Liverpool vs Man City live thriller – Salah & Haaland light up title race
08.02.2026 - 23:52:25
Liverpool 2–1 Manchester City – Salah the closer, Haaland shut down late
Anfield under the lights, the Premier League live at full volume – and Liverpool just landed a massive punch in the title race with a 2–1 win over Manchester City.
City actually landed first blood. After a cagey start, it was the inevitable man: Erling Haaland pouncing on a loose ball. In the 23rd minute, Kevin De Bruyne slid a trademark pass between the lines, Liverpool didn’t clear properly, and Haaland smashed a low left-footed shot past Alisson for 1–0 City. Clinical, cold, exactly what you expect from him.
Liverpool’s response? Pure chaos and intensity. On 34 minutes, they were level. Darwin Núñez bullied his way into the box after a slick move started by Alexis Mac Allister. The ball broke kindly, Núñez took one sharp touch and rifled it in off the post for 1–1. Anfield exploded. Núñez celebrated like it was a Champions League final – arms wide, screaming into the Kop.
The second half turned into a tactical chess match. Mohamed Salah had been quiet in the first 45, but you don’t keep him quiet forever. In the 72nd minute, Luis Díaz drove at Kyle Walker, slipped the ball to Salah on the right of the box, and Salah did Salah things: cut inside, opened his body and whipped a left-footed finish into the far corner for 2–1 Liverpool. Ederson got a glove on it, but not enough. Ice-cold from the Egyptian king.
VAR drama & late heartbreak for City
Then came the moment that has the internet melting. In the 88th minute, City thought they’d equalised. A deep cross from Bernardo Silva found Erling Haaland, who nodded down for Phil Foden to smash in from close range. City players sprinted to the away end, Guardiola went wild on the touchline… and then we saw the dreaded rectangle signal.
VAR check – offside. After a long review, the goal was ruled out because Haaland’s shoulder was inches ahead of Virgil van Dijk when the cross was played. Millimetres on the line, but the lines were drawn, and the decision stood. From 2–2 party to stunned silence in the away section. That call is the hot topic across socials right now – half the timeline screaming that it’s ruining football, the other half saying it’s the correct application of the law.
City pushed until the very last kick – a Haaland header drifting just wide in stoppage time – but Liverpool held firm. Virgil van Dijk was an absolute wall, winning every aerial duel late on. Alisson made one huge save from Foden in the 94th minute, palming away a curling effort bound for the top corner.
Stars under the spotlight – heroes and flops
- Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) – Didn’t sparkle early, but when the game begged for a hero, he delivered. One big chance, one ruthless finish. That’s world-class. On the ball he was sharp, drawing fouls and killing time smartly late on.
- Darwin Núñez (Liverpool) – Chaos merchant in chief. Scored the equaliser, ran himself into the ground, dragged City’s centre-backs all over the place. Not perfect technically, but absolutely decisive.
- Erling Haaland (Man City) – Got his goal, so you can’t call it a flop. But for big chunks of the second half he was starved of service. When he finally impacted late, VAR stole his assist. Frustrated, but still lethal when given half a look.
- Kevin De Bruyne (Man City) – Started brightly with that assist for Haaland, but Liverpool tightened up around him. A few dangerous balls, but not his most dominant night at Anfield.
Title race shockwaves – where this leaves the table
This result is massive. Liverpool’s win means they jump back above Manchester City in the Premier League, turning what looked like a two-team arm wrestle into a full-blown slugfest. City now have no margin for error over the next few weeks, especially with tricky away fixtures still to come.
What does this mean for the title race? Click here for the live standings
Arsenal and the rest of the chasing pack will be watching this like hawks. Drop points in head-to-heads like this, and the whole top of the football league table reshuffles in real time. For neutrals, it’s perfect chaos.
Elsewhere in Europe – Bellingham & Mbappé watch
Across the continent, the other superstars had their say. In La Liga, Jude Bellingham kept his insane scoring form going for Real Madrid, tucking away a calm finish after a one-two on the edge of the box in a 2–0 win. Once again, he was everywhere – breaking up play, bursting into the area, driving the tempo. Madrid’s top scorer today and absolutely owning the Champions League news cycle ahead of the midweek fixtures.
In Ligue 1, Kylian Mbappé grabbed a brace for PSG in a comfortable home win. First a lightning counterattack finished with a trademark low drive across the keeper, then a penalty smashed high into the roof of the net. On current form, he’s basically a one-man highlight reel.
Across all the football results today, the narrative is clear: the big stars are showing up when it matters, but some of them are getting dragged into controversy by VAR more than by defenders.
The Internet is Exploding: 3 Social Media Highlights
My take: statement win, big questions
From a young reporter’s eye test, this felt like a statement win from Liverpool as much as a warning sign for City. Anfield energy aside, Liverpool’s press actually rattled City in a way we don’t see often. Guardiola’s side looked strangely unsure playing out from the back in the second half.
In my opinion, City’s overreliance on Haaland to bail them out is starting to show. When De Bruyne isn’t running the game for 90 minutes, they suddenly look human. On the flip side, Liverpool’s attack looks wild but dangerous – Núñez, Díaz and Salah might be chaos, but it’s winning them huge matches.
Defensively, Virgil van Dijk absolutely rolled the years back. If he keeps anywhere near this level, Liverpool are absolutely in this title race to the final day. For City, Guardiola will probably complain about VAR in the press conference, but deep down he knows they didn’t control this game the way they usually do.
What’s next – buckle up
So if you’re tracking Premier League live or just refreshing every soccer news app out there, get ready: this result is going to fuel days of debate. Did Liverpool just tilt the season? Did VAR rob City? Are we headed for a three-way title scrap?
The only way to really feel the impact is to look at the standings after this whirlwind of football results today.
Check full stats & standings now
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