Liverpool vs Man City live chaos: Salah & Haaland trade blows in title thriller
02.02.2026 - 13:11:57
Kick-off! As of today, 2026-02-02, the pitch is on fire... This round of soccer games just dropped an instant classic: Liverpool vs Manchester City at Anfield, a live Premier League banger packed with goals, chaos, and pure drama. If you blinked, you missed something — Mohamed Salah and Erling Haaland both on the scoresheet, big chances flying, and a late VAR call that has X (Twitter) absolutely melting down.
The Premier League live slate today didn't just deliver; it exploded. From a top-of-the-table dogfight on Merseyside to Champions League chasers scrapping for their lives, every minute felt like it could swing the title race. And you, sitting there scrolling, are getting the full match report treatment right now.
Liverpool struck first. After relentless early pressing, Trent Alexander-Arnold pinged a trademark diagonal to Luis Díaz, who skinned his man and cut it back. Mohamed Salah, cold as ice, took one touch and rifled it low into the far corner past Ederson. Goal: Mohamed Salah (Liverpool). Anfield erupted. It felt like the classic Salah-on-a-big-night script all over again.
But you do not poke Erling Haaland without a response. City leveled when Kevin De Bruyne — who else? — slid a filthy through ball between the lines. Haaland bullied his marker, opened his body, and slammed it into the bottom corner. Goal: Erling Haaland (Manchester City). That's what he does: one half-chance, one ruthless finish. Suddenly, Liverpool's swagger met City's machine-like calm.
The game went end-to-end. Phil Foden drifted inside, almost curled one top bins. Darwin Núñez missed a massive one-on-one that had the Kop groaning. But Liverpool found another gear before half-time. From a corner, Virgil van Dijk rose highest and powered a header in off the bar. Goal: Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool). Captain's moment, old-school set-piece dominance. City looked stunned for a few minutes, and Anfield smelt blood.
From there, the big stars took turns in the spotlight. Salah almost scored a hat-trick of highlights on his own: one curling effort just wide, one delicate chip saved, one cut inside that left two defenders on the floor. On the other side, De Bruyne kept threading passes, while Foden had a goal-bound effort blocked by Andy Robertson throwing his whole body in the way. Heroes and flops? Haaland and Salah were absolutely the headline heroes; some of the City back line, though, had a night to forget, struggling with Núñez and Díaz's movement and losing markers on set pieces.
The winner? Pure chaos. In the closing stages, Liverpool broke with Núñez leading the counter, slid it wide to Díaz, who forced a big save. From the rebound, the ball popped out to substitute Cody Gakpo on the edge. One touch to steady himself, second touch rifled low through a forest of legs into the corner. Goal: Cody Gakpo (Liverpool). 3–2. Anfield absolutely exploded.
But then came the moment everyone is talking about on social: a stoppage-time incident in Liverpool's box. City screamed for a penalty after Haaland hit the deck under a tangle with Ibrahima Konaté. The ref waved play on, VAR checked it… and stuck with the onfield call. No penalty. The away end lost it, Guardiola went wild on the touchline, and X instantly turned into a war zone of freeze-frames and slow-mos. That's your Hot Topic: the non-penalty on Haaland in the 94th minute.
You can already feel the ripple effect across the league. Teams chasing top four and top six see this and know any slip could be fatal. Arsenal, Spurs, and the rest are now checking every angle of the live standings.
In France, Kylian Mbappé did Kylian Mbappé things. PSG were stuttering in a frustrating first half, but in the second, he blew the game open with a blistering counter-attack goal — Goal: Kylian Mbappé (PSG) — and then set up a teammate with a low cross after burning his full-back. On a day when some of the biggest names delivered, Mbappé still looked like a cheat code. Absolutely not a flop today; more like a one-man highlight reel.
Back to England, other Premier League live action had its own stories: a scrappy 1–0 where an unfancied side nicked it via a set-piece header; a relegation scrap where a late equaliser — Goal: from a back-post tap-in by a battling striker — felt like a trophy. These matches won't grab as many headlines as Liverpool–City, but in the cold reality of the football league table, those points matter just as much.
City will point straight to that stoppage-time incident and feel robbed — and honestly, you can see why. On another day, with another referee, that tangle on Haaland probably gets called, and we're talking about a 3–3 classic instead of a 3–2 Liverpool win. But you also can't ignore the fact Liverpool were braver, more direct, and more ruthless in the final third. City's back line, usually so clinical in big match management, looked shakier than usual under the press and long diagonals.
From a neutral perspective, this is everything you want from top-level football: star players delivering, huge stakes, tactical tweaks, Champions League-level intensity… and a big old helping of controversy so we can all argue online until the next round kicks off.
The Premier League live slate today didn't just deliver; it exploded. From a top-of-the-table dogfight on Merseyside to Champions League chasers scrapping for their lives, every minute felt like it could swing the title race. And you, sitting there scrolling, are getting the full match report treatment right now.
Liverpool 3–2 Manchester City: Salah vs Haaland, and Anfield loses its mind
This was the showpiece. Two heavyweights, one furious tempo, five goals, and about a thousand heart attacks in the stands. Liverpool came flying out, City tried to suffocate them with the ball, and within minutes you knew this would be one of those soccer games people talk about for years.Liverpool struck first. After relentless early pressing, Trent Alexander-Arnold pinged a trademark diagonal to Luis Díaz, who skinned his man and cut it back. Mohamed Salah, cold as ice, took one touch and rifled it low into the far corner past Ederson. Goal: Mohamed Salah (Liverpool). Anfield erupted. It felt like the classic Salah-on-a-big-night script all over again.
