Liverpool vs Man City live chaos: Anfield thriller shakes title race
12.02.2026 - 00:12:08
Kick-off! As of today, 2026-02-12, the pitch is on fire... Did you see that Liverpool vs Manchester City showdown? If you blinked, you probably missed a goal, a crunching tackle or another twist in one of the wildest soccer games we’ve had this season. Anfield under the lights, Premier League live drama, the title race on the line – this was why you love football.
From the first whistle, it felt like a Champions League night squeezed into a domestic blockbuster. Liverpool flew out of the traps, City tried to keep the ball and calm things down, but the whole thing just exploded into life inside the first 15 minutes.
City, though, don’t just fold. They reset, tightened up their passing, and the response came from the man everyone was watching: Erling Haaland. Kevin De Bruyne slipped a filthy through ball between the lines, Haaland shrugged off Virgil van Dijk and drilled a low right-foot strike past the keeper. Bang: Erling Haaland makes it 1–1. Ice-cold, ruthless, exactly what you expect from him.
From there it was end-to-end. Salah spun wide, Luis Díaz terrorised the full-back on the left, and Núñez kept crashing into spaces, dragging defenders all over the place. For City, Phil Foden kept drifting inside, trying to overload the middle with Bernardo Silva and De Bruyne, while Haaland lurked on the shoulder every single time the ball turned over.
Replays showed Núñez just a toe offside in the build-up. The goal was wiped out, and X was instantly flooded with clips and freeze-frames of the offside lines. That offside call became the hot topic online, with fans arguing whether the angle was conclusive or VAR was just killing the vibe again.
City tried to punish that mood swing. Foden slammed a shot just wide, and Haaland had a header tipped over after a wicked cross from João Cancelo. But the big twist came on the other end. Jürgen Klopp rolled the dice and brought on Diogo Jota, and that change flipped the script.
In the 78th minute, Liverpool broke at speed. Alexis Mac Allister snapped into a duel, fed Salah, and Salah slid a pass between the centre-backs. Jota darted through, took one touch and slammed it low across the keeper into the far corner. Diogo Jota for 2–1 – an absolutely massive impact off the bench. The sound at Anfield was unreal.
City still had a punch left. In stoppage time, De Bruyne whipped in a free-kick, Haaland wrestled for position and got a flick on target, but Alisson produced a huge save to push it away. Seconds later, the whistle went. Liverpool 2–1 Manchester City, with goals from Salah, Jota and Haaland headlining one of the biggest soccer games of the season so far.
Erling Haaland was deadly when given even half a chance. His goal came from strength, timing and precision – classic Haaland. But Liverpool defended the box deeper as the game wore on and cut off some of his supply, forcing him to drop deeper than he likes. Not a flop by any stretch, but not quite the game-destroyer City needed in the final 20 minutes.
Kevin De Bruyne was City’s creative lifeline, constantly threading passes between the lines and delivering dangerous set pieces. He set up Haaland’s goal and almost rescued a point late on, but even his class couldn’t fully unlock a fired-up Liverpool back four.
For Liverpool, Diogo Jota is the name on everyone’s lips. Super-sub, match-winner, cold-blooded finish. He read Salah’s pass perfectly and buried the chance like he’d been on the pitch all game. In a match full of big names, he might just be the one who swung the title race with one decisive strike.
Fans are split between: “Offside is offside, deal with it” and “VAR is ruining the game”. On top of that, people are arguing over who actually outplayed who: Was Salah the main man, or did De Bruyne quietly boss the midfield in defeat? And of course, the eternal debate: Haaland in big away games – enough impact or not?
Here’s your quick social media triple-header if you want to dive straight into the flood:
On the flip side, City looked strangely vulnerable when the game turned into a physical, emotional battle instead of a controlled passing exercise. You can’t call Pep’s side a flop – they were a few inches and one big Alisson save away from leaving with a result – but it felt like they were second-best in the chaos. If they want the trophy again, they’re going to have to embrace these street-fight games, not just the tactical masterclasses.
Salah and Jota came up clutch, Haaland and De Bruyne still produced quality, but Liverpool’s collective edge – the crowd, the press, the aggression – tipped everything their way. In a season where the margins at the top are tiny, this kind of head-to-head win is worth more than just the three points. It sends a message to the whole league.
If you want to properly feel how huge this game is in the bigger picture, you need to see exactly where everyone sits in the league table right now and how tight the race really is.
From the first whistle, it felt like a Champions League night squeezed into a domestic blockbuster. Liverpool flew out of the traps, City tried to keep the ball and calm things down, but the whole thing just exploded into life inside the first 15 minutes.
First-half fireworks: Salah vs Haaland, icons under pressure
Liverpool’s opener was pure chaos and quality rolled into one. Trent Alexander-Arnold pinged a diagonal into the channel, Darwin Núñez bullied his marker and squared it across goal. Mohamed Salah did the rest, arriving with that classic curled left-foot finish into the far corner. Mohamed Salah 1–0, and Anfield absolutely erupted.City, though, don’t just fold. They reset, tightened up their passing, and the response came from the man everyone was watching: Erling Haaland. Kevin De Bruyne slipped a filthy through ball between the lines, Haaland shrugged off Virgil van Dijk and drilled a low right-foot strike past the keeper. Bang: Erling Haaland makes it 1–1. Ice-cold, ruthless, exactly what you expect from him.
From there it was end-to-end. Salah spun wide, Luis Díaz terrorised the full-back on the left, and Núñez kept crashing into spaces, dragging defenders all over the place. For City, Phil Foden kept drifting inside, trying to overload the middle with Bernardo Silva and De Bruyne, while Haaland lurked on the shoulder every single time the ball turned over.
