Liverpool vs Man City goes wild: title race twists live at Anfield
21.02.2026 - 03:04:43 | ad-hoc-news.de
Kick-off! As of today, 2026-02-21, the pitch is on fire... You wanted chaos? You got full-throttle Premier League soccer games with Liverpool and Manchester City trading haymakers at Anfield in a match that felt like a Champions League knockout tie dropped right into February.
Liverpool 3–2 Manchester City: Salah vs Haaland lights up Anfield
From the first whistle this felt different. The noise, the tempo, the tackles – it was pure, vintage Anfield. Liverpool flew out of the blocks and were ahead inside 12 minutes. A slick move down the right saw Trent Alexander-Arnold fizz a low cross into the box, where Mohamed Salah ghosted between centre-backs and buried a first-time finish into the far corner. 1–0 and Anfield absolutely erupted.
City didn't blink. Pep's side started to keep the ball, drag Liverpool around and carve out their own chances. On 29 minutes, the equaliser arrived. Kevin De Bruyne – who else – split the defence with a trademark through ball and Erling Haaland punished the high line, charging through and slotting low past the keeper for 1–1. Ice-cold. That's goal number again for the Norwegian monster this season and you could feel the tension rise a level.
Right before half-time came the first big VAR drama. Liverpool thought they had a penalty when Salah went down under a challenge from Ruben Dias. The ref pointed to the spot, Anfield roared, but after a long check the decision was overturned for the slightest contact on the ball. The crowd hated it, the players surrounded the ref, and social media instantly went nuclear over the call.
Second-half madness: late drama, late winner
Whatever Jürgen Klopp said at the break, it worked. Liverpool came out super aggressive, pressing high and throwing numbers forward. On 56 minutes, they were ahead again. A corner from the left was only half-cleared, and young midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai smashed a bouncing ball from the edge of the box through a sea of legs to make it 2–1. It wasn't the cleanest hit, but Anfield didn't care – limbs everywhere in the Kop.
City, like champions, responded again. De Bruyne clipped in a devilish free-kick on 71 minutes, Liverpool failed to deal with the second ball and Phil Foden pounced, drilling a low shot inside the near post for 2–2. Alisson will absolutely hate that one – beaten on his side, slightly unsighted, but he'll feel he should have done better.
Then came the killer blow. 85th minute, game stretched, both sets of fans living every pass. Liverpool broke down the left through Luis Díaz, who cut inside and slipped a clever ball into the box. Salah let it run and substitute forward Diogo Jota crashed a first-time strike into the top corner for 3–2. Scenes. Absolute bedlam. Shirts off in the stands, players in a pile by the corner flag – this is exactly why we live for nights like this.
City still had one more twist in them. Deep into stoppage time, Haaland thought he'd equalised again, rolling Ibrahima Konaté and finishing from close range, but the flag went up and VAR confirmed he was just offside. Millimetres, and another huge talking point for the pundits and fans online.
Heroes & flops: who owned the stage?
For Liverpool, Mohamed Salah was everywhere. One goal, constant threat in behind, dragging defenders all over the place. Even when he wasn't scoring, he was the gravity point of every attack. Dominik Szoboszlai delivered in the big moment with that crucial second goal, while Diogo Jota gets the headline with the winner – super-sub energy, ruthless composure.
At the back, it was a real mixed night. Virgil van Dijk had some massive clearances and blocks but still had to live with Haaland bullying the line a few times. Alisson pulled off one top save from Foden in the first half, yet will replay City's second goal in his head for days.
For City, Erling Haaland did what Haaland does – one clinical goal, one late finish chalked off, and a constant target that panicked Liverpool's defence. Kevin De Bruyne ran the show for long spells with his passing range, while Phil Foden once again showed he's built for big stages with that sharp finish. But defensively, City looked rattled by the intensity. Ruben Dias and John Stones never truly got comfortable under Liverpool's pressing, and the late winner summed it up – too slow to react, too passive in the box.
Title race impact: Liverpool land a massive punch
This wasn't just about bragging rights. With three points in the bag, Liverpool jump back to the top of the Premier League and crank up the pressure on City and the rest of the chasing pack. City, meanwhile, suddenly can't afford many more slip?ups with fixtures against top-six opposition still to come. Goal difference, head-to-head, and momentum are all in play now – and this result could be the line we look back on in May and say: that was the turning point.
