Liverpool vs Man City live thriller: Salah & Haaland light up title race
07.02.2026 - 15:52:35
Liverpool 3-2 Manchester City – Salah vs Haaland, pure box-office
Anfield under the lights, the atmosphere crackling, and from minute one it felt like nobody was interested in a 0-0. City actually struck first: in the 14th minute, Kevin De Bruyne slipped a filthy through ball between the lines, and Erling Haaland did what Erling Haaland does – one touch to set, second touch smashed low across goal into the far corner. Haaland 0-1
Liverpool didn’t sulk, they snapped back. On 29 minutes they levelled when Trent Alexander-Arnold whipped in a diagonal ball to Darwin Núñez, who bullied Rúben Dias in the air and nodded down. The ball bounced loose and Mohamed Salah, sniffing around like he always does, reacted first and drilled it into the roof of the net. Salah 1-1, arms wide in front of the Kop, Anfield roaring his name.
The game stayed frantic. De Bruyne kept dropping into little pockets, threading passes, while Phil Foden kept isolating Joe Gomez out wide. But the big twist before half-time came from nowhere. In the 44th minute, City tried to play out, Alexis Mac Allister jumped the passing lane, fed Núñez, and the Uruguayan drove at Kyle Walker before sliding a neat pass into the path of Luis Díaz. One touch, then a curling left-foot finish inside the far post. Díaz 2-1 Liverpool, and Jürgen Klopp was chest-bumping his whole bench.
Second-half chaos: VAR, Haaland heartbreak, Salah the assassin
City came out after the break like a team that had been screamed at. Within eight minutes, they thought they were level again. Foden cut back to Bernardo Silva on the edge of the box, Bernardo dinked a cross to the back post, and there was Haaland, towering above everyone to head home. Cue City limbs… and then the dreaded check: VAR for offside.
Replays showed Haaland’s shoulder millimetres ahead of Virgil van Dijk when the ball was played. After a long review that felt like forever, the goal was chalked off. The away fans were furious, Guardiola on the touchline was laughing in disbelief, and X (Twitter) instantly blew up with frame-by-frame screenshots. That disallowed Haaland brace is the hot topic right now – people arguing if the lines were too tight, if the law’s broken, everything.
But City didn’t go away. In the 67th minute, they finally forced the equaliser. De Bruyne’s corner was cleared badly by Núñez, falling straight to Rodri on the edge. The Spaniard didn’t break stride, lashing a half-volley through a sea of legs and beyond Alisson. Rodri 2-2, and suddenly Anfield went tense, really tense.
Enter, again, Mohamed Salah. On 82 minutes, with legs gone and hearts racing, Liverpool broke from a City corner. Díaz carried the ball 40 yards upfield and just when Walker closed him down, he slipped it inside to Salah. One-on-one with Joško Gvardiol, Salah chopped onto his left, sent the defender sliding, and curled a ridiculous finish into the top far corner. Salah 3-2, his second of the night and the pure definition of a clutch moment.
Heroes and flops: who owned the night?
Mohamed Salah was absolutely outrageous. Two goals, nonstop pressing, always asking questions of City’s back line. Every time he picked up the ball, you felt panic. This was prime, Ballon d’Or-level Salah, dragging a title run-in by the scruff of the neck.
Erling Haaland will be fuming. He scored once, could easily have walked away with a hat-trick, and the disallowed header will haunt him. His movement was lethal all game, but you know he measures nights like this in goals and trophies, not xG stats.
Kevin De Bruyne quietly played puppet master for City – the assist for Haaland, the tempo, the set-pieces. But in the big, defining moments late on, it was Salah and Díaz who came up with the defining actions, not KDB.
At the back, Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konaté had their hands full but made some massive blocks, especially in stoppage time when Haaland nearly poked home a scrambled cross. For City, Gvardiol had a rough night in the channels, constantly overloaded by Díaz and Andy Robertson.
Title race shockwaves: what this result really changes
This result feels huge. Liverpool not only beat their fiercest modern rival; they also flipped the narrative of the whole Premier League run-in. Three points here mean Liverpool jump back above City and tighten their grip at the top, while City suddenly look a little mortal and vulnerable under the bright lights.
There’s a cluster of teams trying to hang on – Arsenal sniffing around, maybe another outsider dreaming – but this night was about the two heavyweight contenders landing punches. Liverpool landed the last one.
What does this mean for the title race? Click here for the live standings
Champions League angles & top scorers today
On a wider European stage, you can bet both these sides are already being measured against Champions League news and expectations. Performances like this from Salah, Díaz and Haaland feed the narrative for the knockout rounds – who’s peaking, who’s burning out, and who’s ready to go deep into May.
In terms of top scorers today, Salah’s brace keeps him right in that Golden Boot conversation, breathing down Haaland’s neck. Haaland’s single strike helps his own tally, but losing the game and losing a potential second goal to VAR is a brutal double hit.
Social Media Spotlight: VAR lines & Salah worship
Right now, the football league table isn’t the only thing getting refreshed. Social media is pure chaos. Fans are chopping up clips of every angle of Haaland’s disallowed header, debating whether technology is ruining the game or just enforcing the rules.
The Internet is Exploding: 3 Social Media Highlights
X Discussion: Fans furious and divided over the VAR offside call on Haaland's header
Scroll that X feed and you'll see one half of the timeline dropping screenshots of frozen frames, drawing their own imaginary offside lines. The other half? Just spamming Salah gifs, calling him inevitable, unplayable, unreal.
Young reporter's take: this felt like a statement win
From my seat, this was more than just another round of soccer news. This felt like a psychological punch from Liverpool straight into City’s jaw. In my opinion, City were a little too casual at the back and overconfident playing through the press at Anfield. Against this kind of intensity and a Salah that locked in like that, that’s borderline suicidal.
I’d also say this: Guardiola probably waited too long to change it. When Mac Allister and Szoboszlai started winning those midfield duels, City needed fresh legs earlier. On the flip side, Klopp’s subs were brave and aggressive, trying to win it instead of settling for a point, and that’s exactly the mentality that got Salah his late winner.
Big players define big nights. Salah did it. Haaland nearly did, but “nearly” doesn’t make the football league table on Monday morning.
Closing whistle: the title race is officially wild
If this is a preview of the run-in, clear your calendar for the next few months. We’ve got a live, breathing title race with Liverpool and City trading haymakers, other contenders hoping for slip-ups, and every single point feeling like a cup final.
Don’t just argue in the group chat – check how this result actually shakes out across the whole league, who climbs, who drops, and who suddenly believes again.
Check full stats & standings now
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@ ad-hoc-news.de
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