Liverpool vs Man City chaos live: Anfield thriller shakes title race
05.02.2026 - 00:33:36
Kick-off! As of today, 2026-02-05, the pitch is on fire... You wanted football results today? You got absolute chaos. Anfield just delivered a Premier League live classic as Liverpool beat Manchester City 2-1 in a match that had goals, drama, and one huge VAR flashpoint that everyone is yelling about online.
From the first whistle it felt like a Champions League night, not just a league game. The tempo, the noise, the tackles – you could almost feel the cameras shaking. And in a day packed with soccer news across Europe, this was the one game you simply couldn’t take your eyes off.
But Liverpool hit back hard. In the 34th minute, Trent Alexander-Arnold whipped in a trademark diagonal that caused chaos. The ball broke kindly for Darwin Núñez, who cushioned it into the path of Luis Díaz. One shimmy, one rocket into the top corner – 1-1 and Anfield absolutely exploded. Ederson barely moved. That’s going straight into any "top scorers today" montage you’re watching later.
The winner came after the break and it’s the one everyone will be replaying. On 67 minutes, Núñez bullied Ruben Dias, spun into the box and was clipped – or was he? The referee pointed to the spot; VAR took an age looking at every angle of the contact. The decision stood, and up stepped Mohamed Salah. Ice cold. He rolled it into the bottom corner, sending Ederson the wrong way for 2-1. Salah wheeled away, arms outstretched, while City players surrounded the referee. That’s the moment turning the football league table on its head tonight.
Haaland? After his early goal, he was weirdly quiet. Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konaté kept him on a tight leash, winning most aerials and forcing him deep to get a touch. He snatched at one late half-chance, skying a bouncing ball from just inside the area. By his standards, that’s a flop in a game of this magnitude. Salah, by contrast, kept dropping into pockets, dragging City’s back line all over the place and leading counters. One was the star, one was a frustrated passenger by the final whistle.
City almost stole a point at the death. In the 93rd minute, De Bruyne swung in a wicked free-kick, Rodri rose highest and powered a header towards the corner – and Alisson Becker went full superhero, clawing it out at full stretch. The rebound bounced just behind Haaland, who couldn’t sort his feet. That was the final touch: Liverpool hanging on by a thread, City staring at the turf in disbelief.
Liverpool’s win cuts the gap at the top and piles serious pressure on Pep Guardiola’s side, who suddenly look vulnerable away from home. Every dropped point now feels like a mini-disaster, especially with midweek Champions League news heating up and fixture lists becoming brutal. For Liverpool, though, this is the kind of statement win that can define a season – especially with Salah proving he’s still the man for the biggest nights.
Valencia did bite back through a powerful strike from Hugo Duro, but Madrid took control again when Vinícius danced past two defenders and squared for Rodrygo, who tapped in the winner. Bellingham’s influence was huge even beyond the goal – dropping deep, dictating tempo, and constantly pulling defenders out of position. Definitely hero mode, not flop mode.
Over in France, Kylian Mbappé continued to treat Ligue 1 like his personal training ground. PSG cruised to a 3-0 win, with Mbappé bagging a brace – one ruthless low finish after burning his marker for pace, and one trademark curl into the far corner from the left edge of the box. He even turned provider late on, sliding a smart pass into the path of a teammate for the third. If you’re looking ahead to Champions League news and wondering who’s in form, Mbappé is screaming that answer at you every weekend.
Expect Liverpool’s official Instagram to be pure party mode – dressing-room chants, Salah grinning with the Man of the Match award, and probably Núñez laughing at his own wind-up antics. Over on YouTube, official highlight providers like Sky Sports Football and others will be pumping out 10-minute cuts of every key moment, from Haaland’s opener to Alisson’s last-gasp save.
In my view, this is the kind of win that can turn Liverpool’s season from "top-four chase" into a very real title charge. Salah stepping up in the pressure moment, Díaz scoring a stunner, Van Dijk leading like it’s 2019 again – that’s serious. On the flip side, City’s reaction after the penalty was more rage than resilience. Too much complaining, not enough composure. If Pep doesn’t reset that mentality fast, the door is wide open for someone else to steal their crown.
From the first whistle it felt like a Champions League night, not just a league game. The tempo, the noise, the tackles – you could almost feel the cameras shaking. And in a day packed with soccer news across Europe, this was the one game you simply couldn’t take your eyes off.
Liverpool 2-1 Manchester City – Salah decisive, Haaland frustrated
This was billed as Salah vs Haaland, and while neither totally dominated, Mohamed Salah still found the moment that mattered. City actually struck first: in the 18th minute, Kevin De Bruyne slipped a filthy pass between the lines, Phil Foden darted inside and squared for Erling Haaland, who took one touch and drilled low into the far corner. Classic Haaland – minimal backlift, maximum damage. City up 1-0 and the away end going wild.But Liverpool hit back hard. In the 34th minute, Trent Alexander-Arnold whipped in a trademark diagonal that caused chaos. The ball broke kindly for Darwin Núñez, who cushioned it into the path of Luis Díaz. One shimmy, one rocket into the top corner – 1-1 and Anfield absolutely exploded. Ederson barely moved. That’s going straight into any "top scorers today" montage you’re watching later.
