Liverpool vs Man City live chaos: Anfield thriller shakes title race
09.02.2026 - 00:04:08
Liverpool 3–2 Manchester City: Anfield turns into a pressure cooker
This was billed as Salah vs Haaland, Klopp-ball vs Guardiola chess. It turned into pure chaos in the best possible way.
City actually punched first. On 18 minutes, Erling Haaland did exactly what Erling Haaland does. Kevin De Bruyne slipped a filthy reverse pass into the box, Haaland spun off his marker and drilled a low left-foot rocket into the far corner. 1–0 City, and Anfield went dead-quiet for a second.
Liverpool needed a hero and, of course, it was Mohamed Salah. On 32 minutes, Darwin Núñez bullied his way down the left, cut it back, and Salah took one touch before whipping a right-foot curler past Ederson. 1–1 and Anfield absolutely exploded.
Right before half-time, Liverpool flipped the whole script. In the 44th minute, a corner led to chaos, the ball bounced out to Trent Alexander-Arnold on the edge of the box and he smashed a first-time strike through a crowd and into the net. 2–1 Liverpool, Trent sprinting to the Kop, veins popping – that was a thunderbolt with serious title-race vibes.
Second-half storm: De Bruyne genius, Núñez redemption, Salah the creator
Pep answered at the break. City came out flying, and on 57 minutes, their big stars combined. Phil Foden drove in from the left, laid it off to Kevin De Bruyne, who clipped a ridiculous, dinked ball into the box. Haaland ghosted in and knocked it across for Bernardo Silva to tap home. 2–2, and suddenly it felt like City were going to suffocate Liverpool.
But this Liverpool side just refuses to die. On 74 minutes, the game’s decisive moment arrived. Salah dropped into the half-space, spun away from Rodri and slid a perfect through-ball for Darwin Núñez. The Uruguayan took it in stride and, with everyone expecting the wild lash, he stayed cool and slotted low into the far corner. 3–2 Liverpool, Núñez ripping his shirt off in front of the Kop – pure chaos.
VAR meltdown: Did City get robbed?
And then came the explosion that’s set social media on fire. In the 88th minute, City thought they had their equaliser. A De Bruyne free-kick was swung in, the ball flicked off Haaland and dropped for Rúben Dias to bundle it over the line. City players sprinted to the away end... only for VAR to step in.
After a long, painful check, the goal was ruled out for a marginal offside against Haaland in the build-up – we’re talking toenails. The decision stood: no goal. Guardiola was raging on the touchline, the City bench went ballistic, and X blew up instantly with clips, freeze-frames, and Takes with a capital T. That VAR call is the hot topic right now, with neutral fans split and both sets of supporters absolutely convinced they’re right.
Stars under the spotlight: Heroes and flops
- Mohamed Salah – One goal, one assist, and constant terror for City’s backline. His equaliser flipped the mood, and his pass for Núñez’s winner was ice-cold. This was prime Salah, carrying Liverpool in another massive night.
- Erling Haaland – He scored, he battled, he bullied centre-backs, but he’ll feel gutted. His touch led to the late offside that chalked off Dias’ goal. Still, you can’t call him a flop: he was City’s most dangerous weapon all game.
- Kevin De Bruyne – Two outrageous passes for City’s goals, dictating tempo like a puppet master. But when Liverpool raised the press late on, even KDB struggled to find that final killer touch.
- Darwin Núñez – The definition of chaos football. Missed a big chance early, ran himself into the ground, then popped up with the decisive 3–2 goal. From nearly the villain to absolute cult hero in one night.
- Trent Alexander-Arnold – Defensive wobbles at times against Foden, but that first-half rocket and his progressive passing were huge. When Liverpool needed a moment, Trent delivered.
Title race shaken: Liverpool roar to the top
This win doesn’t just feel big – it’s massive for the Premier League landscape. Liverpool’s three points push them above City in the football league table, and suddenly the margin for error for Guardiola’s side is razor-thin. With Arsenal lurking just behind and looking ready to pounce, every dropped point from here is going to feel like a disaster for the chasing pack.
City’s defeat also snaps their recent unbeaten run and hands Liverpool a serious mental edge heading into the run-in. The energy around Anfield tonight felt like a turning point game, the kind supporters talk about for years when they look back at how a title was won.
What does this mean for the title race? Click here for the live standings
Elsewhere in Europe: Champions League contenders make statements
Across Europe, the big guns also sent messages ahead of the next round of Champions League news and knockout drama. In Spain, Jude Bellingham kept his name on every headline by scoring again for Real Madrid in a 2–0 win, bagging the opener with a late run into the box before Vinícius Júnior curled in the second. Bellingham looked classy, controlled, and utterly unbothered by the pressure – just another day at the office for the new Bernabéu superstar.
In France, Kylian Mbappé reminded everyone why he’s still the most feared forward on the planet. He struck twice in PSG’s 3–1 victory – first a trademark burst in behind and low finish, then a top-corner penalty that sent the Parc des Princes into meltdown. With those goals, Mbappé pushed himself right up the list of top scorers today across Europe’s elite leagues.
The Internet is Exploding: 3 Social Media Highlights
X Discussion: Fans losing it over the late VAR offside that killed City's equaliser
Reporter's take: This felt like a statement night
From a young reporter's seat, this didn't just look like another big Premier League live showdown – it felt like a genuine power shift. Liverpool looked like a side that absolutely believes they're going to finish the season with a trophy, while City showed cracks we're just not used to seeing from a Guardiola machine.
In my opinion, this is one of those matches that you circle when you tell the story of a season. Salah played like a captain without the armband, Núñez embodied everything wild and wonderful about this Liverpool team, and the crowd dragged every last sprint out of them. For City, Haaland and De Bruyne were dangerous but not decisive enough when it truly mattered, and that late VAR call will only mask deeper questions about their defensive balance.
If Liverpool ride this wave, we might look back on 2026-02-09 as the exact night the title race swung at full speed toward Anfield.
Don't blink – the season is only getting crazier
With the league run-in heating up, Champions League knockouts around the corner, and stars like Salah, Haaland, Bellingham and Mbappé all in red-hot form, every single one of these soccer games now feels like a mini-final. One bad step and your whole season story changes.
So if you're trying to keep track of who's on top, who's chasing, and who's quietly sneaking into the race, you'll want to live on the standings page for the next few months.
Check full stats & standings now
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