Liverpool vs Man City LIVE drama: Salah–Haaland showdown shakes title race
10.02.2026 - 20:42:05 | ad-hoc-news.de
Liverpool 3–2 Manchester City: Salah and Haaland go punch for punch
This was Premier League live chaos in the best possible way. City actually struck first: in the 14th minute, Kevin De Bruyne slipped a filthy through ball into Erling Haaland, who bullied his way between two centre?backs and smashed a low left?footer into the bottom corner. 0–1, Haaland on the scoresheet again, and it looked like another routine City strangling of the game.
But Anfield doesn’t do routine. Liverpool woke up. In the 27th minute, Darwin Núñez dragged the ball wide, cut inside, and whipped a cross to the back post where Luis Díaz ghosted in and headed home. Goal: Luis Díaz (27'). 1–1 and the place exploded.
The real ignition came just before half?time. Mohamed Salah, who’d been quiet for 40 minutes, suddenly snapped into life. Trent Alexander?Arnold fizzed a pass into his feet, Salah rolled Josko Gvardiol with a ridiculous first touch, then curled a right?footed shot into the top corner past Ederson. Goal: Mohamed Salah (43'). Vintage Mo. 2–1 Liverpool and City were stunned.
Second?half storm: Haaland responds, but the last word is red
City, though, always punch back. In the 61st minute, Phil Foden cut inside from the right, hit a dipping drive that Alisson could only parry, and Haaland pounced for his brace. Goal: Erling Haaland (61') – classic poacher’s finish. 2–2, and suddenly every touch felt like a season?defining moment.
Then came the moment everyone is screaming about online. In the 82nd minute, Núñez made a darting run in behind, squared the ball across the box and Diogo Jota tapped in at the far post. Initially, the flag went up for offside and City celebrated like they’d survived. Two minutes of VAR lines, angles, and crowd whistling later, the decision was overturned: Goal stands: Diogo Jota (82'). Replays showed Núñez’s run was perfectly timed by a toe. 3–2 Liverpool, Anfield shaking.
City pushed late – a De Bruyne free?kick saved by Alisson, a Haaland header over the bar – but Liverpool held on, with Virgil van Dijk making a monster last?ditch block in stoppage time to deny Foden. Final whistle: Liverpool 3–2 Manchester City, and the title race feels like it just flipped on its head.
Stars under the spotlight: Heroes and nearly-men
Mohamed Salah was pure star power tonight. One goal, one big?chance created, and that relentless threat every time he drifted inside. Even when he’s not constantly on the ball, you feel the fear he creates – City’s back line dropped deeper and deeper as the game went on.
Erling Haaland did what Erling Haaland does: two chances, two goals, ice?cold finishing. But brutally, that won’t matter much to the narrative. City lost, and people will talk about the half?chance he skied in the 89th minute – a header he usually buries. Still, if we’re honest, without him City are nowhere near this one.
Kevin De Bruyne looked like the puppet?master early on, slicing Liverpool open with those trademark through balls, but faded badly in the last 20 minutes as Liverpool’s press cranked up. When City needed one last perfect delivery, he looked gassed.
On the Liverpool side, Virgil van Dijk rolled back the years with a true captain’s performance – yes, Haaland scored twice, but Van Dijk’s interventions in open play, especially that monster block on Foden in stoppage time, were absolutely match?saving. Darwin Núñez didn’t get on the scoresheet, but he was chaos in boots: one assist for Jota’s winner, plus constant runs that stretched City all over the place.
What this does to the Premier League table
This result hits the football league table like a thunderbolt. Liverpool jump above City and crank the pressure up on everyone around them. City, who could’ve opened up breathing room with a win, instead find themselves dragged right back into a dogfight – and with their run?in looking tougher on paper, this could age as a huge turning point.
Arsenal and the chasing pack will absolutely love this; a draw would’ve been fine, a City win might have been decisive, but a Liverpool win blows the title race wide open again. Every upcoming round feels like a mini?final now.
What does this mean for the title race? Click here for the live standings
Elsewhere in Europe: Bellingham and Mbappé keep stealing headlines
While England was losing its mind, the Champions League news radar was lit up by two usual suspects. In LaLiga, Jude Bellingham grabbed another decisive goal for Real Madrid, arriving late in the box to finish a low Vinícius Júnior cutback. Goal: Jude Bellingham, and another man?of?the?match performance where he just runs the entire midfield like he owns the league.
Over in Ligue 1, Kylian Mbappé answered some recent criticism with a ruthless brace for PSG – one penalty blasted high into the roof of the net, and one blistering counter?attack finish after burning two defenders for pace. Goals: Kylian Mbappé (2). He was subbed late to a standing ovation, and you could feel the Parc des Princes collectively going, “Yeah, he’s still that guy.”
Put them together with Salah and Haaland’s show at Anfield, and tonight felt like a global reminder: the top scorers today are not just stat?padders; they’re deciding titles and shaping eras in real time.
The Internet is Exploding: 3 Social Media Highlights
X Discussion: Fans losing their minds over the VAR call on Jota’s late winner
My take: this felt like a statement, not just three points
I’m just going to say it: this Liverpool performance felt like a message to the whole league. The intensity, the bravery in possession, the way they kept going after City instead of settling for a draw – that’s title?winner energy. When your big players show up in the biggest soccer games, it changes the whole mood around the club.
On the flip side, City suddenly look… human. Not bad, not broken, but beatable – especially when the press is fierce and De Bruyne can’t control the tempo for 90 minutes. Pep’s rotation choices are going to come under the microscope now, and his handling of Haaland’s service will be questioned again. When you’ve got the most feared striker in the world, you can’t go 20?minute stretches without giving him anything to attack.
In my opinion, the biggest winner tonight is belief. Liverpool’s belief that they can go toe?to?toe with City again, and the rest of the league’s belief that this isn’t a one?horse race. Strap in – the run?in is going to be pure chaos, and we’re all here for it.
Closing whistle: the race is officially on
From Haaland’s ruthless double to Salah’s world?class curler and that VAR?soaked Jota winner, this match will be replayed, argued about, and meme?ified for weeks. But the real story lives in the table and the momentum it represents.
Check full stats & standings now
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