Last?gasp drama! Liverpool edge Man City as Haaland misfires – Live reaction
22.02.2026 - 22:21:52 | ad-hoc-news.de
Liverpool 2–1 Manchester City: Salah and Núñez turn Anfield into a madhouse
This one felt like a Champions League news knockout tie crammed into 90 minutes. City actually struck first: in the 18th minute, Kevin De Bruyne slipped a filthy reverse pass into the box, Phil Foden cut inside, and Julián Álvarez smashed home the opener from 10 yards. Goal City, 0–1, and Anfield went quiet – for about five seconds.
Liverpool roared back. In the 32nd minute, Trent Alexander-Arnold arced a trademark diagonal into the area, Darwin Núñez bullied Rúben Dias in the air, cushioned the header down, and Mohamed Salah pounced. One touch, then a laser into the bottom corner. Goal Liverpool – Mohamed Salah (32'), 1–1 and suddenly the Kop remembered exactly how loud it can get.
The second half turned into chaos. Haaland had two huge chances: on 53 minutes he broke in behind Virgil van Dijk, rounded Alisson, but from a tight angle dragged his left-foot shot across goal and wide. Then on 67 minutes, De Bruyne whipped in a corner and Haaland rose above everyone, only to thump a header straight at Alisson. The Norwegian machine was working, but the finish just wasn't there. By his absurd standards, that's a flop of an evening.
And then came the moment everyone's arguing about. On 82 minutes, Núñez burst into the box, tangling with Joško Gvardiol. He went down, Anfield screamed, the ref waved play on… and then VAR got involved. After a long, tense check, the decision: no penalty. Social media detonated instantly – half the world yelling soft pen, the other half saying clear foul. The replay showed a tiny clip of the heel but Núñez definitely made the most of it.
Did Liverpool crumble? Not a chance. In the 89th minute, Curtis Jones pressed high, nicked the ball off Rodri, and fed Salah on the right channel. Salah shaped to shoot, instead slipped a cute reverse ball into Núñez, who had peeled off Dias. First touch set, second touch finish – low into the far corner. Goal Liverpool – Darwin Núñez (89'). Anfield absolutely lost its mind. City barely had time to respond and Liverpool closed it out with some brutal, old-school defending.
Famous names report card: Salah was pure clutch – a goal, an assist, and constant chaos between the lines. Núñez was a wild rollercoaster but ended as the hero with a goal and an assist. De Bruyne pulled strings all night but ran out of magic at the end. Haaland? He worked hard, linked play a bit, but front-page story is simple: he didn't show up when it mattered in front of goal.
Arsenal 3–0 Newcastle: Saka on fire as Gunners make a statement
While everyone fixated on Anfield, Arsenal quietly put on a clinic at the Emirates. If we're talking top scorers today, Bukayo Saka absolutely belongs in that conversation after a ruthless display against Newcastle.
The opening goal came on 21 minutes: Martin Ødegaard slipped a clever ball into the right half-space, Ben White overlapped and cut it back, and Gabriel Jesus spun sharply to finish low from eight yards. Goal Arsenal – Gabriel Jesus (21'), and you could almost feel Newcastle sag.
Then Saka took over. On 49 minutes, he isolated Dan Burn one-on-one, chopped inside onto his left, and curled a gorgeous shot into the far top corner. Goal Arsenal – Bukayo Saka (49'), pure highlight-reel stuff. He wasn't done: in the 70th minute, a fast break saw Leandro Trossard feed Saka again on the right; this time he drove across the box and finished low with his weaker right foot. Goal Arsenal – Bukayo Saka (70'), 3–0 and game over.
Ødegaard was in full puppet-master mode, decluttering midfield with first-time passes. Jesus put in a monster shift pressing from the front. On the other side, Bruno Guimarães never really got going and Alexander Isak was starved of service. It was one-way traffic, and the football league table just got a serious nudge in red-and-white.
How the table looks right now
So what does all this do to the Premier League picture? Liverpool’s win over City drags them back into the thick of the title fight, while City suddenly look a touch mortal. Arsenal’s comfortable victory keeps them breathing down Liverpool’s neck, and the gap between the top three is razor thin.
City lose crucial ground, Liverpool reclaim momentum, Arsenal keep stacking goals and confidence – and every point now feels like a mini-final. The race for Europe is just as crazy, with Newcastle slipping further away from the Champions League spots after that Emirates nightmare.
What does this mean for the title race? Click here for the live standings
Champions League shadows over the league
Don't forget, this all sits under the cloud of upcoming Champions League news. City and Arsenal both have massive midweek fixtures ahead. Pep Guardiola might secretly be more worried about Haaland’s mini-drought than he'll ever admit in a press conference. If he's not in rhythm when the Champions League knockout rounds bite, City’s whole season plan starts to wobble.
Arsenal, by contrast, look like they're timing their run perfectly – Saka in top gear, Ødegaard bossing it, and a defence that didn't give Newcastle a sniff. If you're looking for dark horses in Europe, you're staring right at them.
The Internet is Exploding: 3 Social Media Highlights
X Discussion: Fans losing it over the late Núñez winner and that VAR non-penalty call
Reporter's take: This title race is officially unhinged
Here's my honest call: City blinked first. For once, they didn't have that cold, inevitable finishing touch up front, and Liverpool punished them like only Anfield can. In my opinion, Pep left it too long before changing things up – Haaland clearly wasn't feeling it, and bringing on fresh legs earlier might have flipped the script.
On the flip side, Jürgen Klopp (or his successor if you're reading this in a new era) absolutely nailed the energy and aggression. Liverpool hunted in packs, forced mistakes, and trusted Núñez to keep swinging until he landed the knockout punch. That kind of faith in a chaotic striker is risky, but tonight it looked world-class.
Arsenal? They're the quietly terrifying ones. No drama, no circus – just clean, efficient domination. If they keep this level while the others burn emotional fuel in crazy soccer games like Liverpool v City, the Gunners might just sneak through the back door and grab the trophy.
One more whistle before we go
The Premier League live story right now is simple: Liverpool are alive, City are wobbling, Arsenal are stalking, and every fixture from here feels like a final. Haaland will come back – he always does – but tonight belongs to Salah, Núñez and Saka.
Want to see exactly how those points reshaped the landscape? Don't just trust the vibes – check the hard numbers.
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.
Hol dir den Wissensvorsprung der Profis.
Seit 2005 liefert der Börsenbrief trading-notes verlässliche Trading-Empfehlungen – dreimal die Woche, direkt in dein Postfach. 100% kostenlos. 100% Expertenwissen. Trage einfach deine E-Mail Adresse ein und verpasse ab heute keine Top-Chance mehr.
Jetzt abonnieren.
