Liverpool vs Man City live: Salah stunner, Haaland drama light up Anfield

Liverpool edge Man City in a wild Anfield classic as Mo Salah explodes and Haaland battles in vain – but the title race twist is even bigger than the scoreline.

Kick-off! As of today, 2026-01-24, the pitch is on fire... Did you see that?? If you love soccer games with pure chaos, missed sitters, superstar flexes and a title race swinging in real time, Liverpool vs Manchester City at Anfield just delivered your new obsession.

This one had everything: Mohamed Salah ripping the net, Erling Haaland raging at the referee, VAR stealing the spotlight, and a roar from the Kop that shook the whole Premier League live picture. The Champions League news can wait – tonight, England owned the global spotlight.

Liverpool 3–2 Manchester City: Salah the king, Haaland left fuming

From the first whistle, you just felt this wasn’t going to be normal. Liverpool flew out of the blocks, and on 14 minutes the breakthrough came: Diogo Jota snuck in between City’s centre-backs, latched onto a clipped pass from Trent Alexander-Arnold and buried a low finish past Ederson. Goal: Diogo Jota (14'), Anfield explodes, City shell-shocked.

City being City, they didn’t stay quiet long. Kevin De Bruyne – because of course it’s him – picked up a loose ball 25 yards out on 27 minutes, shaped to pass, then unleashed a vicious right?footer into the top corner. Goal: Kevin De Bruyne (27'). Alisson got a touch, but no way he’s stopping that. 1–1, and suddenly it’s basketball in boots. On 39 minutes, we got our first slice of pure chaos. Phil Foden slipped Erling Haaland through, and the big Norwegian did what he does: one touch, bang, bottom corner. Goal: Erling Haaland (39')… or so we thought. VAR check. The stadium held its breath while the lines came out, and after what felt like ten years, the ref chalked it off for the tightest offside in the build-up. The away end lost it, Haaland lost it even more – waving his arms, shouting at the fourth official. Social media? Meltdown mode. City were still shaking when Liverpool punched again right before half-time. Luis Díaz went full street footballer on the left, dancing past Kyle Walker, then cut it back to the edge of the box where Dominik Szoboszlai (45+1') swept a curling shot inside the far post. 2–1 Liverpool at the break, Jürgen Klopp went ballistic celebrating, Pep Guardiola just stared into space.

Second?half madness: Salah delivers, Haaland denied

You knew Haaland wasn’t going to stay quiet. On 55 minutes he finally got the goal his monstrous movement deserved: City worked it nicely down the right, Bernardo Silva clipped in a teasing cross and Haaland bullied Virgil van Dijk to power a header home. Goal: Erling Haaland (55'), and this time VAR had nothing to say. Haaland roared at the Kop, finger to his lips. 2–2 and the whole league watching nervously. But this was Salah’s night. On 72 minutes Liverpool ripped City apart on the break. Szoboszlai slid a pass down the right channel, Salah cut inside Nathan Aké onto that left foot everyone in the stadium knew was coming – and it did not matter. He whipped a rocket into the top corner, Ederson flying, the net bulging, Anfield absolutely losing its mind. Goal: Mohamed Salah (72'), a pure screamer and maybe the goal of the season highlight you’re going to see on loop all week. From there it turned into survival mode. Haaland had another huge chance on 81 minutes, a cut?back from Foden that he usually eats for breakfast, but this time he sliced it wide. Hands on head, Guardiola on his knees – that miss is going straight into the "how did that not go in" compilations. De Bruyne tried to drag City back again, smashing a free?kick on 88 minutes that Alisson tipped over brilliantly. At the other end, Darwin Núñez came off the bench and almost killed it completely, clipping the bar on a one?on?one.

Big names: Heroes, flops, and everything in between

Mohamed Salah was the clear headline act. One goal, constant menace, dropping deep, spinning in behind, shouting instructions – he looked like the total leader of this Liverpool side. Every time he touched the ball, you could feel City’s back line panic. On current form, he’s very much in the conversation for top scorers today in the Premier League.

Erling Haaland had a weird one: one big VAR heartbreak, one emphatic goal, one massive miss. Stat sheet looks okay, but you just know he’ll be replaying that late chance in his head all night. Still, his movement and physical presence terrified Liverpool’s defence for 90 minutes – he’s just wired differently.

Kevin De Bruyne was silk and steel in one body. That long?range equaliser, those passes between the lines – he kept City alive when others around him faded. For Liverpool, Dominik Szoboszlai played like he’d swallowed a battery, non-stop running, pressing and a clutch goal. Van Dijk had some rough moments against Haaland but stepped up with big clearances late on.

What it means for the football league table

This isn’t just three points – it’s a full?blown swing in the title race narrative. Liverpool’s win pushes them to the top end of the Premier League pack, while City suddenly look a little more human than the machine we’re used to. With the table this tight, every point feels like a mini?final, and this result might be the one we look back on in May as the day the momentum shifted towards Anfield.

What does this mean for the title race? Click here for the live standings

Check that table and tell me this league isn’t absolutely insane right now.

Social Media Spotlight: VAR rage, Salah love, Haaland memes

The second Haaland’s first strike got ruled out, the internet detonated. The official hashtag #LIVMCI is flooded with freeze?frames of offside lines, VAR conspiracy threads, and Salah fans clipping that top?corner rocket from every angle known to humankind. It’s the perfect storm: a gigantic fixture, a tiny VAR call, and superstar egos on the line. You’ve got clips of Salah smiling in the tunnel, Liverpool posting wild full?time celebrations from the dressing room, and City fans spamming "robbed" under every highlight. And over on YouTube, the highlight reels from the big broadcasters are already racking up views – this is exactly the sort of match that lives forever in the algorithm.

Reporter's take: This felt like a statement win

My honest read? This wasn’t just Liverpool winning a big game, this was Liverpool sending a message: we're absolutely in this title race and we're not scared of anyone. Tactically, Klopp got it mostly right – aggressive pressing, brave line, trusting Salah, Díaz and Jota to attack space. Yes, they suffered when City clicked, but they never looked mentally broken, even when Haaland punched back.

For City, there’s no need to start screaming crisis, but there are questions. The defence looked shakeable under pressure, and when De Bruyne tired, the whole system lost a bit of bite. Haaland remains ridiculous, but you can’t help feeling that when he’s slightly off, City lack a proper Plan B in these huge away days. If I'm Guardiola, I'm quietly furious about the details: the loose passing out from the back, the missed tactical fouls, and yes, he'll be replaying that offside line in his head as much as Haaland does. If I'm Klopp, I'm replaying Salah's goal on loop with a giant grin and telling the squad: this is the standard now, every week.

Closing whistle: Title race fully lit

So where does all this leave us? A blockbuster result, a superstar showdown, VAR drama, and a league table that now looks like it's been shaken in a blender. If you're hunting for soccer news, forget the quiet stuff – this is the story dominating every feed and every pub chat tonight.

Don't just take my word for it – look at how the numbers shifted after this madness.

Check full stats & standings now

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@ ad-hoc-news.de