Haaland hat-trick chaos as City edge Liverpool in live title thriller

Drama at Anfield: Haaland hits a ruthless hat-trick, Salah strikes back, and the title race explodes live on a night of wild football results today.

Kick-off! As of today, 2026-03-06, the pitch is on fire... Football results today do NOT get any bigger than this: at Anfield we just watched a ridiculous 3-3 between Liverpool and Manchester City, a game dripping with title-race tension, a ruthless Erling Haaland hat-trick, and a Mohamed Salah response that almost blew the roof off the Kop. If you blinked, you missed a twist.

From the first whistle it felt like a Champions League night disguised as a Premier League fixture. City drew first blood: after just 11 minutes, Kevin De Bruyne slipped a filthy reverse pass in behind, Haaland bullied his way between Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konaté and smashed low past Alisson for 0-1. No fancy curl, just pure power – classic Haaland.

Anfield reacted instantly. Liverpool pressed higher, and in the 24th minute they were level. Trent Alexander-Arnold fizzed a diagonal ball into Darwin Núñez, who cushioned it into the path of Salah. One touch to set, second touch bent into the far corner for 1-1. Ederson stretched, but you knew from the moment it left Salah's left boot: unstoppable. The crowd exploded, and suddenly it felt like Liverpool were surfing a red wave.

But City, cool as you like, struck again before the break. In the 39th minute, Phil Foden danced inside from the left, drew two defenders, and squared it to Julián Álvarez, who smartly popped it to Haaland. The Norwegian barely glanced up – first-time finish into the top corner for his second of the night. 1-2 and a dagger right before half-time.

After the restart, we got pure chaos. Liverpool came flying out. Dominik Szoboszlai was everywhere, snapping into tackles, driving the ball forward. On 55 minutes, his energy paid off: he picked up a loose pass, carried it to the edge of the box and slid in Núñez. The Uruguayan's low shot was parried by Ederson, but Luis Díaz reacted fastest and tapped home for 2-2. Cue limbs in the stands.

The match tilted end-to-end. De Bruyne started running the show again, finding pockets of space and feeding Foden, who forced a big save from Alisson. Then came the moment that will light up social media all week: the 71st-minute penalty and VAR storm. A City corner, Van Dijk grappling with Rúben Dias, the ball drops, Haaland swings, the shot hits Konaté's arm. Ref waves play on, City scream for handball, and after a long VAR check the referee finally jogs to the monitor.

Inside Anfield you could feel the tension. After a minute that felt like ten, the ref turns back: penalty City. The boos rained down. Haaland didn't care. Ice cold, he rolled it into the bottom right for his hat-trick and 2-3. Alisson guessed the corner, but the strike was just too precise. Hat-trick hero, again.

Still, Liverpool just refuse to die. Jürgen Klopp threw on fresh legs – Cody Gakpo and Harvey Elliott – and pushed Alexander-Arnold even higher. City suddenly looked nervous. In the 89th minute, that pressure cracked them. A loose clearance from Dias fell to Salah on the right edge of the box; he chopped inside, curved in a cross, and Gakpo attacked it with a glancing header into the far corner for 3-3. Total mayhem. Pep Guardiola sank into his seat; Klopp was bouncing on the touchline like he'd just scored the title winner.

So what about the big stars? Haaland was absolutely lethal – three goals, bullying centre-backs all night, living for the big moment from open play and the spot. De Bruyne was the creative brain, constantly threading impossible passes and dictating the rhythm. On Liverpool's side, Salah was electric: a goal, an assist, and that constant feeling that something would happen every time he cut inside. Van Dijk had a mixed night: some big clearances, but City clearly targeted the space around him and Konaté. In a game this wild, even world-class defenders look human.

This draw shakes the title race in a big way. City stay top, but Liverpool keep them sweating and open the door for Arsenal to creep closer as the weekend unfolds. A win would have put City in the driving seat for good; instead, they're still glancing over their shoulder, and Liverpool will tell themselves they should have taken all three points after that late onslaught.

What does this mean for the title race? Liverpool's late equaliser stops City from breaking away, but they still trail in the standings – and every dropped point now feels massive with spring football kicking in and legs getting heavy.

Click here for the live standings

Elsewhere in today's football results, Arsenal calmly handled business with a controlled 2-0 home win. Bukayo Saka opened the scoring from close range after Gabriel Jesus created havoc down the left, and Martin Ødegaard wrapped it up with a precise low drive from the edge of the box. No panic, no chaos, just ruthless efficiency from Mikel Arteta's side. Saka was a constant outlet, Ødegaard dictated tempo, and defensively William Saliba was rock solid, barely giving the opposition forwards a sniff.

In Europe, the Champions League news kept rolling: Kylian Mbappé once again made it all about him with a late winner in Paris. After missing a big chance earlier, he responded like a superstar – cutting inside from the left and rifling an unstoppable shot into the top corner. That's why every club on the planet wants him. Jude Bellingham, meanwhile, had a quieter night in Spain, more workmanlike than highlight-reel, but still key in controlling midfield in a tight 1-0 win for Real Madrid where Vinícius Júnior grabbed the only goal.

Back to England, though – because this Liverpool vs Manchester City showdown is the one that will be replayed on highlight loops for days. VAR will be the villain of the piece for the Anfield faithful. That Konaté handball call is already blowing up online, with fans posting freeze-frames arguing the defender had no time to react. City fans are just as loud in the opposite direction, pointing to consistency and earlier non-calls this season. The officials will not be logging onto X tonight, that's for sure.

From a young reporter's seat, here's the honest take: this felt like a statement night for Erling Haaland and a missed opportunity for Liverpool. Haaland showed exactly why he's the scariest striker in world football – give him half a chance and he'll give you a hat-trick. But Liverpool's refusal to fold says everything about their mentality. In my opinion, Klopp's side were the better team in the last half-hour, and if anyone deserved the winner late on, it was them.

Guardiola, though, will quietly be satisfied. In a hostile Anfield cauldron, his side got a point, his superstar number 9 delivered again, and City remain in control of their own destiny in the football league table. The margins are tiny, but tilting a crazy game like this away from defeat is exactly what champions do.

So where does that leave us? The Premier League live picture is absolutely wide open. City still lead, Liverpool cling on, Arsenal lurk, and every match day from here feels like a cup final. Add in Mbappé's fireworks in Europe and Bellingham running midfields in Spain, and you've got a global football weekend that feels like non-stop knockout football.

If you're trying to make sense of this madness – the goals, the VAR chaos, the late equalisers and the title permutations – the table tells the raw truth. The eye test says Liverpool and City are still on another level, but the numbers will show you exactly how thin the gap is at the top and how brutal the fight for Champions League places has become.

Check full stats & standings now

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