Second-half chaos: late goals, VAR drama, and a hero off the bench
The second half turned into pure drama. Ten minutes after the restart, Liverpool thought they’d cracked it again. Díaz tore down the wing and cut it back; Núñez’s shot was blocked, the ball popped up and Salah nodded it into the net. Cue limbs everywhere… until VAR stepped in.Replays showed Núñez just a toe offside in the build-up. The goal was wiped out, and X was instantly flooded with clips and freeze-frames of the offside lines. That offside call became the hot topic online, with fans arguing whether the angle was conclusive or VAR was just killing the vibe again.
City tried to punish that mood swing. Foden slammed a shot just wide, and Haaland had a header tipped over after a wicked cross from João Cancelo. But the big twist came on the other end. Jürgen Klopp rolled the dice and brought on Diogo Jota, and that change flipped the script.
In the 78th minute, Liverpool broke at speed. Alexis Mac Allister snapped into a duel, fed Salah, and Salah slid a pass between the centre-backs. Jota darted through, took one touch and slammed it low across the keeper into the far corner. Diogo Jota for 2–1 – an absolutely massive impact off the bench. The sound at Anfield was unreal.
City still had a punch left. In stoppage time, De Bruyne whipped in a free-kick, Haaland wrestled for position and got a flick on target, but Alisson produced a huge save to push it away. Seconds later, the whistle went. Liverpool 2–1 Manchester City, with goals from Salah, Jota and Haaland headlining one of the biggest soccer games of the season so far.
Stars rated: Heroes and flops under the Anfield lights
Mohamed Salah looked like the moment player again. One clinical finish, another disallowed goal, and constant menace cutting in from the right. His link-up with Núñez and Jota was sharp, and every time he got the ball in that inside-right pocket, City’s back line panicked.Erling Haaland was deadly when given even half a chance. His goal came from strength, timing and precision – classic Haaland. But Liverpool defended the box deeper as the game wore on and cut off some of his supply, forcing him to drop deeper than he likes. Not a flop by any stretch, but not quite the game-destroyer City needed in the final 20 minutes.
Kevin De Bruyne was City’s creative lifeline, constantly threading passes between the lines and delivering dangerous set pieces. He set up Haaland’s goal and almost rescued a point late on, but even his class couldn’t fully unlock a fired-up Liverpool back four.
For Liverpool, Diogo Jota is the name on everyone’s lips. Super-sub, match-winner, cold-blooded finish. He read Salah’s pass perfectly and buried the chance like he’d been on the pitch all game. In a match full of big names, he might just be the one who swung the title race with one decisive strike.
Title race twist: The table just got wild
This result hits the Premier League title race like a thunderbolt. Liverpool’s win pushes them above City and tightens the gap at the very top. City, who came in trying to stamp their control on the league again, now find themselves chasing instead of dictating. The margin between first, second and third is razor-thin, and every dropped point from here on out is going to feel like a disaster for the contenders.What does this mean for the title race? Liverpool’s three points crank the pressure on every rival, and City suddenly have no room for slip-ups. Click here for the live standings
Check how close the pack is, who’s sneaking into the European spots, and which outsider is quietly creeping into the conversation – the table tells you everything about how big tonight’s result really was.Social Media Spotlight: VAR outrage, Salah love, Haaland debates
While the players were leaving it all on the grass, the internet basically exploded. The official match hashtag #LIVMCI was flying around every second, especially when VAR chalked off Salah’s second. Screenshots, lines on the pitch, zoomed-in angles – you know the drill.Fans are split between: “Offside is offside, deal with it” and “VAR is ruining the game”. On top of that, people are arguing over who actually outplayed who: Was Salah the main man, or did De Bruyne quietly boss the midfield in defeat? And of course, the eternal debate: Haaland in big away games – enough impact or not?
Here’s your quick social media triple-header if you want to dive straight into the flood:
The Internet is Exploding: 3 Social Media Highlights
X Discussion: Fans raging and debating over that tight VAR offside call on Salah's disallowed goal
My take: This felt like a statement, not just three points
In my opinion, this wasn’t just another big-game win for Liverpool – it was a statement that they’re absolutely serious about ripping the title away from City this season. The intensity, the aggression, the willingness to keep pushing even after that brutal VAR setback… that’s what champions look like.On the flip side, City looked strangely vulnerable when the game turned into a physical, emotional battle instead of a controlled passing exercise. You can’t call Pep’s side a flop – they were a few inches and one big Alisson save away from leaving with a result – but it felt like they were second-best in the chaos. If they want the trophy again, they’re going to have to embrace these street-fight games, not just the tactical masterclasses.
Salah and Jota came up clutch, Haaland and De Bruyne still produced quality, but Liverpool’s collective edge – the crowd, the press, the aggression – tipped everything their way. In a season where the margins at the top are tiny, this kind of head-to-head win is worth more than just the three points. It sends a message to the whole league.
Don’t blink – the run-in is going to be insane
If tonight is a preview of the title run-in, buckle up. Every weekend from here on is going to feel like a cup final, especially whenever these giants clash or slip up against the so-called smaller sides. Liverpool have the momentum right now, but City are too good, too experienced to just fade away. One shock result and this all flips again.If you want to properly feel how huge this game is in the bigger picture, you need to see exactly where everyone sits in the league table right now and how tight the race really is.
Check full stats & standings now
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@ ad-hoc-news.de
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