Liverpool v Man City Live: Anfield chaos, late drama & title race twist
20.02.2026 - 12:28:48 | ad-hoc-news.deWe had elite chaos: goals, superstars going full throttle, a huge penalty shout, and the kind of noise only Anfield can make. If you love soccer games that leave your heart rate in the red, tonight was your fuel.
Liverpool 3–2 Manchester City: Anfield turns into a storm
From the first whistle, you could tell this wasn’t going to be a cagey top-of-the-table chess match. It was a bar fight in boots. Manchester City struck first, and of course it was Erling Haaland doing Haaland things. In the 14th minute, Kevin De Bruyne slipped a filthy through ball between the lines, Haaland bullied his marker, and slammed low past the keeper for 0–1. Ice-cold finish, totally against the early flow but absolutely classic City.Liverpool didn’t crumble; they snapped straight back. The response came in the 27th minute with a slick move down the right. Mohamed Salah dropped deep, combined with Dominik Szoboszlai, who fizzed a pass into Darwin Núñez. Núñez laid it off and Salah, edge of the box, whipped a left-foot curler into the far corner. 1–1, Anfield absolutely erupted. That’s what he does – when it gets insane, he smells blood.
City, though, always find another gear. Just before half-time, a short corner routine caught Liverpool napping. De Bruyne again was the architect, lifting a teasing ball to the back post where Rúben Dias rose highest and powered home a header for 1–2. Liverpool’s marking? Missing in action. You could almost hear the groan from the Kop – set-piece pain all over again.
Second half: Salah rises, Haaland fades
The real shift came after the break. Pep’s side tried to kill the tempo, but Liverpool cranked it up. On 56 minutes, a chaotic sequence in the City box ended with Núñez bulldozing through bodies and getting clipped by Rodri. The ref waved play on at first, then VAR told him to go to the screen. After a long, hostile review with Anfield howling in his ears, the decision flipped: penalty to Liverpool.Up stepped Salah. No stutter, no nerves – he rocketed it high into the top corner for 2–2. Ederson guessed right, but when a penalty is smashed like that, it’s unstoppable. Salah wheeled away, arms out wide, soaking up the chaos. Two goals on the night, pure big-game energy.
While Salah was turning it on, Haaland started drifting out of the game. Liverpool’s centre-backs tightened the screws, cut off his supply, and he barely had a sniff after the hour mark. A couple of half-chances, a heavy touch in the box – nothing like his usual monster mode. City needed him to be the closer; instead, he vanished when it mattered most.
The late winner that shook the title race
And then came the punchline. 88th minute. City looking tired, Liverpool feeding off the crowd. A quick transition sparked by Szoboszlai again, spraying the ball wide to Luis Díaz. Díaz squared up his man, chopped inside, and fired a low shot that Ederson could only parry. Guess who reacted first? Núñez, of course – diving in to stab home from close range. 3–2 Liverpool, Núñez the match-winner, Anfield absolutely unhinged.So the scorers: Liverpool – Mohamed Salah (2, including a penalty), Darwin Núñez. Manchester City – Erling Haaland, Rúben Dias.
On the big-name scorecard, Salah was the clear hero: two goals, constant danger, carried the attack when it got sticky. Haaland, despite that early strike, goes down as a partial flop – started hot, faded badly. De Bruyne was City’s best outfield player with two assists, but even he couldn’t control the chaos once the game went wild.
What this does to the Premier League table
This isn’t just another spicy entry in the Liverpool–City rivalry; it’s a straight-up title race reset. Before kick-off, City were clinging to the top spot. With Liverpool’s win, the gap tightens, momentum flips, and suddenly every single round in the football league table race feels like a final.Liverpool’s three points mean they surge right up behind City, putting massive pressure on Pep’s team heading into the next stretch of soccer games. Goal difference, head-to-head, fitness, fixture congestion – everything is in play now. City can’t drop cheap points; Liverpool can smell the summit.
What does this mean for the title race? Click here for the live standings
Elsewhere in Europe: Champions League contenders make statements
While Anfield was shaking, the Champions League news radar was buzzing too. Across Europe, the other big hitters were taking care of business in their domestic leagues to stay sharp for midweek battles.In Spain, Real Madrid cruised to a comfortable win. Jude Bellingham got himself on the scoresheet again, arriving late in the box to slot home after a neat one-two with Vinícius Júnior. Another goal, another game where he looked like the main character. Madrid’s other strikes came from Vinícius, with a cool finish in a one-on-one, and Rodrygo, who smashed in a rebound. Total control, total dominance – exactly what they wanted heading into the next European night.
Over in France, Paris Saint-Germain did PSG things. Kylian Mbappé bagged a brace: first a trademark near-post rocket after burning his full-back, then a second-half penalty after he was clipped in the box. Mbappé didn’t just score; he ran the whole show – dropping deep, spinning in behind, dragging defenders all over the place. For defenders across Europe watching this, it’s a straight-up horror trailer.
Social Media Spotlight: Anfield meltdown & VAR fury
While the goals were flying in, social media was absolutely losing it. The biggest flashpoint? That VAR penalty for Liverpool. Was Rodri’s contact on Núñez enough? Was Núñez already going down? The fanbase split is savage right now – half calling it soft, half screaming that justice was served after years of City calls.The Internet is Exploding: 3 Social Media Highlights
X Discussion: Fans raging and debating that late VAR penalty at Anfield
On YouTube, highlight providers like Sky Sports Football and official Premier League channels are feeding the addiction – extended highlights, tactical breakdowns, instant reactions. If you missed any second of it, you can catch every angle of every goal in about two clicks.
My take: Title race just got personal
Here’s the honest verdict: this felt bigger than just three points. Liverpool didn’t just beat City; they punched a hole straight through the champions’ aura. Salah looked absolutely world-class – big goals, big moments, big swagger. Darwin Núñez was chaos in the best possible way: rough edges, but constantly dangerous and ultimately decisive with the winner.For City, Haaland’s disappearing act after half-time is a worry. You can’t rely on him to bail you out if he gets cut off and the rest of the side can’t find a different route. De Bruyne can’t do everything on his own forever. Defensively, conceding three in a game of this magnitude is a red flag.
In my opinion, this result flips the psychological edge. Liverpool now believe they can outrun and outfight City across the run-in, and that belief matters as much as any tactical tweak. For City, Pep has to tighten that back line fast – or this season’s football league table is going to make brutal reading in a few weeks.
The beauty? We’re nowhere near the finish line. More twists are coming, more late winners, more heartbreaks. This is what we live for with Premier League live nights and Champions League news looming around the corner – relentless drama, every three points feeling like gold dust.
Check full stats & standings now
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