Premier League Live: Liverpool stun City at Anfield as Salah strikes again

Liverpool edge Man City in a wild Anfield classic as Mo Salah delivers in the big moment – and Haaland is left raging. Title race flipped on its head.

Kick-off! As of today, 2026-02-28, the pitch is on fire... If you love soccer games with chaos, drama and nerve-shredding tension, Liverpool vs Manchester City at Anfield just gave you everything. Goals flying in, stars under the spotlight, a massive VAR shout, and a title race that suddenly looks completely different.

Liverpool came out swinging and ended up taking a huge 3-2 win over Manchester City in a Premier League thriller. Mohamed Salah stepped up when it mattered most, Erling Haaland had one of his quieter nights, and Anfield turned into a pressure cooker that might just reshape the season.

Liverpool 3–2 Manchester City: Salah steals the show, Haaland shut down

From the first whistle this felt like a street-fight rather than a tactical chess match. Liverpool pressed high, City tried to play through the lines, and within 15 minutes the game had its first big moment. A loose ball broke on the edge of the box and Kevin De Bruyne pounced, drilling a low right-footed strike into the bottom corner for 0-1. Classic KDB: one touch to set, another to silence the Kop.

But Liverpool refused to fold. On 28 minutes, Luis Díaz roasted his marker down the left, cut the ball back, and who else but Mohamed Salah arrived to sweep home the equaliser. Perfect timing, calm finish, 1-1 and Anfield absolutely exploded. That goal felt like the switch – from that point, Liverpool were playing like they smelled blood.

Right before half-time came the first big controversy. Erling Haaland tried to spin in the box, went down under contact from Virgil van Dijk, and City screamed for a penalty. VAR had a long look, replays rolled again and again, and in the end the on-field decision stood: no penalty. On X and Instagram, fans are split right down the middle – some calling it a stonewall pen, others saying Haaland went down too easily. Inside the stadium, the Liverpool fans treated the VAR check like a goal celebration of their own.

Second-half madness: youngsters step up, stars under pressure

The second half kicked off at full throttle. Liverpool pushed higher and higher, and their reward came on 57 minutes from a set piece. Trent Alexander-Arnold whipped in a devilish corner, City failed to clear, and young defender Jarell Quansah reacted fastest, stabbing the ball past Ederson from close range for 2-1. A centre-back poacher’s finish and another huge roar from the Kop.

City, though, don’t go away that easily. On 69 minutes, Phil Foden danced in from the right, played a slick one-two with Bernardo Silva, and curled a gorgeous left-foot shot into the far corner. 2-2, pure class, and out of nowhere the away end were bouncing. Foden continues to look like one of the most complete attackers in world football – every touch felt dangerous.

But tonight, the last word belonged to Salah. On 81 minutes, a quick Liverpool counter ripped City open: Dominik Szoboszlai drove through midfield, slipped a perfectly weighted pass between the lines, and Salah did what Salah does. One touch to angle the ball onto his left foot, another to lash it past Ederson into the far top corner for 3-2. No doubt, no hesitation – just elite, ruthless finishing.

While Salah was the hero, Haaland will not enjoy the replays of this one. He battled with Van Dijk all game, had one decent header saved by Alisson, but otherwise looked strangely isolated. For City, when Haaland is neutralised and De Bruyne can’t keep creating magic for 90 minutes, they suddenly look far more human.

What this does to the Premier League table

This win is absolutely massive for the title race. Liverpool not only take three points off their direct rival, they also gain momentum and belief right when the season is heading into the decisive stretch. City, meanwhile, drop crucial points and could be looking nervously over their shoulder if Arsenal or another challenger keeps collecting wins.

Depending on the rest of the weekend’s soccer games, Liverpool could now be sitting top of the Premier League or at least firmly locked into that top-two scrap. Goal difference, head-to-head results, and those fine margins in the football league table suddenly matter more than ever.

What does this mean for the title race? Click here for the live standings

Check that link and you’ll see the gap, the pressure, and how every single point looks gigantic now. With Champions League news also swirling around both clubs and fixture congestion kicking in, squads will be stretched, and nights like this can define entire seasons.

Social Media Spotlight: VAR rage, Salah love, and highlight hunting

If you jump online right now, the conversation is absolutely wild. Two main themes: the non-penalty on Haaland and the sheer brilliance of Salah’s winner. The official hashtag lighting up timelines is #LIVMCI, with clips, memes, and fan-cam reactions dropping every second.

Hit that X search and you’ll see City fans replaying the contact on Haaland frame by frame, Liverpool fans posting freeze-frames claiming there was nothing in it, and neutrals just loving the chaos. On Instagram, Liverpool’s official account is already dropping post-match shots of Salah and the squad celebrating in front of the Kop – pure “we’re back” energy. Over on YouTube, highlight packages are climbing the trending charts as everyone tries to rewatch Salah’s rocket and Foden’s curler on loop.

Reporter’s take: statement win, brutal questions for City

From my point of view, this felt like a statement win from Liverpool and a reality check for City. When Anfield gets that loud and Salah is in this kind of mood, you can throw the form book out the window. Liverpool looked fearless, hungry, and just a bit nastier in the duels – exactly what you want in the run-in.

For City, there’s no need to panic, but there are serious questions. Can they keep relying on De Bruyne to dig them out in tight games? What happens when Haaland is physically bullied and doesn’t get service? And did Pep wait too long to tweak his shape once Liverpool started overrunning midfield?

In a season where the top of the table is insanely tight, you can’t afford many nights like this. Liverpool turned their home crowd into a weapon, made the big moments count, and walked away with a win that feels bigger than just three points.

Closing whistle: title race on a knife-edge

So where does this leave us? The Premier League live picture right now is absolute chaos in the best way. Liverpool back in full swagger mode, City suddenly vulnerable, and every other contender quietly thinking, “If we put a run together here, why not us?”

With more soccer news and Champions League nights just around the corner, this felt like one of those landmark Premier League nights we look back on in May. Whether you’re a Liverpool fan, a City die-hard, or just addicted to high-stakes soccer games, you’ll be feeling the adrenaline from this one for a while.

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