Liverpool vs Man City chaos live: Anfield thriller shakes title race
23.02.2026 - 19:00:30 | ad-hoc-news.de
Kick-off! As of today, 2026-02-23, the pitch is on fire... If you were searching for football results today and decided to skip Liverpool vs Manchester City at Anfield, you honestly picked the wrong day to be offline. This was pure chaos: goals, controversy, superstar drama – all of it crammed into 90 sizzling minutes in the Premier League live spotlight.
From the first whistle, it felt like a Champions League night disguised as a league fixture. The tempo, the noise, the nerves – everything screamed 'title decider'. And yes, the big names absolutely turned up: Mohamed Salah for Liverpool and Erling Haaland for City both slapped their names all over the match report.
For a moment, Anfield went quiet. Haaland wheeled away to the corner, arms wide, soaking in the boos and the flashlights. That's him doing exactly what he does – and the football league table suddenly felt a lot more sky blue than red.
But Liverpool refused to fold. Driven by the Kop, they pressed higher, faster, nastier. Darwin Núñez crashed a header just over, then Luis Díaz forced Ederson into a sharp near-post save. You could smell the equaliser in the air long before it arrived.
In the 35th minute, Liverpool finally broke through. Trent Alexander-Arnold whipped in a wicked cross, Núñez nodded it back across goal, and who else but Mohamed Salah pounced. One touch to kill it, second touch rifled into the roof of the net. Goal: Mohamed Salah (35'). Anfield exploded, flares in the stands, the famous Salah knee-slide back towards the cameras – football results today don't get much bigger than Salah vs Haaland trading blows in a title race.
Then came the moment everyone is talking about tonight – the VAR storm. Just after the hour mark, Liverpool thought they'd turned the match on its head. Núñez darted into the box, collided with Rúben Dias, and the referee instantly pointed to the spot. Anfield roared; City players went ballistic.
VAR check. Slow-motion replays. Every angle under the microscope. Did Dias get a touch on the ball? Was it shoulder-to-shoulder or a clip of the ankle? After what felt like forever, the decision came: penalty overturned. No foul. City fans online: delighted. Liverpool fans: absolutely furious. That single call has instantly become the hot topic across all of soccer news, with timelines spamming replays and freeze-frames like it's a courtroom case.
And because football loves a punchline, City went straight up the other end and scored. In the 69th minute, a quick break saw Phil Foden combine with Bernardo Silva, the ball squared to Erling Haaland on the edge of the box. One touch to set, one devastating strike into the bottom corner. Goal: Erling Haaland (69') – his second of the night, and a hammer blow to Liverpool's momentum.
The equaliser finally came in the 84th minute, and again it was that man Salah. After a slick move down the left, Díaz clipped a cross towards the far post. City half-cleared it, the ball fell kindly, and Salah smashed a bouncing shot through a crowd of bodies. Goal: Mohamed Salah (84'). Anfield lost its mind – flares, limbs, pure chaos. Salah stood in front of the Kop, arms raised, soaking up the noise like a king.
The final minutes were ridiculously tense. Haaland almost completed his hat-trick with a towering header that flew inches over, while at the other end, substitute Cody Gakpo saw a close-range effort blocked by John Stones throwing his body on the line.
In the end, it finished Liverpool 2–2 Manchester City. Goals from Mohamed Salah (35', 84') for Liverpool and Erling Haaland (18', 69') for City. Two megastars, two goals each, one absolutely bonkers game of football.
In terms of the football league table, Liverpool miss a chance to pull clear, while City avoid the nightmare of defeat at Anfield. The margins are tiny, and the run-in is going to be downright vicious.
Erling Haaland was just as deadly. Two goals, ice-cold finishing, and that ever-present threat in behind. Even when City were wobbling, Haaland looked like he could flip the script in a heartbeat. If we're talking about top scorers today, he's once again right at the front of the conversation.
Kevin De Bruyne ran the City midfield like a conductor, especially in the first half. That assist for Haaland's opener was classic KDB – vision, weight, timing, perfection. On the Liverpool side, Trent Alexander-Arnold was a constant creative outlet but had to live dangerously defensively against City's runners. High risk, high reward, just how he plays.
