Liverpool vs Man City Live Thriller: Salah & Haaland Light Up Premier League
26.01.2026 - 09:50:56
Did you see that first half? It was like both teams agreed: defence is optional, vibes are mandatory.
Liverpool 3–2 Manchester City: Salah vs Haaland, pure box-office
This one exploded early. Manchester City struck first on 11 minutes when Kevin De Bruyne slid a filthy through ball into Erling Haaland, who bullied his way past Virgil van Dijk and buried a low finish into the bottom corner. Classic Haaland: one touch to set, one touch to kill. 1–0 City and Anfield went dead-silent for a second.
Liverpool snapped back almost instantly. On 19 minutes, Trent Alexander-Arnold whipped in a trademark diagonal to the back post, Darwin Núñez knocked it down, and who else but Mohamed Salah smashed it in from close range. Salah's movement was elite all game – drifting into half-spaces, dragging Rúben Dias and John Stones into nightmares.
Then came the chaos moment that everyone is screaming about online. On 39 minutes, Haaland thought he'd bagged a brace. He rose highest on a Bernardo Silva cross, powered a header past Alisson, wheeled away to celebrate… and then VAR stepped in. After a long check, referee Michael Oliver ruled that Haaland had tugged Ibrahima Konaté's shirt in the build-up. Goal chalked off. City bench furious, Haaland fuming, Anfield absolutely loving it. This VAR call is the hot topic on social right now.
Right before half-time, Liverpool turned the screw. In the 44th minute, Dominik Szoboszlai pounced on a loose Rodri pass, drove at the back line and slid in Núñez, who curled a gorgeous right-footed strike into the far corner. 2–1 Liverpool at the break, Núñez chest-thumping in front of the Kop like a man possessed.
Second-half madness: Haaland responds, but Jones steals it late
Pep Guardiola clearly roasted his players at half-time because City came out with fire. De Bruyne started orchestrating everything, and on 58 minutes, City finally broke through. A slick one-two between De Bruyne and Phil Foden ripped open Liverpool's press, Foden slipped Haaland in on the angle and the Norwegian superstar drilled it near-post past Alisson. Goal: Erling Haaland (58'). 2–2 and game on.
From there, it turned into pure basketball. End to end, tackles flying, top-tier football chaos. Salah got one-on-one with Ederson in the 67th minute but tried to dink him and got denied. A few minutes later, De Bruyne whipped a free kick inches wide. Both sets of fans were basically standing for the last half hour.
And then, just when it felt like we were heading for a draw, Liverpool's academy kid turned into the hero. In the 88th minute, a corner was half-cleared to the edge of the box, and Curtis Jones absolutely leathered a right-footed shot through a crowded area, taking a tiny deflection off Rúben Dias on the way in. Officially it goes down as Curtis Jones (88'), and Anfield went nuclear. Jürgen Klopp sprinting down the touchline, Guardiola staring into space. 3–2 Liverpool, and City had no answer.
Stars under the spotlight: Heroes and flops
- Mohamed Salah – One goal, constant threat, and should have had an assist if Núñez had finished another big chance. Salah was everywhere between the lines, dragging City wide and opening lanes. Absolute leader's performance.
- Erling Haaland – Two "goals" and one that counted. He bullied Liverpool when he got the service. But the VAR-disallowed header will haunt him, and he faded slightly in the last 15 minutes as Liverpool's midfield stepped up.
- Kevin De Bruyne – Two assists on the night, and he basically carried City's creativity. Every time he got on the ball, you felt danger. His body language at full time said it all: disgusted with the result.
- Trent Alexander-Arnold – Ridiculous passing range again, plus a big defensive block on Foden late on. Still got caught high once or twice, but his assist to Núñez early on was pure Trent.
- Phil Foden – Flashes of magic, neat link-up with Haaland, but not ruthless enough in the final third. In a game this big, City needed him to be decisive, not just tidy.
What this does to the Premier League table
This result is massive. Liverpool's win fires them back to the top of the football league table, nudging them ahead of City and putting even more pressure on Arsenal and the chasing pack. City, meanwhile, slip back into the chasing role – fewer margins for error, especially with the fixture list getting ugly and Champions League news heating up.
Tactically, Klopp's risk worked: aggressive press, brave high line, and trusting his forwards to outrun City's back line. Guardiola's decision to leave Julián Álvarez on the bench until the 75th minute looked conservative in hindsight, especially with Liverpool's back four wobbling under the long balls.
What does this mean for the title race? Click here for the live standings
Other key results around Europe
It wasn't just England serving up fireworks. Across Europe, soccer news kept flying in as the day unfolded:
- La Liga: Real Madrid edged a tight 1–0 at home with Jude Bellingham again the difference, scoring a late header off a Vinícius Júnior cross. The English star keeps stacking "clutch" moments like it's nothing.
- Serie A: Inter stayed in control of the Scudetto chase thanks to Lautaro Martínez, who scored twice in a 2–1 win. The Argentinian hitman is walking away with "top scorers today" conversation in Italy.
- Bundesliga: Bayern's attack clicked as Kylian Mbappé and Harry Kane both found the net in a 3–0 rout, a scary warning shot ahead of their next Champions League clash.
Social Media Spotlight
The Internet is Exploding: 3 Social Media Highlights
X Discussion: Fans furious and divided over the VAR call on Haaland's disallowed header
My take: This was a title-race statement
From a young reporter's seat, this didn't just feel like a big Premier League match – it felt like a power flex from Liverpool. When the pressure hit peak level, Salah rose to it, Núñez delivered, and Curtis Jones wrote the kind of match report moment he'll remember for life.
On the flip side, City look a bit… human. Haaland is still a machine in front of goal, but when De Bruyne isn't absolutely perfect for 90 minutes, their control cracks. Pep's side had the quality to take at least a point, but they let the atmosphere and that VAR drama get into their heads.
In my opinion, Liverpool's intensity and belief tonight screamed "champions" more than anything else we've seen this season. If City want to flip this narrative back, Guardiola has to freshen the midfield and lean harder into his squad depth – or they'll be watching Liverpool lift another trophy while they wonder how they let games like this slip.
What's next?
Now all eyes swing to the next round of fixtures and the looming Champions League knockouts. With both Liverpool and City slugging it out domestically, squad rotation and injuries are going to decide who's still standing come May.
If today is a preview of the run-in, buckle up. This title race is going straight to the wire, and every set of soccer games from here on out is basically must-see TV.
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