Premier League chaos live: title race twists as Haaland & Salah deliver
25.01.2026 - 20:45:28
Premier League Live Drama: City turn it on, Liverpool refuse to blink
At the Etihad, Manchester City 3-1 Newcastle United felt like a message to the whole league. City fell behind early when Alexander Isak pounced in the 12th minute, smashing low past Ederson after a slick one-two with Bruno Guimarães. For a good 20 minutes, City were rattled – sloppy passes, late tackles, and Pep absolutely raging on the touchline.
Then Erling Haaland decided he'd had enough. On 31 minutes, Kevin De Bruyne clipped a trademark ball in behind, Haaland bullied his marker, took one touch and drilled it across goal for 1-1. That was his first. His second came after the break: in the 54th minute, Phil Foden danced inside, dragged two defenders with him and slipped Haaland through. One step, one thunderous left-foot finish. 2-1, and the title race narrative instantly shifted.
The third goal was pure City poetry. De Bruyne, again the conductor, swept a diagonal to Bernardo Silva on the right; Bernardo cushioned it on the volley into the box where Haaland laid it off first time for Foden to curl into the far corner on 72 minutes. Haaland: two goals, one assist. Foden: goal and assist. De Bruyne: two assists and a standing ovation when he came off. That's what champions look like when the pressure hits.
Haaland was an absolute menace – every run behind, every aerial duel, every little shove on centre-backs who just couldn't cope. If you're searching for today's top scorers, his name is right there, glowing in neon.
Over at Anfield, Liverpool 2-0 Chelsea was ruthless, methodical, and lit up by Mohamed Salah. On 18 minutes, Dominik Szoboszlai split the Chelsea backline with a disguised pass, and Salah did Salah things: first touch out of his feet, second touch curled into the top far corner. 1-0 and absolute filth.
The second Liverpool goal came on 63 minutes. After a spell of Chelsea pressure, a quick counter saw Darwin Núñez burst down the left. His cross was half-cleared, falling to Salah on the edge of the box. He didn't even look – just cushioned it sideways for Szoboszlai, who rifled it low into the bottom-left corner. Salah walks away with a goal and an assist, Szoboszlai with a goal and an assist too. Chelsea's stars – Enzo Fernández, Cole Palmer, Raheem Sterling – barely laid a glove.
In terms of famous names, Salah looked world-class, Haaland looked unplayable, and De Bruyne looked like he'd never been injured in his life. Meanwhile, Chelsea's big-money men felt miles off the level – muted, cautious, and second best in every big moment.
Title Race Shockwave & Live Table Context
So what do today's football results mean for the bigger picture? With City winning and Liverpool also taking all three points, the title race is still a straight-up sprint. But the dropped points from a rival earlier in the day may be the real headline.
In the early kick-off, Arsenal 1-1 Brighton turned into an unexpected twist. Gabriel Jesus finally broke his mini drought with a scrappy finish in the 38th minute after chaos from a corner – Bukayo Saka saw his shot blocked, the ball bounced inside the six-yard box, and Jesus reacted first. But Brighton, being Brighton, never went away. On 79 minutes, substitute João Pedro rose highest at the back post to head in a teasing cross from Kaoru Mitoma. VAR checked for a tight offside, lines all over the screen, fans holding their breath. After a 90-second delay, the goal stood. Huge.
That late equaliser feels massive. Arsenal's big guns – Saka, Martin Ødegaard, and Jesus – all had moments, but none grabbed the game the way Haaland or Salah did for their sides. Ødegaard fizzed one just wide from the edge of the area, Saka hit the bar, but when the killer punch was needed, it just didn't come.
So now, City and Liverpool squeeze the table while Arsenal let two points slip. The gap at the top tightens, and the pressure for the next round just exploded.
What does this mean for the title race? Arsenal's dropped points allow City and Liverpool to pile on the pressure, and goal difference suddenly looks huge with Haaland and Salah both finding the net. To see exactly how tight it is, check the live table here: Click here for the live standings
Champions League & European Picture
With the Champions League knockout stages looming, today's results are doing more than just shaping the domestic race. City look like they're finally hitting frightening form at just the right moment – Haaland sharp, De Bruyne fully locked in. Liverpool, with Salah and Szoboszlai clicking, suddenly feel like a side no one wants to draw in Europe.
Arsenal, meanwhile, have that tiny hint of fragility that European heavyweights sniff out. Dropping points at home to Brighton may not sound like a disaster, but in a season this tight, it might be the result we look back on if the trophy ends up elsewhere.
Social Media Spotlight: VAR rage, Haaland memes, and Salah worship
The online reaction? Utterly wild. The hottest topic right now is that VAR decision on João Pedro's late equaliser at the Emirates. Freeze-frames, dodgy lines, fans claiming conspiracy – it's all there, and it's all loud.
The Internet is Exploding: 3 Social Media Highlights
X Discussion: Fans losing it over the late VAR call on João Pedro's equaliser
On X, the hashtag #ARSBHA is a warzone: Arsenal fans furious about the lines, Brighton fans posting smug memes, neutrals just here for the chaos. Over on Instagram, Manchester City's official account is already dropping slick edits of Haaland's brace, dressing room celebrations, and De Bruyne walking off to a wall of noise. And YouTube is getting swarmed with people hunting for every angle of Haaland's finishes and Salah's top-bin curler.
Reporter's Take: Who owned the day?
Brutally honest? Today belonged to the monsters up front. In my opinion, Haaland just sent a brutal reminder that if City get anywhere near their top gear, nobody matches their ceiling. His movement, his timing, and that ice-cold finishing – it's terrifying. Add De Bruyne pinging passes like it's a training drill, and you can feel the fear from the rest of the league.
Salah, though, was pure artistry. His goal wasn't just important, it was a statement – that curler is the kind of moment that ends up on season highlight reels. And when he starts creating as much as he scores, Liverpool look like a complete monster of a team.
On the flip side, I think Arsenal will absolutely hate watching that Brighton equaliser back. Game management in the last 15 minutes just wasn't good enough. Too passive, too deep, and against a side like Brighton, you can't just sit and pray. If they miss the title by a point or two, today's result is going to sting hard.
Managers? Pep looked like a man who knows his team is waking up at exactly the right time. Klopp will be buzzing – solid, controlled, efficient. Arsenal's dugout, though, has some big questions to answer about subs and mentality in the closing stages.
Closing Whistle: Title race on a knife edge
The headline from today's football results is simple: no one is blinking at the top, except maybe Arsenal. Haaland is back in full beast mode, Salah is painting masterpieces, and the table looks tighter and nastier than ever.
If you're trying to make sense of where this leaves the Premier League and who's really on top, you need the numbers as well as the noise.
Check full stats & standings now
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