The only real 'flop' today? Honestly, it was more the officiating and VAR than any single player. That overturned penalty has become the talking point across social feeds and post-match shows – and you can already feel the debate spilling into every corner of soccer news tonight.
Every scroll on X (Twitter) is the same: freeze-frames of the contact on Núñez, slow-mo clips of Dias' challenge, and people arguing over whether the ref bottled it. On Instagram, Liverpool are already dropping locker-room content and goal clips, while City fans are posting Haaland's celebration on repeat. Over on YouTube, highlight packages are flying up as fast as you can hit refresh, with compilations of Salah vs Haaland moments dominating the recommendations.
From a pure spectacle standpoint, this was world-class. But if I'm in Liverpool colours tonight, I'm furious about that penalty call. With the title race this tight, decisions like that could be the difference between lifting the trophy and watching someone else do it. City, on the other hand, will walk away thinking: "We survived Anfield, Haaland is cooking, and we're still right there."
Whatever side you're on, don't just look at the scoreline – you need to see what it's done to the table, the momentum, and the pressure on every team chasing glory.
From the first whistle, it felt like a Champions League night disguised as a league fixture. The tempo, the noise, the nerves – everything screamed 'title decider'. And yes, the big names absolutely turned up: Mohamed Salah for Liverpool and Erling Haaland for City both slapped their names all over the match report.
First-half fireworks: Haaland silences Anfield… briefly
City started sharper, and you could feel it coming. In the 18th minute, Kevin De Bruyne – because of course it was him – split Liverpool's backline with a trademark through ball. Haaland timed his run perfectly, shrugged off his marker and buried a left-foot finish low into the far corner. Goal: Erling Haaland (18'). Cold, clinical, absolutely inevitable.For a moment, Anfield went quiet. Haaland wheeled away to the corner, arms wide, soaking in the boos and the flashlights. That's him doing exactly what he does – and the football league table suddenly felt a lot more sky blue than red.
But Liverpool refused to fold. Driven by the Kop, they pressed higher, faster, nastier. Darwin Núñez crashed a header just over, then Luis Díaz forced Ederson into a sharp near-post save. You could smell the equaliser in the air long before it arrived.
In the 35th minute, Liverpool finally broke through. Trent Alexander-Arnold whipped in a wicked cross, Núñez nodded it back across goal, and who else but Mohamed Salah pounced. One touch to kill it, second touch rifled into the roof of the net. Goal: Mohamed Salah (35'). Anfield exploded, flares in the stands, the famous Salah knee-slide back towards the cameras – football results today don't get much bigger than Salah vs Haaland trading blows in a title race.
Second-half drama: VAR steals the spotlight
If the first half was about quality, the second half was pure chaos. Tackles flew in, the pace somehow cranked up even more, and both sides went all-in. De Bruyne tested Alisson with a swerving effort. On the other end, Díaz kept roasting his full-back, cutting inside and unleashing shots that had City hearts in mouths.Then came the moment everyone is talking about tonight – the VAR storm. Just after the hour mark, Liverpool thought they'd turned the match on its head. Núñez darted into the box, collided with Rúben Dias, and the referee instantly pointed to the spot. Anfield roared; City players went ballistic.
VAR check. Slow-motion replays. Every angle under the microscope. Did Dias get a touch on the ball? Was it shoulder-to-shoulder or a clip of the ankle? After what felt like forever, the decision came: penalty overturned. No foul. City fans online: delighted. Liverpool fans: absolutely furious. That single call has instantly become the hot topic across all of soccer news, with timelines spamming replays and freeze-frames like it's a courtroom case.
And because football loves a punchline, City went straight up the other end and scored. In the 69th minute, a quick break saw Phil Foden combine with Bernardo Silva, the ball squared to Erling Haaland on the edge of the box. One touch to set, one devastating strike into the bottom corner. Goal: Erling Haaland (69') – his second of the night, and a hammer blow to Liverpool's momentum.
