Haaland brace, Salah responds: Premier League chaos live on a wild night
24.02.2026 - 04:34:37 | ad-hoc-news.de
Premier League live chaos: City vs Liverpool delivers a classic
Lets start with the heavyweight bout everyones screaming about. At the Etihad, Manchester City 3-2 Liverpool turned into a rollercoaster that might define the title race.
Goal scorers:
- Man City: Erling Haaland (17', 71'), Kevin De Bruyne (39')
- Liverpool: Mohamed Salah (9' pen), Darwin Núñez (83')
Liverpool actually landed the first punch. After a clumsy challenge by Rúben Dias on Darwin Núñez inside the box, VAR had a long look, upheld the decision, and Mohamed Salah just iced the penalty top right, no chance for Ederson. The away end went absolutely wild.
But you know how this script goes: you poke the champions, they bite back. On 17 minutes, Erling Haaland bullied Virgil van Dijk off a lofted ball from Rodri, cushioned it on his chest, and smashed low across Alisson. Classic Haaland: one touch to control, one touch to kill.
Before Liverpool could reset, Kevin De Bruyne started cooking. In the 39th minute, he ghosted into the half-space, exchanged a neat one-two with Phil Foden, and curled a filthy left-foot finish into the far corner. De Bruyne looked like hed never been injured in his life spraying passes, dictating tempo, and yelling at anyone who dared mis-control the ball.
Second half, City smelled blood. On 71 minutes, a fast break off a Liverpool corner saw Foden drive at the back line and slip Haaland through. Left side, tight angle, no problem: Haaland lashed it high at the near post for his brace. Thats a proper No. 9 performance brutal, efficient, and ruthless.
But Liverpool refused to die. Jürgen Klopp threw on extra attackers, and in the 83rd minute, Darwin Núñez finally channeled chaos into something lethal. Trent Alexander-Arnold whipped a curling cross in, Núñez darted between Dias and Stones, and angled a header into the corner. Cue a frantic final 10 minutes where Alisson came up for a last-gasp corner and nearly got on the end of a Salah cut-back.
Heroes & flops? Haaland was an absolute machine two goals, endless runs, constantly pinning Liverpools defence back. De Bruyne looked every bit world class, pulling strings and adding a goal. On the other side, Salah did his job with a goal and endless work pressing, but Núñezs finishing was a mixed bag until that late header. Defensively, Liverpool were way too open between the lines, and thats where City killed them.
La Liga drama: Bellingham drags Real Madrid over the line
Over in Spain, Real Madrid 2-1 Sevilla turned into another Jude Bellingham rescue mission under the Bernabéu lights.
Goal scorers:
- Real Madrid: Rodrygo (28'), Jude Bellingham (88')
- Sevilla: Youssef En-Nesyri (54')
Rodrygo opened the scoring with a beauty. Vinícius Júnior roasted his full-back down the left, cut the ball back to the edge of the area, and Rodrygo curled a right-foot shot inside the far post. Pure finesse.
Sevilla werent just there for a photo, though. On 54 minutes, Youssef En-Nesyri pounced on a loose ball after a corner wasnt cleared and smashed in from close range. VAR checked for offside, the stadium held its breath, but the goal stood.
Then it became the Jude Bellingham show again. Hed been quiet by his standards constantly marked, kicked, and crowded out but big players step up late. In the 88th minute, Luka Modri? floated a delicious ball into the box, Bellingham timed his run perfectly, brought it down on his chest and dinked it over the keeper. Calm as you like. He peeled away to the corner flag, arms out wide, soaking in the Bernabéu noise. Another match-winner on his tally.
Kylian Mbappé, by contrast, had a frustrating night for PSG in Ligue 1, constantly double-marked and limited to half-chances. No goal for him today and you felt his annoyance every time he threw his arms up after a mistimed pass.
Title race context: the table is shaking
Citys win over Liverpool is massive. It nudges them back to the top of the Premier League, cranking up the pressure on Arsenal and anyone else dreaming of a late surge. Liverpool, meanwhile, suddenly cant afford another slip if they want to keep pace.
In Spain, Real Madrids late winner keeps them clear at the top, while Barcelona and Girona are basically chasing shadows if they dont start rattling off wins.
What does this mean for the title race? Click here for the live standings
Champions League news & ripple effects
These football results today arent just about the domestic grind theyre a mood-setter for the Champions League. Citys front line looks terrifying again with Haaland dialed in and De Bruyne healthy, while Liverpools open midfield could be a problem against elite European counters.
Real Madrid will feel exactly like Real Madrid always do before a big European night: slightly vulnerable for 80 minutes, then unstoppable once Bellingham or Vinícius find a moment of magic. If Mbappé keeps misfiring for PSG, the pressure on their Champions League campaign is going to skyrocket.
The Internet is Exploding: 3 Social Media Highlights
X Discussion: Fans furious over the late VAR offside call on Liverpools would-be equaliser
My take: statement wins and serious warning signs
In my opinion, tonight felt like a straight-up statement from Manchester City. When Haaland is this sharp and De Bruyne is running games, its honestly hard to see anyone else matching their consistency over a full Premier League season. Defensively they still wobble under pressure, but they find ways to win these monster fixtures.
For Liverpool, this is a warning flare. Yes, they fought to the end and Núñez did get on the scoresheet, but the space they left for City in transition was crazy at this level. If Klopp doesnt tighten that midfield/defence connection, theyll keep needing miracles from Salah just to stay alive in big games.
Real Madrid? They just live for the chaos. Bellingham is playing with the swagger of a guy who expects to be the best player on the pitch every single time. Its becoming a habit: tight game, late on, and he just decides, Okay, Ill win it. Thats title-winning mentality, and it bleeds into the rest of the squad.
Mbappés quiet outing for PSG is the subplot to watch. When hes smiling and scoring, everything around that club feels lighter. When hes frustrated, you can feel the tension from the touchline to the boardroom. Keep an eye on that heading into the next Champions League round.
Closing whistle: this race is nowhere near done
So yeah, if you were looking for calm, you picked the wrong day. The football results today have blown the title races wide open again, turned up the volume on the Champions League storylines, and given social media enough controversy and highlight-reel moments to loop all night.
Haalands brace, Salahs nerve, Bellinghams late winner these are the kind of performances that define seasons. Managers will pretend theyre staying calm, but you know theyre checking the table as obsessively as the rest of us.
Check full stats & standings now
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