Liverpool vs Man City live thriller: Salah & Haaland light up title race
11.02.2026 - 00:05:01 | ad-hoc-news.de
Kick-off! As of today, 2026-02-11, the pitch is on fire... If you love soccer games with chaos, goals and pure nerves, Liverpool vs Manchester City at Anfield just delivered the match of the season. Mohamed Salah and Erling Haaland both hit the net in a Premier League blockbuster that could end up defining the entire title race.
The noise, the drama, the finish – this one had everything. From Haaland bullying defenders to Salah gliding in off the right, to a late Liverpool winner that sent Anfield absolutely wild, you couldn't take your eyes off it for a second.
City, though, are never dead. They steadied themselves, and in the 31st minute, it was that man again – Erling Haaland. Kevin De Bruyne, back looking like a magician in boots, slid a filthy through ball between Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konaté. Haaland shrugged off Konaté and drilled a low left-foot finish past Alisson. Clinical. 1–1 and game on.
Just before half-time, the first huge flashpoint: City thought they had the lead when Phil Foden curled one into the top corner after a loose ball dropped to him on the edge of the box. But VAR stepped in. After a tense check, the goal was ruled out for a handball by Haaland in the buildup. Anfield roared like Liverpool had scored, while Pep Guardiola went wild on the touchline, arms in the air, screaming at the fourth official. That VAR reversal is exactly what everyone is arguing about online right now.
But you knew City would swing back. In the 68th minute they equalised again. De Bruyne whipped in a wicked inswinging cross from the left, Haaland peeled away from Van Dijk and powered a towering header into the net. 2–2, Haaland at the double for the day, and suddenly it felt like City might suffocate Liverpool late on.
Instead, we got a grandstand finish. With both teams throwing everything forward, it turned into one of those soccer games where every attack felt like a goal was coming. Haaland had a half-chance for his hat-trick, dragging a shot wide, while Salah forced Ederson into a huge save at the other end.
The winner came in the 88th minute, and Anfield absolutely lost its mind. Núñez dropped deep, spun Dias and slipped a pass wide to Salah. The Egyptian king drove inside, pulled two defenders with him, and then released substitute Diogo Jota into space on the left side of the box. One touch to set, one touch to finish – Jota smashed a rising shot in off the underside of the bar. 3–2 Liverpool, limbs in the Kop, City players sunk to the turf.
Erling Haaland did exactly what Erling Haaland does: two chances, two goals, and a constant threat in the box. He bullied centre-backs, dragged Liverpool defenders deep, and almost grabbed a hat-trick. You can't pin this result on him – City's defending and game management late on are what cost them.
Kevin De Bruyne deserves a shout too. Two outrageous assists, some of the best passing on the pitch, and he basically ran City's attacking play. But defensively, City looked fragile when Liverpool broke through midfield, with Rodri often outnumbered and Walker exposed by Díaz's direct running.
On the Liverpool side, Virgil van Dijk had a mixed night – a couple of big clearances and blocks, but also lost Haaland once too often. Trent Alexander-Arnold was risky but influential, especially in the build-up to Szoboszlai's goal. And then there's Diogo Jota, the super-sub who needed just one clean sight of goal to tilt the whole title conversation.
Liverpool's home form is turning Anfield into a fortress again, while City suddenly look a tiny bit human in these huge away soccer games. Dropping points directly to a title rival is brutal, and that late Jota hammer might be one we look back on in May as a season-defining goal.
Scroll through the #LIVMCI feed and you'll see screenshots of the handball freeze-frame from every angle, slowed-down clips of Haaland's touch, and side-by-side comparisons with past VAR decisions. It's chaos – and it shows how fine the margins are at this level.
But I'm not letting City off the hook here. For a side that prides itself on control, they looked surprisingly rattled late on. Pep's decision not to tighten things up after the second Haaland goal will be heavily debated. In my opinion, City's game management cost them more than the VAR check did. You can complain about the ref all night, but if you keep giving Salah and Jota transition moments at Anfield, you're asking for trouble.
Defensively, Guardiola has questions to answer. Dias and Walker both had shaky moments, and the team as a whole didn't handle Liverpool's press well enough. If City want to defend their crown, they can't keep relying on Haaland and De Bruyne to drag them out of chaos every week.
For the neutral, though? Absolute gold. This is why you tune into Premier League live action. The energy, the stars, the controversy – it's everything we love about football at the highest level.
If you're trying to make sense of where this leaves the title, top four race and the battle down the table, the live numbers tell the story better than anything.
The noise, the drama, the finish – this one had everything. From Haaland bullying defenders to Salah gliding in off the right, to a late Liverpool winner that sent Anfield absolutely wild, you couldn't take your eyes off it for a second.
Liverpool 3–2 Manchester City – Superstars, screamers, and a title twist
Anfield nights hit different, and today was exactly that. Liverpool came flying out of the blocks, pressing City into mistakes and snapping into every duel. The opener came early: in the 14th minute, Mohamed Salah pounced after City failed to clear a loose ball. Darwin Núñez wrestled with Rúben Dias, the ball spilled, and Salah smashed a right-footed finish past Ederson into the far corner. 1–0 Liverpool, and the stadium exploded.City, though, are never dead. They steadied themselves, and in the 31st minute, it was that man again – Erling Haaland. Kevin De Bruyne, back looking like a magician in boots, slid a filthy through ball between Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konaté. Haaland shrugged off Konaté and drilled a low left-foot finish past Alisson. Clinical. 1–1 and game on.