Late Liverpool surge: Salah refuses to let it die
Most teams crumble at 2-1 down against City. Liverpool didn't. If anything, they went even more aggressive. Jürgen Klopp threw on fresh legs, the press got manic, and City suddenly looked rattled. Ederson had to make a huge save from a low Núñez drive, while a curling Salah effort bent just wide of the far post.The equaliser finally came in the 84th minute, and again it was that man Salah. After a slick move down the left, Díaz clipped a cross towards the far post. City half-cleared it, the ball fell kindly, and Salah smashed a bouncing shot through a crowd of bodies. Goal: Mohamed Salah (84'). Anfield lost its mind – flares, limbs, pure chaos. Salah stood in front of the Kop, arms raised, soaking up the noise like a king.
The final minutes were ridiculously tense. Haaland almost completed his hat-trick with a towering header that flew inches over, while at the other end, substitute Cody Gakpo saw a close-range effort blocked by John Stones throwing his body on the line.
In the end, it finished Liverpool 2–2 Manchester City. Goals from Mohamed Salah (35', 84') for Liverpool and Erling Haaland (18', 69') for City. Two megastars, two goals each, one absolutely bonkers game of football.
Title race twist: who's really on top now?
This draw doesn't settle anything – if anything, it pours gasoline on the Premier League title race. City stay right in the hunt, Liverpool cling onto their challenge, and every dropped point from here on out is going to feel massive. Arsenal and the chasing pack will be watching this like kids at Christmas, because both sides slipping up means the door stays slightly open.In terms of the football league table, Liverpool miss a chance to pull clear, while City avoid the nightmare of defeat at Anfield. The margins are tiny, and the run-in is going to be downright vicious.
What does this mean for the title race? Click here for the live standings
Stars report: heroes, flops, and game-changers
Mohamed Salah was pure big-game energy. Two goals, non-stop movement, constantly dragging City's backline into bad positions. In a match dripping with pressure, he delivered like the world-class finisher he is. Every time Liverpool needed a moment, he tried to provide it.Erling Haaland was just as deadly. Two goals, ice-cold finishing, and that ever-present threat in behind. Even when City were wobbling, Haaland looked like he could flip the script in a heartbeat. If we're talking about top scorers today, he's once again right at the front of the conversation.
Kevin De Bruyne ran the City midfield like a conductor, especially in the first half. That assist for Haaland's opener was classic KDB – vision, weight, timing, perfection. On the Liverpool side, Trent Alexander-Arnold was a constant creative outlet but had to live dangerously defensively against City's runners. High risk, high reward, just how he plays.
The only real 'flop' today? Honestly, it was more the officiating and VAR than any single player. That overturned penalty has become the talking point across social feeds and post-match shows – and you can already feel the debate spilling into every corner of soccer news tonight.
Social Media Spotlight
The Internet is Exploding: 3 Social Media Highlights
X Discussion: Fans raging over the overturned Liverpool penalty and VAR chaos
My take: this rivalry is pure box office
In my opinion, this is exactly why you can't look away from the Premier League live. Liverpool vs City isn't just a match anymore – it's a full-blown saga. Salah and Haaland trading braces, the tactical chess match between two top managers, and a huge VAR flashpoint thrown in just to make sure none of us get an early night.From a pure spectacle standpoint, this was world-class. But if I'm in Liverpool colours tonight, I'm furious about that penalty call. With the title race this tight, decisions like that could be the difference between lifting the trophy and watching someone else do it. City, on the other hand, will walk away thinking: "We survived Anfield, Haaland is cooking, and we're still right there."
Closing whistle: the race is only getting hotter
So, if you're hunting for football results today, know this: Liverpool 2–2 Manchester City wasn't just another line on the scores page – it was one of those nights we'll still be arguing about at the end of the season. Salah and Haaland strengthened their claims among the absolute elite, VAR added yet another chapter to its never-ending drama saga, and the title race just turned into a full sprint to the finish.Whatever side you're on, don't just look at the scoreline – you need to see what it's done to the table, the momentum, and the pressure on every team chasing glory.
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.
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