But you do not poke Erling Haaland without a response. City leveled when Kevin De Bruyne — who else? — slid a filthy through ball between the lines. Haaland bullied his marker, opened his body, and slammed it into the bottom corner. Goal: Erling Haaland (Manchester City). That's what he does: one half-chance, one ruthless finish. Suddenly, Liverpool's swagger met City's machine-like calm.
The game went end-to-end. Phil Foden drifted inside, almost curled one top bins. Darwin Núñez missed a massive one-on-one that had the Kop groaning. But Liverpool found another gear before half-time. From a corner, Virgil van Dijk rose highest and powered a header in off the bar. Goal: Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool). Captain's moment, old-school set-piece dominance. City looked stunned for a few minutes, and Anfield smelt blood.
Second-half chaos: worldies, wasted chances, and a huge call
Pep's side came out like a different animal. De Bruyne started dropping deeper, Bernardo Silva drifted into half-spaces, and Liverpool suddenly had to defend their box like their lives depended on it. The equaliser felt inevitable — and it was another Haaland moment. A driven cross from João Cancelo skimmed across the six-yard box, and Haaland just needed the slightest touch to divert it home. Goal: Erling Haaland (Manchester City) again. Brace for the Norwegian cyborg, and a proper title-race statement from him personally.From there, the big stars took turns in the spotlight. Salah almost scored a hat-trick of highlights on his own: one curling effort just wide, one delicate chip saved, one cut inside that left two defenders on the floor. On the other side, De Bruyne kept threading passes, while Foden had a goal-bound effort blocked by Andy Robertson throwing his whole body in the way. Heroes and flops? Haaland and Salah were absolutely the headline heroes; some of the City back line, though, had a night to forget, struggling with Núñez and Díaz's movement and losing markers on set pieces.
The winner? Pure chaos. In the closing stages, Liverpool broke with Núñez leading the counter, slid it wide to Díaz, who forced a big save. From the rebound, the ball popped out to substitute Cody Gakpo on the edge. One touch to steady himself, second touch rifled low through a forest of legs into the corner. Goal: Cody Gakpo (Liverpool). 3–2. Anfield absolutely exploded.
But then came the moment everyone is talking about on social: a stoppage-time incident in Liverpool's box. City screamed for a penalty after Haaland hit the deck under a tangle with Ibrahima Konaté. The ref waved play on, VAR checked it… and stuck with the onfield call. No penalty. The away end lost it, Guardiola went wild on the touchline, and X instantly turned into a war zone of freeze-frames and slow-mos. That's your Hot Topic: the non-penalty on Haaland in the 94th minute.
Title race context: this result is massive
In terms of the football league table, this game could be a genuine turning point. Liverpool's win gives them a huge boost at the top, pushes City back, and might just swing momentum heading into a brutal stretch of fixtures. Points dropped in direct clashes like this hurt double — not just for City, but for everyone chasing Champions League spots watching this and thinking: "Yeah, the bar is unbelievably high."You can already feel the ripple effect across the league. Teams chasing top four and top six see this and know any slip could be fatal. Arsenal, Spurs, and the rest are now checking every angle of the live standings.
What does this mean for the title race? Click here for the live standings
Elsewhere in Europe: Champions League chasers and goal-hungry stars
Across Europe, other top leagues and Champions League news angles lit up the day. In Spain, Jude Bellingham once again showed why he's the main character of LaLiga right now. Real Madrid needed inspiration, and Bellingham delivered with a trademark late-arriving run and finish in a tight win — Goal: Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid) — to keep their title push steady. He's firmly among the top scorers today in terms of influence, even when he doesn't bag a brace.In France, Kylian Mbappé did Kylian Mbappé things. PSG were stuttering in a frustrating first half, but in the second, he blew the game open with a blistering counter-attack goal — Goal: Kylian Mbappé (PSG) — and then set up a teammate with a low cross after burning his full-back. On a day when some of the biggest names delivered, Mbappé still looked like a cheat code. Absolutely not a flop today; more like a one-man highlight reel.
Back to England, other Premier League live action had its own stories: a scrappy 1–0 where an unfancied side nicked it via a set-piece header; a relegation scrap where a late equaliser — Goal: from a back-post tap-in by a battling striker — felt like a trophy. These matches won't grab as many headlines as Liverpool–City, but in the cold reality of the football league table, those points matter just as much.
Social Media Spotlight
The Internet is Exploding: 3 Social Media Highlights
X Discussion: Fans furious over the late VAR no-call on Haaland
Reporter's take: title statement, or VAR robbery?
In my opinion, this felt like a proper title statement from Liverpool. Salah looked locked in, Van Dijk played like peak Van Dijk, and the energy at Anfield was just different. When your big players show up in big soccer games, that's what tilts a season. Gakpo coming off the bench and deciding it? That's the kind of depth you need to win a marathon campaign.City will point straight to that stoppage-time incident and feel robbed — and honestly, you can see why. On another day, with another referee, that tangle on Haaland probably gets called, and we're talking about a 3–3 classic instead of a 3–2 Liverpool win. But you also can't ignore the fact Liverpool were braver, more direct, and more ruthless in the final third. City's back line, usually so clinical in big match management, looked shakier than usual under the press and long diagonals.
From a neutral perspective, this is everything you want from top-level football: star players delivering, huge stakes, tactical tweaks, Champions League-level intensity… and a big old helping of controversy so we can all argue online until the next round kicks off.
One last whistle
If today proved anything, it's that this title race and the scramble for Champions League spots are nowhere near settled. One game, one decision, one wild counter-attack can flip the whole narrative. Keep an eye on those live tables and top scorers today, because the margins are razor-thin and every goal-scorer cameo — from Salah and Haaland to Bellingham and Mbappé — is writing a new chapter in this season's story.Check full stats & standings now
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