Liverpool vs Man City drama live: Núñez stuns, Haaland answers, title race boiling
09.02.2026 - 09:50:45
Premier League Live: Liverpool 2–2 Manchester City – Title Fight in HD
This was billed as the game of the season, and it absolutely lived up to the noise. Liverpool came flying out the blocks, and within minutes Anfield was already roaring.
13' – Goal Liverpool: Darwin Núñez
Mohamed Salah slipped into that classic right-half space, rolled a wicked low ball across the box, and Darwin Núñez did what he does best – front-post attack, thunderous first-time finish past Ederson. Núñez's goal came after sheer chaos in City's back line, with Rúben Dias and John Stones getting pulled all over the place by Liverpool's presses.
31' – Equaliser City: Erling Haaland
You can't keep him quiet for long. Kevin De Bruyne dropped a trademark whipped cross from the inside-right channel, and Erling Haaland bullied Virgil van Dijk just enough to carve out half a yard, nodding it down and past Alisson. Classic Haaland: two touches in the box, one of them lethal.
52' – City Turn It Around: Phil Foden
After the break it felt like City had hacked the game. Bernardo Silva drove through midfield, found Haaland at the edge of the area, and the Norwegian laid it off. Phil Foden took one touch to set, one touch to whip a stunning left-footed curler into the top corner. Alisson's full-stretch dive made the photo, Foden's finish made the highlight reels.
79' – Liverpool Rescue It: Mohamed Salah (Penalty)
Then came the flashpoint everyone is arguing about: Núñez broke in behind on the counter, nudged the ball past Ederson and went down under contact. VAR check. Long one. The ref held his nerve and stuck with the on-field penalty call. Up stepped Salah, eyes cold, smash into the bottom-left corner. 2–2, and Anfield absolutely exploded.
Stars Under the Spotlight: Heroes & Nearly Men
- Mohamed Salah: Assist for Núñez, ice-cool penalty under massive pressure. He was everywhere, chopping inside, dragging Josko Gvardiol and João Cancelo into places they did not want to be. Big-game player, big-game numbers.
- Darwin Núñez: The chaos king. One sharp goal, constant running, and the penalty incident that's blowing up every social feed. At times wild with his finishing, but the energy changed the whole tempo for Liverpool.
- Erling Haaland: You blink, he scores. One big chance, one big goal, plus the assist layoff for Foden's screamer. He didn't dominate the game, but his moments were brutal.
- Kevin De Bruyne: Not 100% vintage but still decisive – the assist for Haaland was trademark KDB, and he kept forcing Liverpool's back line to drop deeper than they wanted.
- Virgil van Dijk: Had some huge interventions but will hate the replay of Haaland's header. You just can't lose that duel in a title six-pointer.
On top of all that, we even had a little VAR sideshow: a potential handball by Rúben Dias in the box on 63' was checked then waved away, and Liverpool fans are already cutting up the freeze-frames.
Elsewhere in Europe: Champions League Chasers Make Noise
While Anfield grabbed most of the spotlight, the rest of Europe wasn't exactly quiet.
Arsenal 3–1 Newcastle United – Saka Steals the Show
At the Emirates, Arsenal kept their Champions League momentum and Premier League dream alive with a sharp 3–1 win over Newcastle.
- Goals Arsenal: Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Jesus, Martin Ødegaard
- Goal Newcastle: Alexander Isak
Saka opened the scoring, cutting in from the right and curling a beauty inside the far post. Gabriel Jesus bullied his way through two challenges to stab home the second, and Ødegaard, as calm as a training drill, rolled in the third after a slick move. Isak's late strike was more consolation than comeback.
Saka looked absolutely electric – every time he touched it, Newcastle's left side panicked. Jesus did the dirty work and got his reward, while Ødegaard played conductor all night.
Real Madrid 2–0 Inter Milan – Bellingham & Vinícius Jr Deliver
In Champions League news, Real Madrid's stars showed up. Jude Bellingham crashed a header in from a Toni Kroos corner, and Vinícius Jr finished off a ruthless counter with a low strike across the keeper. Bellingham's late runs from midfield keep wrecking defensive game plans; Inter simply couldn't get a body on him at the right time.
Title Race Context: Standing on a Knife Edge
So what does that Liverpool–City draw actually do to the bigger picture? It keeps the title race absolutely wide open. City lose the chance to pull clear, Liverpool avoid a home disaster, and Arsenal quietly slide closer thanks to their win.
What does this mean for the title race? Click here for the live standings
Glance at that table and you'll see it: tiny margins everywhere. One slip from any of the big three and this thing could flip overnight.
Social Media Spotlight: Núñez Penalty & VAR Meltdown
The moment everyone is losing it over? That Núñez penalty call. Some say clear and obvious, others say he bought the contact. Either way, X (Twitter), Instagram and YouTube are going nuclear right now.
The Internet is Exploding: 3 Social Media Highlights
X Discussion: Fans divided over Núñez's late penalty and VAR's huge title-race call
Reporter's Take: This Felt Like a Final
In my opinion, this didn't feel like "just another" league match – it felt like a Champions League knockout. The intensity, the duels, the needle between players, the way every decision had the stadium on edge – pure football drama.
If I'm in City's camp, I'm annoyed. They had Liverpool rocking early in the second half and should have killed it off when Haaland had a half-chance to make it 3–1. If I'm Liverpool, I'm buzzing just to still be breathing in this title race after that Foden strike felt like a dagger.
But one thing is clear: Núñez isn't just vibes anymore. Goals in big games, drawing penalties, pinning elite defenders – he's becoming the guy you absolutely hate playing against. And with Salah still in killer mode, Liverpool aren't going away quietly.
What's Next?
This draw sets up an insane sprint to the finish. City know dropped points here pile pressure on every remaining fixture. Arsenal's win means they're officially back right in the conversation, and the football league table is going to get hit-refresh levels of traffic all week long.
Check full stats & standings now
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