Last?gasp drama! Liverpool stun City as Haaland misfires – live chaos
03.02.2026 - 16:57:45
Kick-off! As of today, 2026-02-03, the pitch is on fire... Did you catch that?? If you blinked, you probably missed another twist in one of the wildest soccer games of the season. Liverpool 3–2 Manchester City at Anfield – a Premier League live classic with late drama, huge chances, and a VAR call everyone is screaming about.
The night belonged to Liverpool's front line. Mohamed Salah opened the scoring with a trademark left-foot finish, Darwin Núñez crashed in a header, and super-sub Diogo Jota smashed home a late winner. For City, Kevin De Bruyne and Phil Foden found the net, but all eyes were on Erling Haaland – the Norwegian machine who, incredibly, walked off with zero goals and one massive miss that might haunt the title race.
14' – Salah strikes first
Liverpool broke the deadlock with a move that felt straight off the training ground. Trent Alexander-Arnold zipped a diagonal into the right channel, Núñez peeled wide and cut it back, and Mohamed Salah took one touch before firing a low left-foot shot into the far corner. Ederson saw it late, 1–0 Liverpool, and Anfield exploded.
Salah was dialed in from the start – constantly drifting inside, dragging City's back line around, and linking with Núñez. You could feel that every time he got the ball around the box, City fans held their breath.
31' – De Bruyne answers
City, though, don't go away quietly. After a flurry of half-chances, their equaliser came from – who else – Kevin De Bruyne. Bernardo Silva slipped him a pass between the lines, De Bruyne stepped onto his right foot just outside the box and whipped a trademark curler into the top-left corner. Alisson got a glove, but not enough. 1–1 and suddenly the whole tempo lifted again.
De Bruyne was City's conductor all game: dropping deep, dictating tempo, threading passes for Haaland. But the big Norwegian just couldn't finish the story.
43' – Núñez bullies his way to 2–1
Right before halftime, Liverpool retook the lead from a set piece. Andrew Robertson delivered a vicious outswinging corner and Darwin Núñez rose above Rúben Dias and Akanji, powering a header into the near top corner. Pure center-forward hunger. 2–1 Liverpool, Anfield roaring, Klopp fist-pumping the crowd like a man possessed.
Núñez was chaos personified: constant runs in behind, relentless pressing, and a few heavy touches – classic Núñez – but he absolutely bullied City's centre-backs on that goal. Huge shift from him.
62' – Foden levels it, Haaland still stuck
Second half, City turned the screw. They pinned Liverpool back and finally broke through when Haaland, for once, did get involved in a positive way – but not on the scoresheet. De Bruyne slid a ball into Haaland's feet, he held off Van Dijk and laid it off to Phil Foden on the edge of the area. Foden opened his body and bent a gorgeous left-foot shot into the far corner. 2–2, game back on a knife edge.
Even then, Haaland looked weirdly off. Heavy first touches, a header over from six yards, and that one massive moment:
74' – Haaland's horror miss
The chance. The one everyone is replaying. Foden skinned his man down the right and drilled a low cross. Alisson was beaten, Van Dijk was beaten – and Haaland, sliding in at the back post, somehow lifted it over the bar from literally two yards out. The cameras caught Guardiola dropping to his knees. Anfield roared like Liverpool had scored.
For a guy who eats tap-ins for breakfast, this was shocking. On a night when the top scorers today were supposed to make statements, Haaland flopped hard while Salah and Núñez wrote their names all over the match report.
88' – Jota's late winner and VAR meltdown
You knew there had to be a twist. With City pushing for a winner, Liverpool hit on the break. Curtis Jones carried the ball through midfield and slipped in Diogo Jota on the left. Jota cut inside Dias and fired low to the near post. Ederson got something on it, but not enough – 3–2 Liverpool, limbs everywhere.
Then came the VAR storm. City screamed for a foul in the build-up, claiming Núñez clipped Rodri when contesting a high ball. The referee waved play on, VAR checked for a "clear and obvious" foul, and after a long review, the goal stood. On social media, that decision has already become the defining hot topic of the night – half the internet saying "play on, it's contact sport", the other half calling it daylight robbery.
This is where you really feel the mood: Liverpool fans spamming "mentality monsters" memes, City fans posting freeze-frames of the alleged foul on Rodri, and neutrals just enjoying top-tier chaos from the comfort of their couch.
On the other side, Haaland looked... human. And City without a ruthless Haaland suddenly feel far less terrifying. You can see the frustration on Guardiola's face – the system works, the chances come, but if your number nine isn't burying them in these soccer games, the title can slip away fast.
Tactically, Klopp got it just about right: aggressive early press, then a more compact block as legs tired, plus brave substitutions to chase the win instead of settling for a draw. Pep's changes injected control, but the risk of pushing so high bit him late on with that Jota counter. If City do miss out on the Premier League by a point or two, this game is going to be the one replayed all summer.
Want to see exactly how brutal the numbers look after this? Who's climbing, who's collapsing, and who might sneak into those Champions League spots while everyone else panics?
The night belonged to Liverpool's front line. Mohamed Salah opened the scoring with a trademark left-foot finish, Darwin Núñez crashed in a header, and super-sub Diogo Jota smashed home a late winner. For City, Kevin De Bruyne and Phil Foden found the net, but all eyes were on Erling Haaland – the Norwegian machine who, incredibly, walked off with zero goals and one massive miss that might haunt the title race.
