Liverpool vs Man City goes wild: late drama, title race twists live

Liverpool edge Man City in a chaotic title showdown as Salah strikes and Haaland misfires – but did VAR steal the headlines in this live thriller?

Kick-off! As of today, 2026-02-25, the pitch is on fire... Did you see that?? If you love soccer games with pure chaos, insane drama, and title-race pressure dripping from every pass, Liverpool vs Manchester City at Anfield just delivered an absolute classic. The Premier League live spotlight was blazing, and we got late twists, missed sitters, and VAR at the center of the storm.

Liverpool 2-1 Manchester City – Anfield goes crazy

This one felt like a Champions League knockout tie, not just a league game. Liverpool came flying out of the blocks, pressing high and feeding off the Anfield noise. And it didn’t take long for the breakthrough.

On 18 minutes, Mohamed Salah did what Mohamed Salah does. Luis Díaz slipped a clever ball into the right channel, Salah chopped inside Nathan Aké, and curled a left-foot rocket into the far corner. Goal: Mohamed Salah (18'). Ederson had no chance, Anfield exploded, and the Egyptian king was already in superstar mode.

But you don’t keep Erling Haaland quiet forever, right? Well... sort of. City woke up after going behind. Kevin De Bruyne started dictating the tempo, switching play and finding those disgusting half-spaces only he sees. On 33 minutes, he whipped in a trademark cross, Haaland bullied Virgil van Dijk to win the header, and it crashed off the bar and bounced out with Alisson beaten. Inches away from the equaliser – and a warning shot for Liverpool.

The equaliser did come, though. On 41 minutes, De Bruyne again pulled the strings, sliding a pass into Phil Foden on the left edge of the box. Foden chopped inside Trent Alexander-Arnold and lashed a low shot into the near corner. Goal: Phil Foden (41'). City back level, Pep Guardiola fist-pumping the air, and Anfield suddenly tense.

Second half: Salah the hero, Haaland the nearly-man

The second half felt like a different match – open, stretched, and absolutely ruthless. Haaland had the first big chance after the break. In the 53rd minute, Bernardo Silva lofted a delightful clipped ball over the top, Haaland brought it down on his chest, but dragged his left-foot shot wide with only Alisson to beat. For a player who usually eats those chances for breakfast, that was a shocker. Today, Haaland was more frustrated battering ram than ice-cold killer.

That miss came back to haunt City. On 67 minutes, Liverpool stitched together a filthy counter-attack straight out of a coaching manual. Alexis Mac Allister broke up play in midfield, slipped it to Dominik Szoboszlai, who drove at City’s backline before feeding Díaz on the left. Díaz cut it back first-time into the danger zone, and guess who was sprinting in at the back post? Mohamed Salah again, smashing it home from close range. Goal: Mohamed Salah (67'). 2-1 Liverpool, and Anfield was shaking.

Salah was unplayable today. Constantly pulling wide, constantly driving inside, constantly terrifying Joško Gvardiol. This was vintage Salah: ruthless, hungry, fully locked in. On the other side, Haaland and City’s attack felt a half-step off – good positions, but not that clinical machine we’re used to. Haaland had another decent header late on, but Van Dijk bodied him all game. If we’re calling heroes and flops: Salah – world class hero. Haaland – rare off night.

VAR steals the spotlight – penalty or robbery?

Now, let’s talk about the moment everyone is losing their minds over. 82nd minute: City swing a corner in, the ball pinballs around the six-yard box, and drops to Rúben Dias, who tries to poke it goalwards. The ball hits the outstretched arm of Ibrahima Konaté – City scream for handball, Pep is raging on the touchline, and the ref waves play on.

Then comes the VAR check. Long, awkward pause. The stadium is holding its breath. The replay shows Konaté’s arm clearly away from his body. City fans are convinced it’s a stonewall penalty. But after a lengthy review, VAR sticks with the on-field decision: no penalty. You could hear the boos from the away end through your screen.

That call is going to dominate soccer news for days. City players surrounded the referee at full-time, Pep marched straight down the tunnel shaking his head, and social media absolutely erupted. This wasn’t just a small decision – this was potentially a title-race defining moment.

Title race twist: Liverpool back on top of the football league table

So what does this manic 2-1 win mean? In the context of the Premier League live title race, it’s huge. Liverpool leapfrog Manchester City in the football league table, putting real pressure on Pep’s side and anyone else trying to hang on in the chase. With this result, Liverpool gain three massive points, City drop crucial ones, and the goal difference gap tightens. Suddenly, every upcoming round of soccer games feels like a final.

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

If you’re checking top scorers today, Salah’s brace doesn’t just win the match – it also drags him right back into the Golden Boot conversation. Haaland still leads overall, but days like this slice into that cushion. And you just know he’ll be fuming and ready to respond next week.

Other big stories: Europe watching, Champions League news buzzing

With the Champions League knockout stages on the horizon, this match felt like a warning shot to the rest of Europe. Liverpool’s intensity, the energy at Anfield, and Salah’s form will have Real Madrid, Bayern, PSG, and the rest paying attention. Meanwhile, City’s slight wobble – Haaland off the pace, the backline creaking, and VAR drama – just adds more narrative heat heading into those massive midweek soccer games.

From a broader football league table perspective, these fine margins are everything. One unawarded penalty here, one Salah screamer there, and suddenly the whole season feels different. That’s the beauty and the brutality of this sport.

My take: Salah saves the night, City can’t blame it all on VAR

Let’s be real: the VAR call is massive, but in my opinion, City only have themselves to blame. You can’t miss chances like Haaland’s one-on-one at this level and expect everything to be fixed by referees. Liverpool were more ruthless, more aggressive, and straight-up braver on the ball.

For me, this was an elite, statement performance from Salah. Two goals in a game of this magnitude, plus nonstop work off the ball? Thats captain stuff, even if he doesnt wear the armband. Van Dijk also deserves a shout – he made Haaland look human for long stretches, which basically never happens.

On the flip side, City looked a bit leggy and short of ideas once De Bruyne tired. Guardiola has big questions to answer: does he rotate more? Does he tweak the shape so Haaland doesnt get isolated? The manager doesnt have to go or anything crazy like that, but this was not the invincible, inevitable City were used to. This was a vulnerable one.

Closing whistle: title race chaos incoming

So yeah, if you missed this one, you missed one of the soccer games of the season so far. Salah the hero, Haaland off-color, VAR in the spotlight, and the Premier League title race thrown into absolute chaos. Every week from now on feels bigger than the last.

Dont just rely on the vibes – go check what this does to the actual numbers and see whos really in control of the race.

Check full stats & standings now

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