Liverpool stun City in late thriller as Haaland fires, Salah answers – Live chaos

Liverpool edge Man City in a wild 3-2, with Salah decisive and Haaland on target. Title race shaken up – but did VAR steal the show?

Kick-off! As of today, 2026-02-25, the pitch is on fire... You wanted football results today? You got pure chaos. Liverpool 3-2 Manchester City at Anfield, a five-goal rollercoaster that blew the Premier League live title race wide open and had everyone screaming about VAR, Salah, and Haaland in one breath.

Did you see that?? From the first whistle, it felt like a Champions League night – only this was league business with massive stakes. The atmosphere, the tempo, the quality… this is why you check football results today every five minutes.

Liverpool 3-2 Manchester City – Salah the assassin, Haaland the machine

This was billed as Salah vs Haaland, Klopp vs Guardiola, and it absolutely delivered.

Manchester City drew first blood. On 18 minutes, Kevin De Bruyne sliced Liverpool open with a filthy through ball, and of course, it was Erling Haaland who finished it – one touch to set, one to lash low across Alisson into the far corner. Classic Haaland: 1-0 City, and he barely even celebrated, just that ice-cold stare to the away end.

Liverpool didn't fold. On 32 minutes, they hit back. Trent Alexander-Arnold whipped in a vicious cross, City half-cleared, and the ball dropped to Dominik Szoboszlai on the edge of the box. He smashed a half-volley through a crowd of bodies, past Ederson's outstretched hand. 1-1, Anfield absolutely exploded.

But the real drama kicked off just before half-time. In the 44th minute, City thought they had a penalty when Haaland went down under pressure from Virgil van Dijk. Ref pointed to the spot instantly, but VAR dragged him to the monitor. After a long check, the decision was overturned – minimal contact, Haaland already on his way down. City players fuming, Pep losing his mind on the touchline, and the home crowd loving every second.

Second-half carnage: Salah steps up, Foden responds

After the break, Liverpool came out swinging. On 55 minutes, Mohamed Salah took over. Alexis Mac Allister slipped him in on the right side of the box, and Salah did Salah things – fake shot, cut back inside on his left, defender on the floor, then a curling finish into the top far corner. Pure class. 2-1 Liverpool, and you could feel the belief flooding through the stands.

But City are City. On 68 minutes, Phil Foden dragged them back into it. De Bruyne again the creator, pulling wide and clipping a teasing ball towards the back post. Foden ghosted in behind Robertson and volleyed first time across goal, beating Alisson at his near post. 2-2, and suddenly it was end-to-end madness.

The late winner and VAR meltdown

The final word, though, belonged to Salah – and to VAR, for better or worse. On 87 minutes, Liverpool broke from a City corner. Darwin Núñez, just on as a sub, charged down the left, squared it across the box towards Salah. As he went to shoot, he was clipped by Rúben Dias. At first, the ref waved play on, but the ball rolled to Harvey Elliott who forced a big save from Ederson. Then came the whistle: VAR check.

After another tense look at the screen, the referee pointed to the spot. Anfield roared. City players surrounded him. Dias looked stunned. But the call stood. Up stepped Salah, 90th minute, season on the line. He went low and hard to Ederson's right, sent the keeper the wrong way. 3-2 Liverpool. Anfield in absolute meltdown, City on their knees.

From hero to hero: Salah walked off with a brace and the match ball shout, while Haaland – despite scoring – ended up on the losing side and clearly frustrated. De Bruyne was majestic in possession, Foden electric wide, but defensively City just couldn't live with Liverpool's transitions. For Liverpool, Van Dijk was a rock late on, and Núñez's wild energy completely changed the final 10 minutes.

What this does to the title race

This result flips the pressure big time. Liverpool's win shoots them to the top of the football league table, with City suddenly chasing instead of cruising. City's cushion is gone, and any slip in the next few weeks could be fatal in a race this tight. Every single point now feels like a final.

What does this mean for the title race? Click here for the live standings

Elsewhere in Europe – Champions League contenders flex

Across Europe, the Champions League news radar was buzzing. In Spain, Jude Bellingham once again delivered for Real Madrid, scoring a late header in a 2-1 win over Real Betis. Vinícius Júnior got the opener with a cool far-post finish, but it was Bellingham – arriving late into the box like he owns it – who decided it. Monster mentality, every single week.

In France, Kylian Mbappé bagged a brace as PSG hammered Lyon 4-1. He scored one from the spot after a clumsy challenge on Ousmane Dembélé and another with a trademark burst in behind and low finish. If you're hunting top scorers today, Mbappé is right up there again – he's playing like a man who wants the Golden Boot wrapped up early.

Social Media Spotlight – VAR, memes, and Salah worship

As soon as that late Liverpool penalty was given, social media went absolutely nuclear. City fans calling it soft, Liverpool fans calling it justice for the first-half non-call on Núñez. Clips, freeze-frames, slow-mo replays – it's a full-blown VAR war out there.

Reporter's take – title-defining night?

From my seat, this felt like one of those nights we'll look back on if Liverpool lift the trophy. The energy, the comebacks, the late winner – it screamed "statement win". Salah was absolutely world-class, not just with the goals but with his movement and leadership. He dragged his team up the pitch again and again.

On the flip side, you've got to question City defensively. For a side built on control, they looked shaky every time Liverpool ran at them. Guardiola will hate that. And if we're being real, Haaland needs better service late in games like this – he spent too long isolated up top once Liverpool pushed higher.

As for VAR, I'm going to say it: if you give the one on Haaland in the first half, you can't complain when the Salah one is given at the end. There was contact, there was a clear impact on the shot – it's soft, but in today's game, that's a penalty more often than not.

What's next?

Every kick now matters. One bad half and your whole season tilts. City have to respond next weekend, and Liverpool can't afford a slip against a so-called "smaller" side. And with Champions League knockouts around the corner, squad depth, rotations, and form will all collide.

If you're tracking football results today and trying to work out who's really in control, this win has tilted the entire landscape towards Anfield – at least for now.

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