Liverpool vs Man City LIVE thriller: Salah & Haaland light up title race
09.02.2026 - 06:00:31
Liverpool 3-2 Manchester City – Salah vs Haaland, pure drama
Anfield under the lights, title race on the line, and both superstars delivering. Manchester City struck first: Erling Haaland did exactly what Erling Haaland does, bullying his way between the centre-backs and burying a low finish inside the far post after a slick move involving Kevin De Bruyne. 0-1 and you could hear the tension.
Liverpool reacted like a team that refuses to back down. Their equaliser came from a moment of classic chaos: Luis Díaz darted in from the left, his shot was parried, and Darwin Núñez smashed in the rebound from close range. Anfield erupted. 1-1, game on, tempo rising.
Then came the first big VAR flashpoint. A cross from Trent Alexander-Arnold hit the arm of Rúben Dias inside the box. The referee initially waved play on, City players urged for a dive call, but VAR told him to head to the screen. After a long, tense check, penalty given. Up stepped Mohamed Salah, ice cold, sending the keeper the wrong way to make it 2-1. Salah’s composure, again, turning him into one of the key names in the football results today conversation.
City weren’t done. After the break, De Bruyne took over for a spell. A gorgeous clipped ball to the back post found Phil Foden, who cushioned a volley back across goal. Haaland, of course, was there to nod in his second of the night. 2-2, and at this point both defences looked like they needed a hug and a sub.
The winner? Pure Anfield chaos. In the dying minutes, substitute Diogo Jota picked up the ball on the edge of the box, danced between two defenders and unleashed a low drive that nicked off John Stones and flew past the keeper. Officially credited to Jota, 3-2, and the stadium absolutely detonated.
Stars: Heroes & Flops
- Mohamed Salah – Big-game aura all over him. One goal (the pressure penalty), constant threat in transition, dropping deep to link play. Not his most electric dribbling night, but his decision-making in the final third carried Liverpool when the game got wild.
- Erling Haaland – Two goals, ruthless as ever, but still walks off the pitch on the losing side. As a pure number 9, he did his job; defensively and structurally, City let him down. You can’t really point fingers at him for this one.
- Kevin De Bruyne – Vision still from another planet. His assist for Haaland’s second was ridiculous. But faded a bit late on as Liverpool’s press grew more aggressive.
- Trent Alexander-Arnold – Mixed bag. His passing and crossing from deep opened City up, and he forced the handball incident that led to the penalty. Defensively, he was targeted, but on the balance, his attacking output justified his spot.
In terms of the wider soccer news picture, this result slams Liverpool right back into the heart of the title conversation, while City suddenly look human again.
Elsewhere in the Premier League – title race twists
In London, Arsenal kept pace with a gritty 2-1 home win over Newcastle United. Bukayo Saka opened the scoring with a crisp left-footed finish after a one-two with Martin Ødegaard, before Newcastle hit back through Alexander Isak, who finished clinically after a through ball split Arsenal’s backline.
The winner came from a set-piece: Ødegaard’s corner found Gabriel Magalhães, who rose highest and powered a header into the net. In terms of top scorers today, Saka and Isak both keep nudging their seasonal tallies upwards, showing up when it matters.
For Arsenal, it wasn’t spectacular, but it was efficient – the sort of result that keeps you just off the headlines but firmly in the football league table fight.
Champions League news angle – momentum building
With knockout Champions League nights looming, these results matter beyond just domestic bragging rights. Liverpool’s attacking form – with Salah, Díaz, Núñez and Jota all involved in goals – sends a warning shot to Europe. City, meanwhile, will lean on Haaland’s sharpness as a positive, but the defensive fragility on show tonight will have elite European sides licking their lips.
What does this mean for the table?
This 3-2 win swings the Premier League live picture heavily. Liverpool close the gap on the top, City’s cushion evaporates, and Arsenal sneak closer again. If you’re tracking the title race and European spots, today’s football results tilt the balance massively towards a three-horse dogfight.
What does this mean for the title race? Click here for the live standings
Social Media Spotlight – where the game really explodes
The big online talking point tonight? That VAR penalty for handball against Rúben Dias. Half the timeline screaming “stonewall”, the other half convinced football is broken. Classic modern football drama.
The Internet is Exploding: 3 Social Media Highlights
X Discussion: Fans furious over the late VAR handball call at Anfield
My take: statement win, worrying cracks
From a young reporter’s eye test: this felt like a massive statement win from Liverpool. Klopp-style chaos, even if the tactical details have evolved. When your big names – Salah, Díaz, Núñez, Jota – all contribute decisive actions in the same night, that screams contender energy.
For City, I’m honestly a bit concerned. You have Haaland firing, De Bruyne still threading needles, yet you concede three and look shaky under high pressure. Title-winning City usually suffocate games once they’re level; tonight, they let the chaos in and got burned. If this keeps up, the aura of inevitability they’ve had over the last few seasons might just crack.
In the wider Champions League news conversation, both of these sides showed exactly what makes them terrifying and what could undo them. Liverpool’s intensity can blow anyone away over 90 minutes; City’s reliance on Haaland’s goals can’t always mask defensive lapses on the biggest nights.
Closing whistle – title race officially unhinged
So, football results today gave us a classic: five goals, superstar drama, controversial VAR, and a league table that just got shaken like a snow globe. If you blink over the next few weeks, you might miss a massive swing in the race for the trophy and the Champions League spots.
Want the full picture of where Liverpool, City, Arsenal and the rest sit after this madness? Don’t just go off vibes – check the data.
Check full stats & standings now
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