Just before half-time, the first huge flashpoint: City thought they had the lead when Phil Foden curled one into the top corner after a loose ball dropped to him on the edge of the box. But VAR stepped in. After a tense check, the goal was ruled out for a handball by Haaland in the buildup. Anfield roared like Liverpool had scored, while Pep Guardiola went wild on the touchline, arms in the air, screaming at the fourth official. That VAR reversal is exactly what everyone is arguing about online right now.
Second half madness: Salah vs Haaland, then a late hero
Right after the restart, Liverpool turned up the tempo again. In the 52nd minute, they crafted a gorgeous team goal. Trent Alexander-Arnold fizzed a diagonal into Luis Díaz, who skinned Kyle Walker and cut the ball back to the edge of the box. Dominik Szoboszlai arrived late and slammed a first-time strike low into the corner. 2–1 Liverpool and Anfield was bouncing.But you knew City would swing back. In the 68th minute they equalised again. De Bruyne whipped in a wicked inswinging cross from the left, Haaland peeled away from Van Dijk and powered a towering header into the net. 2–2, Haaland at the double for the day, and suddenly it felt like City might suffocate Liverpool late on.
Instead, we got a grandstand finish. With both teams throwing everything forward, it turned into one of those soccer games where every attack felt like a goal was coming. Haaland had a half-chance for his hat-trick, dragging a shot wide, while Salah forced Ederson into a huge save at the other end.
The winner came in the 88th minute, and Anfield absolutely lost its mind. Núñez dropped deep, spun Dias and slipped a pass wide to Salah. The Egyptian king drove inside, pulled two defenders with him, and then released substitute Diogo Jota into space on the left side of the box. One touch to set, one touch to finish – Jota smashed a rising shot in off the underside of the bar. 3–2 Liverpool, limbs in the Kop, City players sunk to the turf.
Heroes, flops & the big names: who owned the spotlight?
Mohamed Salah was everywhere. A goal, a crucial assist for Jota's winner, and constant danger cutting in from the right. His link-up with Núñez and Díaz kept City's back line on the edge all evening. If we're talking Ballon d'Or-level performances in the title run-in, this one goes into Salah's personal highlight reel.Erling Haaland did exactly what Erling Haaland does: two chances, two goals, and a constant threat in the box. He bullied centre-backs, dragged Liverpool defenders deep, and almost grabbed a hat-trick. You can't pin this result on him – City's defending and game management late on are what cost them.
Kevin De Bruyne deserves a shout too. Two outrageous assists, some of the best passing on the pitch, and he basically ran City's attacking play. But defensively, City looked fragile when Liverpool broke through midfield, with Rodri often outnumbered and Walker exposed by Díaz's direct running.
On the Liverpool side, Virgil van Dijk had a mixed night – a couple of big clearances and blocks, but also lost Haaland once too often. Trent Alexander-Arnold was risky but influential, especially in the build-up to Szoboszlai's goal. And then there's Diogo Jota, the super-sub who needed just one clean sight of goal to tilt the whole title conversation.
Title race context – who's on top now?
With this 3–2 win, Liverpool leapfrog Manchester City in the Premier League table, nudging ahead in what already felt like a two- or three-horse race. City's defeat doesn't kill their challenge, but it absolutely sharpens the pressure, especially with Arsenal and others lurking close behind.Liverpool's home form is turning Anfield into a fortress again, while City suddenly look a tiny bit human in these huge away soccer games. Dropping points directly to a title rival is brutal, and that late Jota hammer might be one we look back on in May as a season-defining goal.
What does this mean for the title race? Click here for the live standings
Social Media Spotlight – the internet is going wild
Everyone online is locked in on one thing: that VAR call on Phil Foden's disallowed goal. City fans are fuming, Liverpool fans are saying the rules are the rules, and the debate is melting timelines.The Internet is Exploding: 3 Social Media Highlights
X Discussion: Fans raging over the VAR handball call on Foden's "goal"
Reporter's take – a statement win, and some tough questions
From my seat, this felt like a statement win from Liverpool. The intensity, the bravery to keep going toe-to-toe with City, and the quality of the goals – that's title-winning mentality stuff. Salah played like a captain of chaos, dragging his team up the pitch whenever they needed a spark.But I'm not letting City off the hook here. For a side that prides itself on control, they looked surprisingly rattled late on. Pep's decision not to tighten things up after the second Haaland goal will be heavily debated. In my opinion, City's game management cost them more than the VAR check did. You can complain about the ref all night, but if you keep giving Salah and Jota transition moments at Anfield, you're asking for trouble.
Defensively, Guardiola has questions to answer. Dias and Walker both had shaky moments, and the team as a whole didn't handle Liverpool's press well enough. If City want to defend their crown, they can't keep relying on Haaland and De Bruyne to drag them out of chaos every week.
For the neutral, though? Absolute gold. This is why you tune into Premier League live action. The energy, the stars, the controversy – it's everything we love about football at the highest level.
What's next?
This result ramps up the pressure across the league. Every point dropped now will feel like a disaster for these two giants. Liverpool will be buzzing going into their next round of fixtures, while City have to reset fast – both domestically and with Champions League nights looming where mistakes get punished even harder.If you're trying to make sense of where this leaves the title, top four race and the battle down the table, the live numbers tell the story better than anything.
Check full stats & standings now
Editorial Note: This article is for entertainment and information purposes regarding current sports events. Sports betting and financial investments carry risks. Please gamble responsibly. Always check odds and terms with the provider.
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