Last?gasp drama! Liverpool vs Man City goes wild as Haaland fires – Live reaction
09.02.2026 - 15:11:50
Kick-off! As of today, 2026-02-09, the pitch is on fire... You wanted crazy soccer games, you got absolute chaos at Anfield. Liverpool 3–2 Manchester City, one of those nights where every attack felt like a title punch, every tackle like a season on the line.
This wasn’t just another Premier League live fixture – this was heavyweight stuff. Erling Haaland scored (obviously), Mohamed Salah turned into a menace, Luis Díaz ran at defenders like they owed him money, and the title race just did a full somersault.
But Liverpool reacted like a team that’s sick of hearing about City dominance. Trent Alexander-Arnold started drifting inside, Salah dropped into pockets, and suddenly City were chasing shadows. In the 32nd minute, Trent pinged a diagonal to Andy Robertson, who cushioned it beautifully into the box. Luis Díaz cut inside, sent Rúben Dias sliding past him, and curled a right-foot rocket into the far corner. Goal: Luis Díaz (32') – 1–1 and Anfield exploded.
Right before the break, the place really went nuclear. Curtis Jones nicked the ball high, Salah combined with Dominik Szoboszlai in a razor-sharp one-two, and Salah did what Salah does: quick touch, body feint, left-foot finish across the keeper. Goal: Mohamed Salah (44') – 2–1 Liverpool, and City walked down the tunnel looking rattled for the first time in a long time.
Then came the moment everyone is screaming about online. In the 71st minute, Díaz went down in the box after a tangle with Kyle Walker. Initially, the ref waved play on, but VAR called him over. The replay showed Walker clipping Díaz’s ankle after missing the ball – soft but there. After a long, tense delay, the ref pointed to the spot. Absolute meltdown on the City bench.
Salah vs Ederson, stadium holding its breath. Salah went high and hard to the keeper’s right – unsaveable. Goal: Mohamed Salah (73' pen) – 3–2 Liverpool. City pushed, Haaland had a half-chance blocked, Foden dragged one just wide, but Liverpool held like their season depended on it. Final whistle: 3–2, a gigantic statement in the football league table and maybe the night the title race flipped.
Mohamed Salah though? Different level. Two goals, constant threat, dropping deep to link play, spinning in behind, and absolutely ice-cold from the spot with the whole country watching. In games like this, superstars have to show up, and Salah straight-up delivered. This is the kind of Champions League news energy you want from your talisman heading into Europe.
Kevin De Bruyne created chances all game, including the assist for Haaland and the corner that led to Dias’s goal, but he faded in the last 15 as Liverpool’s midfield got more aggressive and compact. For City, that drop-off told the whole story – when KDB stops dictating, their control just vanishes.
For Liverpool, Trent Alexander-Arnold deserves a shout too. Inverted full-back, deep playmaker, extra midfielder – he did all the jobs at once. That first big switch to Robertson for Díaz’s goal completely changed the rhythm of the match.
Scroll that hashtag and it’s wall-to-wall replays, freeze-frames, and fans doing full forensic analysis on Walker’s boot angle. At the same time, Liverpool’s official Instagram is all smiles, hugs, and that wild locker room energy – phones out, music blasting, Salah and Díaz soaking up the love.
On YouTube, every highlight provider from official Premier League clips to Sky Sports Football-style channels is pumping out content – the Haaland finish, the Díaz curler, the penalty, the final whistle scenes. If you missed it live, you can catch every second and decide for yourself if the ref and VAR got it right.
For City, there are some hard questions. Defensively, they looked more fragile than we’re used to, especially in transition. Walker’s mistake for the penalty, Dias getting spun by Díaz earlier – that’s not the machine-like City we’ve been seeing. Haaland will keep scoring, but if the back line keeps inviting chaos, the door is wide open for rivals in both the league and the Champions League.
In my opinion, Guardiola has to tighten that defensive structure fast. You can’t rely on outscoring everyone forever when the margins at the top are this thin. Meanwhile, Liverpool’s manager will be sleeping very happily – he got his big names showing up in the biggest moment, and the crowd is going to ride that high for weeks.
If you want to see exactly where your team stands after this rollercoaster at Anfield, dive into the live table and start doing the math on fixtures left and possible points.
This wasn’t just another Premier League live fixture – this was heavyweight stuff. Erling Haaland scored (obviously), Mohamed Salah turned into a menace, Luis Díaz ran at defenders like they owed him money, and the title race just did a full somersault.
Liverpool 3–2 Man City – Pure madness under the lights
From the first whistle, you could feel it: no one came to play for a draw. The opening goal? Brutal and inevitable. In the 18th minute, Kevin De Bruyne slid one of those disgusting through-balls between the lines, Haaland bullied his marker, shrugged off a challenge and smashed a low left-foot finish into the bottom corner. Goal: Erling Haaland (18') – 1–0 City and Anfield went dead silent for half a second.But Liverpool reacted like a team that’s sick of hearing about City dominance. Trent Alexander-Arnold started drifting inside, Salah dropped into pockets, and suddenly City were chasing shadows. In the 32nd minute, Trent pinged a diagonal to Andy Robertson, who cushioned it beautifully into the box. Luis Díaz cut inside, sent Rúben Dias sliding past him, and curled a right-foot rocket into the far corner. Goal: Luis Díaz (32') – 1–1 and Anfield exploded.