The winner came after the break and it’s the one everyone will be replaying. On 67 minutes, Núñez bullied Ruben Dias, spun into the box and was clipped – or was he? The referee pointed to the spot; VAR took an age looking at every angle of the contact. The decision stood, and up stepped Mohamed Salah. Ice cold. He rolled it into the bottom corner, sending Ederson the wrong way for 2-1. Salah wheeled away, arms outstretched, while City players surrounded the referee. That’s the moment turning the football league table on its head tonight.
Haaland? After his early goal, he was weirdly quiet. Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konaté kept him on a tight leash, winning most aerials and forcing him deep to get a touch. He snatched at one late half-chance, skying a bouncing ball from just inside the area. By his standards, that’s a flop in a game of this magnitude. Salah, by contrast, kept dropping into pockets, dragging City’s back line all over the place and leading counters. One was the star, one was a frustrated passenger by the final whistle.
Key scenes: VAR meltdown and a last-ditch rescue
The biggest flashpoint wasn’t a goal, but that penalty. Núñez definitely felt contact from Dias, but City fans are absolutely convinced he bought it. The ref’s original decision to give the spot-kick stood after VAR couldn’t find a "clear and obvious" error, and you can imagine how that’s playing out online. The hashtag #LIVMCI is basically a live VAR courtroom right now.City almost stole a point at the death. In the 93rd minute, De Bruyne swung in a wicked free-kick, Rodri rose highest and powered a header towards the corner – and Alisson Becker went full superhero, clawing it out at full stretch. The rebound bounced just behind Haaland, who couldn’t sort his feet. That was the final touch: Liverpool hanging on by a thread, City staring at the turf in disbelief.
How this shakes up the title race
This result blows the Premier League race wide open. Before kick-off, City were edging the top of the football league table. Now Liverpool have yanked themselves right back into the thick of it, turning this into a three-way slugfest with Arsenal lurking dangerously close as well.Liverpool’s win cuts the gap at the top and piles serious pressure on Pep Guardiola’s side, who suddenly look vulnerable away from home. Every dropped point now feels like a mini-disaster, especially with midweek Champions League news heating up and fixture lists becoming brutal. For Liverpool, though, this is the kind of statement win that can define a season – especially with Salah proving he’s still the man for the biggest nights.
What does this mean for the title race? Liverpool leap, City stumble, and the margin for error just vanished. Click here for the live standings
Elsewhere in Europe: Bellingham and Mbappé keep the pressure on
While Anfield was rattling, the rest of Europe’s giants refused to stay quiet. In Spain, Jude Bellingham kept his insane scoring rhythm going as Real Madrid edged a tight 2-1 win over Valencia at the Bernabéu. Bellingham opened the scoring with a late run into the box, timing his arrival perfectly to smash home a cut-back from Vinícius Júnior. Classic box-crashing goal – this guy is basically a No. 8, No. 10, and No. 9 glued together.Valencia did bite back through a powerful strike from Hugo Duro, but Madrid took control again when Vinícius danced past two defenders and squared for Rodrygo, who tapped in the winner. Bellingham’s influence was huge even beyond the goal – dropping deep, dictating tempo, and constantly pulling defenders out of position. Definitely hero mode, not flop mode.
Over in France, Kylian Mbappé continued to treat Ligue 1 like his personal training ground. PSG cruised to a 3-0 win, with Mbappé bagging a brace – one ruthless low finish after burning his marker for pace, and one trademark curl into the far corner from the left edge of the box. He even turned provider late on, sliding a smart pass into the path of a teammate for the third. If you’re looking ahead to Champions League news and wondering who’s in form, Mbappé is screaming that answer at you every weekend.
Social Media Spotlight: VAR rage, locker room scenes, and highlight hunts
You know a match has gone nuclear when your whole feed is the same hashtag. Tonight it’s all about #LIVMCI, with everyone arguing over that Núñez penalty and whether Salah got lucky. Some fans are posting still frames insisting there’s "minimal contact", others are sharing slowed-down clips showing Dias clearly clipping his heel. Pure football internet chaos – exactly how we like it.The Internet is Exploding: 3 Social Media Highlights
X Discussion: Fans furious over that late VAR penalty call
Young reporter’s take: This felt like a season pivot
Honestly, this didn’t just feel like three points – it felt like a psychological uppercut. City looked… human. When Haaland goes missing for long spells and De Bruyne can’t completely run the show, suddenly they’re beatable. Guardiola’s changes in the second half felt a bit desperate, throwing on extra attackers but losing structure, while Liverpool stayed aggressive but controlled, especially in central midfield.In my view, this is the kind of win that can turn Liverpool’s season from "top-four chase" into a very real title charge. Salah stepping up in the pressure moment, Díaz scoring a stunner, Van Dijk leading like it’s 2019 again – that’s serious. On the flip side, City’s reaction after the penalty was more rage than resilience. Too much complaining, not enough composure. If Pep doesn’t reset that mentality fast, the door is wide open for someone else to steal their crown.
Closing whistle: Don’t blink, this race is wild
So if you were hunting for football results today, you didn’t just get scores – you got storylines. Salah vs Haaland, VAR vs everyone, Bellingham and Mbappé keeping the pressure dialled up across Europe. The top of the table is a minefield now, and every single dropped point is going to feel like a season-defining moment from here on out.Check full stats & standings now
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