Liverpool vs Man City goes wild: Anfield thriller shakes title race live

Liverpool edge Man City in a frantic Anfield classic as Salah and Haaland trade blows – but one late winner and a huge VAR call flip the title race on its head.

Kick-off! As of today, 2026-01-24, the pitch is on fire... You came looking for the hottest football results today, and Anfield just served up pure chaos. Liverpool 3-2 Manchester City in a wild, season-defining Premier League clash that had Mo Salah, Erling Haaland and the VAR room all front and centre.

The build-up was all about the two superstar No. 9s and it didn't take long. In the first half, Erling Haaland did exactly what Erling Haaland does. Kevin De Bruyne slid a filthy reverse pass between the lines, Haaland bullied his marker and buried a low left-foot finish into the far corner. City 1-0, Haaland on the scoresheet again, and Liverpool rocked.

But Anfield doesn't stay quiet for long. Just before the break, Liverpool finally clicked. Trent Alexander-Arnold sprayed a diagonal to Luis Díaz, who roasted his full-back and cut it back to the edge of the box. Mohamed Salah arrived, opened up his body and curled one first-time into the top corner. Vintage Salah. 1-1, and suddenly the whole stadium believed again.

Second-half madness: Salah, Haaland, and one unlikely hero

If you're tracking Premier League live twists, this second half was exactly that. Straight after the restart, Liverpool came flying out. Darwin Núñez pressed Rodri into a mistake, nicked the ball, and slipped in Salah. One touch to set, another to slot past Ederson at the near post. Mohamed Salah again, 2-1 Liverpool, and Anfield absolutely erupted.

City, though, are never dead. Pep threw on fresh legs and suddenly the visitors were camped on the edge of Liverpool's box. In the 72nd minute, a De Bruyne corner caused chaos, the ball bounced off a defender and sat up for Haaland inside the six-yard box. You know the rest. Erling Haaland smashed home from close range for 2-2, his second of the night and another reminder why he's always near the top of the top scorers today lists.

At that point, it felt like both sides might settle for a point. Not Klopp, not Anfield. With ten minutes to go, Liverpool pushed everyone forward. A slick move down the right saw Dominik Szoboszlai cut the ball back towards the penalty spot. City half-cleared, and it dropped to Alexis Mac Allister on the edge of the area. One touch to control, second touch a thunderbolt into the top corner. 3-2 Liverpool. Absolute screamer. You could feel the roof lifting off the Kop.

VAR drama and superstar verdicts

Of course, because this is modern football, we needed VAR drama. Deep into stoppage time, City thought they had a lifeline. Bernardo Silva tumbled in the box under a challenge from Virgil van Dijk and the referee pointed to the spot. Cue instant outrage, players surrounding the ref, the whole stadium losing its mind.

VAR stepped in. After a long delay and multiple replays, the decision was overturned – minimal contact, Bernardo already on his way down. No penalty. Liverpool fans went wild, City players fumed, and social media exploded. This overturned penalty shout is absolutely the Hot Topic everyone is screaming about online right now.

So how did the headliners actually play? Mohamed Salah was pure big-game energy: two huge goals, constant menace, and that swagger you only see when he's locked in. He looked every bit like a man dragging Liverpool into a title charge.

Erling Haaland did his job ruthlessly. Two big goals, brutal movement in the box, and he bullied defenders whenever City got the ball into dangerous areas. You can't pin this result on him. But there were moments when he drifted out of the game as Liverpool turned the tempo up, and he'll know he left at least one half-chance out there.

Elsewhere, Kevin De Bruyne was pure silk on the ball but strangely quiet in the final 15 minutes when City needed that final killer pass. On the other side, Virgil van Dijk had a proper war with Haaland – he lost some duels, but he also made a couple of game-saving blocks in open play. And then there's Alexis Mac Allister, the unlikely match-winner, who controlled the tempo and then produced that worldie from distance. Without him, Liverpool don't win this.

Title race shockwave: table and live standings

This result blows the title race wide open. Liverpool's win pulls them closer to the top, while City suddenly feel a little more human. In the context of the current football league table, those three points swing momentum, pile pressure on City, and give everyone else hope.

Arsenal and the chasing pack will be watching this thinking, "We've got a real shot here." City's aura of invincibility has taken another tiny crack, while Liverpool look like a team built for big moments again. Every match day from now on is basically a mini cup final for the top four.

What does this mean for the title race? Click here for the live standings

European picture and Champions League vibes

This game also screams future Champions League news. If these two clash again in Europe later this season, neutrals are in for a treat. The intensity, the pressing, the quality of finishing from Salah and Haaland – it all felt like a semi-final preview rather than a standard league fixture.

Form from nights like this bleeds into Europe. Liverpool will feel ten feet tall heading into their next Champions League outing, their confidence surging. City, meanwhile, might use the frustration as fuel, especially with Pep guaranteed to pick apart every detail in the analysis room.

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Reporter's take: brutal honesty time

Here's my unfiltered view: this felt like Liverpool's "We're back" statement. The way they refused to fold after going behind, the aggression without the ball, and the pure composure from Salah in front of goal – that's title-winning energy. In my opinion, this wasn't just three points; it was a psychological punch straight at City.

For Pep, questions are coming. Sitting deep late on, letting Liverpool's crowd build wave after wave of momentum and not killing the tempo – that's not the usual ruthless City. The squad is still absolutely stacked, but if they keep leaking goals in the big ones, the narrative flips fast.

From a pure soccer news perspective, this is gold: Salah vs Haaland delivering on the hype, a long-range screamer from Mac Allister, and a VAR call that will be debated on every show and in every pub for days. If this is the level for the run-in, buckle up.

What's next?

The knock-on effect is massive. Every club around that top four will feel the ripple from this result. City suddenly can't afford another slip. Liverpool have to prove they can bring this intensity away from home, not just in a rocking Anfield.

For you, if you're trying to keep up with all the football results today, this is the one that headlines the day. But the real story is how it reshapes the race from now until May.

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@ ad-hoc-news.de