Right before the break, the place really went nuclear. Curtis Jones nicked the ball high, Salah combined with Dominik Szoboszlai in a razor-sharp one-two, and Salah did what Salah does: quick touch, body feint, left-foot finish across the keeper. Goal: Mohamed Salah (44') – 2–1 Liverpool, and City walked down the tunnel looking rattled for the first time in a long time.
Second-half swing: City fight back, controversy hits
Pep Guardiola’s reaction was instant: Phil Foden pushed higher, Bernardo Silva started popping up everywhere, and City came flying out. In the 57th minute, De Bruyne swung in a vicious corner, and Rúben Dias bullied his marker to power home a header. Goal: Rúben Dias (57') – 2–2, game reset, and suddenly it felt like City might strangle the life out of it like they usually do.Then came the moment everyone is screaming about online. In the 71st minute, Díaz went down in the box after a tangle with Kyle Walker. Initially, the ref waved play on, but VAR called him over. The replay showed Walker clipping Díaz’s ankle after missing the ball – soft but there. After a long, tense delay, the ref pointed to the spot. Absolute meltdown on the City bench.
Salah vs Ederson, stadium holding its breath. Salah went high and hard to the keeper’s right – unsaveable. Goal: Mohamed Salah (73' pen) – 3–2 Liverpool. City pushed, Haaland had a half-chance blocked, Foden dragged one just wide, but Liverpool held like their season depended on it. Final whistle: 3–2, a gigantic statement in the football league table and maybe the night the title race flipped.
Stars under the spotlight: Heroes and flops
Erling Haaland was pure menace in front of goal – that finish for 1–0 was trademark Haaland. But credit to Liverpool’s back line: after the break, Ibrahima Konaté and Virgil van Dijk tightened up and stopped him from getting those easy tap-ins he usually lives on. He scores, but tonight he doesn’t walk off smiling.Mohamed Salah though? Different level. Two goals, constant threat, dropping deep to link play, spinning in behind, and absolutely ice-cold from the spot with the whole country watching. In games like this, superstars have to show up, and Salah straight-up delivered. This is the kind of Champions League news energy you want from your talisman heading into Europe.
Kevin De Bruyne created chances all game, including the assist for Haaland and the corner that led to Dias’s goal, but he faded in the last 15 as Liverpool’s midfield got more aggressive and compact. For City, that drop-off told the whole story – when KDB stops dictating, their control just vanishes.
For Liverpool, Trent Alexander-Arnold deserves a shout too. Inverted full-back, deep playmaker, extra midfielder – he did all the jobs at once. That first big switch to Robertson for Díaz’s goal completely changed the rhythm of the match.
What this does to the table – title race on tilt
This win blows the top of the Premier League wide open. City, who were starting to look untouchable again, suddenly feel mortal, and Liverpool’s momentum just went through the roof. The top of the football league table is now a proper street fight – gaps shrinking, pressure rising, and every dropped point from here on out is going to feel like a disaster.What does this mean for the title race? Click here for the live standings
Check that link and you’ll literally see how big this 3–2 really is – goal difference, games in hand, everything suddenly matters more.Social Media Spotlight – the web has lost its mind
Everyone online is locked in on one thing: that VAR penalty on Kyle Walker. Was it soft? Was it clear and obvious? Should it ever decide a match this huge? Timelines are melting down over it right now.The Internet is Exploding: 3 Social Media Highlights
X Discussion: Fans raging and debating the late VAR penalty that decided it
On YouTube, every highlight provider from official Premier League clips to Sky Sports Football-style channels is pumping out content – the Haaland finish, the Díaz curler, the penalty, the final whistle scenes. If you missed it live, you can catch every second and decide for yourself if the ref and VAR got it right.
Reporter’s take – season-defining, no exaggeration
Look, I’m saying it straight: this felt like a season-defining result. For Liverpool, this is the kind of win that transforms belief from "maybe" into "why not us?". The intensity, the bravery on the ball, the way the front three kept going at City – that’s title-winning attitude. Salah was world-class, Díaz was electric, and the crowd fed off every tackle and every breakaway.For City, there are some hard questions. Defensively, they looked more fragile than we’re used to, especially in transition. Walker’s mistake for the penalty, Dias getting spun by Díaz earlier – that’s not the machine-like City we’ve been seeing. Haaland will keep scoring, but if the back line keeps inviting chaos, the door is wide open for rivals in both the league and the Champions League.
In my opinion, Guardiola has to tighten that defensive structure fast. You can’t rely on outscoring everyone forever when the margins at the top are this thin. Meanwhile, Liverpool’s manager will be sleeping very happily – he got his big names showing up in the biggest moment, and the crowd is going to ride that high for weeks.
Closing whistle – title race officially unhinged
So yeah, if you’re into soccer news, today is one of those days you bookmark. Haaland scored, Salah stole the spotlight, VAR lit the fuse, and the Premier League title race is now pure box-office. Every game from here on out is going to feel like a final, and the table is going to swing hard with every shock result and last-minute winner.If you want to see exactly where your team stands after this rollercoaster at Anfield, dive into the live table and start doing the math on fixtures left and possible points.
Check full stats & standings now
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