the offside lines, slowed?down clips of the contact on Núñez, and arguments about whether the law is killing the vibe of big matches. Some City fans are calling it justice; plenty of Liverpool fans are calling it robbery.
My take: this felt like a title decider in everything but the maths
From a pure football perspective, this was outrageous entertainment. Two brave managers refusing to park the bus, two superstar squads going toe?to?toe, and individual brilliance everywhere. But if I’m honest, in my opinion, City will walk away happier. They survived a brutal atmosphere, they got a point, Haaland scored, and they keep destiny largely in their own hands.
For Liverpool, it’s a missed chance. When you’re 2–1 up at home in a game like this, you have to find a way to kill it. The intensity was there, the crowd was there, the big names stepped up – but the lack of control in the final 20 minutes invited City back in. And when you’re dealing with De Bruyne, Foden, and Haaland, you’re playing with fire.
Still, nobody is out of it yet. The football league table is going to swing hard over the next few weeks. With Champions League news and knockout ties clogging up schedules, squad depth and rotation will decide who actually lifts silverware. Get ready for more chaos – nights like this are just the trailer.
Closing whistle – don’t blink now
If you’re into football results today, this is exactly why you watch: Haaland firing, Salah answering, VAR detonating the internet, and the title race staying alive and nasty. Every point, every goal, every tiny VAR line is going to matter from here on out.
Want to see exactly how that 2–2 shakes up the race and who’s climbing or falling across the league?
Liverpool 2–2 Manchester City – Heavyweights trading haymakers
This one had it all: superstar goals, tactical tweaks, and a VAR sting right at the death. From the first whistle, you could feel this wasn’t just another game – this was a potential title decider.
Manchester City drew first blood. In the 18th minute, Erling Haaland did exactly what Erling Haaland does: one touch to set, one touch to smash. Kevin De Bruyne slipped a filthy disguised pass between the lines, Haaland rolled Virgil van Dijk with that trademark body feint and drilled a low left?footer into the bottom corner. 0–1, City, and Anfield went silent for a second.
Liverpool’s response was furious. Mohamed Salah dragged his side up the pitch every time he got on the ball, and the equaliser felt inevitable. It came on 34 minutes: Trent Alexander-Arnold whipped in a vicious cross from the right, Darwin Núñez attacked the near post, and the ball dropped kindly off a deflection. Salah pounced, smashing it in from close range. 1–1, and suddenly City were the ones wobbling.
After the break, the tempo didn’t drop. City looked slick, but Liverpool had the chaos factor. In the 61st minute, Anfield exploded again. A quick counter saw Dominik Szoboszlai release Núñez down the left; he cut inside and fizzed a low ball across the box. It bypassed everyone until Luis Díaz arrived late at the back post to bury it. 2–1 Liverpool, the stadium bouncing, Guardiola raging on the touchline.
But you never write off this City side. They kept their cool and slowly turned the screw. In the 79th minute, substitute Phil Foden delivered a wicked in?swinging corner, and Rúben Dias bullied his marker to power a header into the net. 2–2, and suddenly it was Liverpool clinging on.
Haaland & Salah – heroes… but not quite match?winners
Haaland’s performance was classic Haaland: maybe 25 touches all game, but every one felt lethal. He scored the opener, nearly grabbed a second with a near?post run that forced Alisson into a stunning save, and constantly occupied both centre-backs. Still, he’ll be annoyed – this felt like a game he could have decided with one more big moment.
Salah, meanwhile, was Liverpool’s heartbeat. One goal, constant movement, and he repeatedly dragged City’s back line into uncomfortable positions. Late on, he almost produced a winner when he slipped Núñez through in stoppage time, only for Ederson to race off his line and smother. Not a hat-trick type night, but a proper big?game captain’s performance from the Egyptian king.
VAR drama at the death – the moment everyone is talking about
And then came the flashpoint. Deep into added time, Liverpool thought they’d won it. A long ball from Alisson found Salah, who flicked on to Núñez. He broke into the box, nudged it past Ederson, and went down under contact. The referee pointed straight to the spot, Anfield went wild, and City players surrounded the official in disbelief.
Enter VAR. After a long check, the decision was overturned – not for the contact, but for a razor?thin offside against Salah in the build?up. The lines came out, the margins were brutal, and the penalty was chalked off. Jürgen Klopp was fuming on the touchline, Guardiola was half?celebrating, half?relieved, and social media instantly melted down. The full-time whistle blew moments later, leaving both sides with a point and fans with about a million questions.
Title race twist – who really won tonight?
The draw keeps the title race ridiculously tight. Liverpool stay right in the hunt, City avoid a killer blow away at Anfield, and both now know one single slip in the next few weeks could be fatal. Arsenal and the chasing pack will be licking their lips – this 2–2 might be the moment that drags them properly back into the conversation.
From top to mid?table, everything is compressed. That late VAR call doesn’t just change a scoreline, it potentially changes who has the psychological edge heading into the final stretch of the season.
What does this mean for the title race? Click here for the live standings
Other key football results todayWhile Anfield stole the headlines, there was more drama across Europe. In Spain, Real Madrid kept their grip on La Liga with a solid home win, with Jude Bellingham once again on the scoresheet. He ghosted into the box to finish a cutback with his usual calm, reminding everyone why he’s one of the most feared midfielders on the planet right now.
In France, Paris Saint-Germain saw Kylian Mbappé deliver in the big moments again. A clinical brace – one from the spot, one after burning his marker for pace – kept PSG right at the top of Ligue 1. Mbappé looked untouchable, destroying defenders one?on?one and drawing fouls all over the final third.
Across today’s top clashes, the usual stars kept their numbers ticking over: Haaland, Salah, Bellingham, Mbappé – all on the scoresheet, all driving their teams as the seasons move into the decisive phase. If you’re tracking top scorers today, those four just padded their resumes again.
Social Media Spotlight – the world reacts in real time
You didn’t even need to check the whistle to know when full time hit at Anfield – your timeline told you. One topic surged above all: that overturned penalty. Neutral fans, Liverpool fans, City fans – everyone had a take.
The Internet is Exploding: 3 Social Media Highlights
X Discussion: Fans losing it over the late VAR offside and cancelled Liverpool penalty
My take: this felt like a title decider in everything but the maths
From a pure football perspective, this was outrageous entertainment. Two brave managers refusing to park the bus, two superstar squads going toe?to?toe, and individual brilliance everywhere. But if I’m honest, in my opinion, City will walk away happier. They survived a brutal atmosphere, they got a point, Haaland scored, and they keep destiny largely in their own hands.
For Liverpool, it’s a missed chance. When you’re 2–1 up at home in a game like this, you have to find a way to kill it. The intensity was there, the crowd was there, the big names stepped up – but the lack of control in the final 20 minutes invited City back in. And when you’re dealing with De Bruyne, Foden, and Haaland, you’re playing with fire.
Still, nobody is out of it yet. The football league table is going to swing hard over the next few weeks. With Champions League news and knockout ties clogging up schedules, squad depth and rotation will decide who actually lifts silverware. Get ready for more chaos – nights like this are just the trailer.
Closing whistle – don’t blink now
If you’re into football results today, this is exactly why you watch: Haaland firing, Salah answering, VAR detonating the internet, and the title race staying alive and nasty. Every point, every goal, every tiny VAR line is going to matter from here on out.
Want to see exactly how that 2–2 shakes up the race and who’s climbing or falling across the league?
Check full stats & standings now
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