Liverpool v Man City live: Salah, De Bruyne & title race chaos

Liverpool and Man City trade blows in a wild Anfield showdown as Salah and De Bruyne light it up and the Premier League title race twists again.

Kick-off! As of today, 2026-03-07, the pitch is on fire... If you love soccer games with pure chaos and world-class talent, Anfield just served up a classic. Liverpool and Manchester City went toe-to-toe in a frantic 2-2 draw that felt like a Champions League final, not just another Premier League night. Goals, drama, missed sitters, near-meltdowns on the touchline – this one had everything.

Liverpool struck first, and of course it had to be Mohamed Salah. In the 18th minute, Darwin Núñez bullied his way down the left, whipped a low ball across the box, and Salah arrived late on the right, smashing a left-footed finish past Ederson at the near post. 1-0 Liverpool, Anfield roaring, Salah sliding toward the corner flag like he owns the place – because honestly, he kind of does.

City hit back the only way they know how – calm, cruel, precise. On 34 minutes, Kevin De Bruyne threaded an outrageous through ball between Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konaté, slicing Liverpool open. Erling Haaland took one touch to steady himself and another to roll it into the bottom corner, sending Alisson the wrong way. That's Haaland – invisible for half an hour, then suddenly on the scoresheet. Soccer news may say he's had quieter patches this season, but he's still a machine inside the box.

The second half was pure Premier League live chaos. Liverpool came flying out, pressing like mad, the Kop sucking the ball into City's half. Their pressure paid off on 56 minutes when youngster Harvey Elliott slipped a clever ball into the channel. Núñez squared it first time and Luis Díaz arrived to bury a low shot past Ederson. 2-1, limbs everywhere, Jürgen Klopp sprinting down the touchline like it was 2019 all over again.

But you never, ever count out De Bruyne. On 72 minutes, City won a free-kick 25 yards out. Everyone expected a cross. Instead, De Bruyne went for goal, whipping a vicious effort toward the top corner. Alisson got a hand to it, pushed it onto the post, and the rebound dropped straight to Phil Foden, who reacted quicker than anyone to stab it home. 2-2, and suddenly it was City fans you could hear in that small away corner.

The hot topic, though? A brutal VAR call in stoppage time. In the 93rd minute, Elliott danced into the box, collided with Rúben Dias, and Anfield screamed for a penalty. The referee pointed to the spot initially, Salah grabbed the ball, but after a long VAR check the decision was overturned for what was judged a minimal contact plus an earlier offside in the build-up. The boos were deafening, Salah stared at the screen in disbelief, and Klopp absolutely lost it on the sideline. You could feel the title race crackle with tension in that one moment.

Talking top scorers today, Salah and Haaland both found the net and both looked like exactly what they are – elite, ruthless, obsessed with goals. Salah was constantly available between the lines, drifting wide, cutting inside, dragging defenders out of position. He finished with a goal and could easily have had an assist if Núñez had taken one of his big chances. Haaland, meanwhile, didn't touch the ball much, but his movement terrorized Liverpool's back line. One chance, one goal – pure No. 9 efficiency.

De Bruyne might not have scored from open play, but he was the conductor. His assist for Haaland, his free-kick that led to Foden's equaliser, and his constant delivery of dangerous balls into the box made him feel like the puppet-master controlling everything. If we're talking man of the match, it's a hard call between Salah and De Bruyne – Salah had the bigger emotional swings, but De Bruyne quietly pulled all the strings.

On the other side, some big names struggled. For Liverpool, Trent Alexander-Arnold had a wild night: gorgeous switches of play and one delicious cross for Díaz, but also some shaky defensive moments against Foden and Jérémy Doku. For City, Rúben Dias never really looked fully comfortable with Núñez constantly running in behind, and that late penalty scare will be replayed a thousand times on social feeds tonight.

So what does it all mean for the football league table and the title race? The draw keeps the gap between these two razor-thin going into the final stretch of the season. Arsenal fans, watching from home, will feel like sneaky winners tonight as both giants dropped two points in a title-deciding kind of fixture.

With the point shared, Liverpool stay right in the mix but miss a golden chance to take control at the top. City, meanwhile, survive one of their toughest away days and will quietly be satisfied that they didn't let Anfield blow them away. One slip from either of them now, and the entire season flips.

What does this mean for the title race? The margins are tiny, the pressure is huge, and every game from here on out feels like a final. Click here for the live standings

Elsewhere in today's soccer games, there was more drama. At the Emirates, Arsenal kept their nerve with a 3-1 win over Brighton. Gabriel Jesus, Bukayo Saka and Martin Ødegaard were all on the scoresheet – Jesus poached a close-range finish, Saka buried a trademark penalty into the bottom corner, and Ødegaard curled in a beauty from the edge of the area. That result means Arsenal stay locked into the title battle, breathing down the necks of both Liverpool and City.

And don't sleep on the Champions League news side of things: this kind of intense, high-level clash is exactly the warm-up both Liverpool and City needed before their next European nights. Haaland, Salah, De Bruyne – these are the guys who decide knockout ties with one moment of brilliance. Their form today will have every Champions League defence on red alert.

From a reporter's gut feeling? This felt like the night Liverpool should have landed a knockout punch in the title race – and they didn't. In my opinion, Klopp will be fuming about the VAR call, but also quietly annoyed that his side didn't turn their storms of pressure into a third goal. City, on the other hand, played like the cold-blooded champions they are: not always pretty, sometimes on the ropes, but always alive, always ready to land that one counterblow.

If one manager deserves big praise tonight, it's Pep Guardiola. His decision to bring on Doku for Jack Grealish opened up Liverpool's right side and forced Trent to defend deeper, which shifted the game and led to City's late pressure. But I'm also saying this straight: Liverpool's front three looked more dangerous overall. If Núñez can tidy up his finishing, this attack becomes almost unstoppable.

So we leave Anfield with no winner on the scoreboard, but huge winners in the drama department. The title race is still raging, the league table is still razor-tight, and we've just watched Salah, Haaland and De Bruyne remind everyone why they're global superstars.

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.