Match Analysis – Liverpool vs Manchester City: chaos, goals, controversy
This one had everything: elite finishing, tactical tweaks, and pure Premier League chaos. From the first whistle, both sides pressed high and flew into duels like the season depended on it – because it kind of does.14' – Salah strikes first
Liverpool broke the deadlock with a move that felt straight off the training ground. Trent Alexander-Arnold zipped a diagonal into the right channel, Núñez peeled wide and cut it back, and Mohamed Salah took one touch before firing a low left-foot shot into the far corner. Ederson saw it late, 1–0 Liverpool, and Anfield exploded.
Salah was dialed in from the start – constantly drifting inside, dragging City's back line around, and linking with Núñez. You could feel that every time he got the ball around the box, City fans held their breath.
31' – De Bruyne answers
City, though, don't go away quietly. After a flurry of half-chances, their equaliser came from – who else – Kevin De Bruyne. Bernardo Silva slipped him a pass between the lines, De Bruyne stepped onto his right foot just outside the box and whipped a trademark curler into the top-left corner. Alisson got a glove, but not enough. 1–1 and suddenly the whole tempo lifted again.
De Bruyne was City's conductor all game: dropping deep, dictating tempo, threading passes for Haaland. But the big Norwegian just couldn't finish the story.
43' – Núñez bullies his way to 2–1
Right before halftime, Liverpool retook the lead from a set piece. Andrew Robertson delivered a vicious outswinging corner and Darwin Núñez rose above Rúben Dias and Akanji, powering a header into the near top corner. Pure center-forward hunger. 2–1 Liverpool, Anfield roaring, Klopp fist-pumping the crowd like a man possessed.
Núñez was chaos personified: constant runs in behind, relentless pressing, and a few heavy touches – classic Núñez – but he absolutely bullied City's centre-backs on that goal. Huge shift from him.
62' – Foden levels it, Haaland still stuck
Second half, City turned the screw. They pinned Liverpool back and finally broke through when Haaland, for once, did get involved in a positive way – but not on the scoresheet. De Bruyne slid a ball into Haaland's feet, he held off Van Dijk and laid it off to Phil Foden on the edge of the area. Foden opened his body and bent a gorgeous left-foot shot into the far corner. 2–2, game back on a knife edge.
Even then, Haaland looked weirdly off. Heavy first touches, a header over from six yards, and that one massive moment:
74' – Haaland's horror miss
The chance. The one everyone is replaying. Foden skinned his man down the right and drilled a low cross. Alisson was beaten, Van Dijk was beaten – and Haaland, sliding in at the back post, somehow lifted it over the bar from literally two yards out. The cameras caught Guardiola dropping to his knees. Anfield roared like Liverpool had scored.
For a guy who eats tap-ins for breakfast, this was shocking. On a night when the top scorers today were supposed to make statements, Haaland flopped hard while Salah and Núñez wrote their names all over the match report.
88' – Jota's late winner and VAR meltdown
You knew there had to be a twist. With City pushing for a winner, Liverpool hit on the break. Curtis Jones carried the ball through midfield and slipped in Diogo Jota on the left. Jota cut inside Dias and fired low to the near post. Ederson got something on it, but not enough – 3–2 Liverpool, limbs everywhere.
Then came the VAR storm. City screamed for a foul in the build-up, claiming Núñez clipped Rodri when contesting a high ball. The referee waved play on, VAR checked for a "clear and obvious" foul, and after a long review, the goal stood. On social media, that decision has already become the defining hot topic of the night – half the internet saying "play on, it's contact sport", the other half calling it daylight robbery.
Title race shockwave – the league table just tilted
This feels like one of those nights we might look back on in May. Liverpool's win swings momentum in the football league table, piling pressure on City and giving Arsenal (and maybe a lurking outsider) serious hope. The gap at the top shrinks, goal difference tightens, and every single point from here looks massive.What does this mean for the title race? Click here for the live standings
Check how many points separate the top three now, how City's slip changes the Champions League spots picture, and who's quietly sneaking into European contention. The table tells a brutal truth: you can't miss sitters like Haaland did tonight without paying for it somewhere down the line.Social Media Spotlight – fans are losing it
Everyone is jumping online to vent, scream, and meme this game into eternity. The official hashtag #LIVMCI is trending, and your feed is probably 50% VAR screenshots, 30% Salah appreciation, and 20% people looping Haaland's miss on repeat.The Internet is Exploding: 3 Social Media Highlights
X Discussion: Fans furious over the late VAR call on Jota's winner
My take – Salah clutch, Haaland human, pressure on Pep
In my opinion, this was one of those statement nights from Liverpool – not just because they won, but because of how their stars delivered. Salah was clutch, again. He scores in big moments like it's the most normal thing in the world. Núñez, for all his chaos, decided a massive game with his movement and aerial power. Jota coming off the bench to grab the winner? That's elite squad depth paying off.On the other side, Haaland looked... human. And City without a ruthless Haaland suddenly feel far less terrifying. You can see the frustration on Guardiola's face – the system works, the chances come, but if your number nine isn't burying them in these soccer games, the title can slip away fast.
Tactically, Klopp got it just about right: aggressive early press, then a more compact block as legs tired, plus brave substitutions to chase the win instead of settling for a draw. Pep's changes injected control, but the risk of pushing so high bit him late on with that Jota counter. If City do miss out on the Premier League by a point or two, this game is going to be the one replayed all summer.
Closing whistle – this title race is alive
So yeah, if tonight is a preview of the run-in, buckle up. The top of the league is tight, the top scorers chart is wild, and every round of fixtures now feels like a cup final. Salah and Liverpool sent a message. City and Haaland have to answer, fast.Want to see exactly how brutal the numbers look after this? Who's climbing, who's collapsing, and who might sneak into those Champions League spots while everyone else panics?
Check full stats & standings now
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