While Anfield stole the spotlight, there was action all over Europe. In Spain, Jude Bellingham kept his ridiculous form going for Real Madrid, scoring the opener in a 2–0 win with a trademark late run into the box and cool finish. In France, Kylian Mbappé bagged a brace for PSG in a 3–1 victory, including one outrageous solo goal where he skinned two defenders before bending it into the top corner. The superstars showed up – pure box-office stuff wherever you looked.
Social Media Spotlight: VAR rage & Salah love
You knew this was coming. The overturned first-half penalty and Haaland's last-gasp offside equaliser have completely split opinion online. One fan's "clear and obvious" is another fan's "daylight robbery", and X (Twitter) is basically a wall of freeze frames and drawn-offside lines tonight. On the other side, Liverpool fans are flooding the timeline with Salah comps, Jota memes, and Anfield crowd videos that give you goosebumps even through a screen.
My take: this felt like a statement, not just three points
From a young reporter's eye test, this wasn't just a big win for Liverpool – it was a message. The intensity, the belief to go again after being pegged back twice, and the bravery to keep attacking instead of settling for a draw against City… that's title-winning mentality. In my opinion, Pep got his in-game tweaks slightly wrong late on; City looked leggy and too cautious when Liverpool started rolling the dice, and by the time the defensive changes came, the damage was done.
Do I think City are finished? Not even close. With Haaland and De Bruyne fit and firing, they're never out of this. But this result gives Liverpool the psychological edge and injects raw chaos into the Premier League run-in – exactly what neutrals dream of.
Closing whistle: buckle up, this ride isn't done
If tonight is a preview of what's coming in the final months, we're in for an insane finish. Salah firing, Haaland hunting records, Bellingham bossing Spain, Mbappé tearing up Ligue 1 – the global stage is stacked, and every round of soccer games is shaking up the storylines.
Want to see exactly how Liverpool's win twists the title race and who's chasing European spots or fighting the drop?
Liverpool 3–2 Manchester City: Salah vs Haaland lights up Anfield
From the first whistle this felt different. The noise, the tempo, the tackles – it was pure, vintage Anfield. Liverpool flew out of the blocks and were ahead inside 12 minutes. A slick move down the right saw Trent Alexander-Arnold fizz a low cross into the box, where Mohamed Salah ghosted between centre-backs and buried a first-time finish into the far corner. 1–0 and Anfield absolutely erupted.
City didn't blink. Pep's side started to keep the ball, drag Liverpool around and carve out their own chances. On 29 minutes, the equaliser arrived. Kevin De Bruyne – who else – split the defence with a trademark through ball and Erling Haaland punished the high line, charging through and slotting low past the keeper for 1–1. Ice-cold. That's goal number again for the Norwegian monster this season and you could feel the tension rise a level.
Right before half-time came the first big VAR drama. Liverpool thought they had a penalty when Salah went down under a challenge from Ruben Dias. The ref pointed to the spot, Anfield roared, but after a long check the decision was overturned for the slightest contact on the ball. The crowd hated it, the players surrounded the ref, and social media instantly went nuclear over the call.
Second-half madness: late drama, late winner
Whatever Jürgen Klopp said at the break, it worked. Liverpool came out super aggressive, pressing high and throwing numbers forward. On 56 minutes, they were ahead again. A corner from the left was only half-cleared, and young midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai smashed a bouncing ball from the edge of the box through a sea of legs to make it 2–1. It wasn't the cleanest hit, but Anfield didn't care – limbs everywhere in the Kop.
City, like champions, responded again. De Bruyne clipped in a devilish free-kick on 71 minutes, Liverpool failed to deal with the second ball and Phil Foden pounced, drilling a low shot inside the near post for 2–2. Alisson will absolutely hate that one – beaten on his side, slightly unsighted, but he'll feel he should have done better.
Then came the killer blow. 85th minute, game stretched, both sets of fans living every pass. Liverpool broke down the left through Luis Díaz, who cut inside and slipped a clever ball into the box. Salah let it run and substitute forward Diogo Jota crashed a first-time strike into the top corner for 3–2. Scenes. Absolute bedlam. Shirts off in the stands, players in a pile by the corner flag – this is exactly why we live for nights like this.
City still had one more twist in them. Deep into stoppage time, Haaland thought he'd equalised again, rolling Ibrahima Konaté and finishing from close range, but the flag went up and VAR confirmed he was just offside. Millimetres, and another huge talking point for the pundits and fans online.
Heroes & flops: who owned the stage?
For Liverpool, Mohamed Salah was everywhere. One goal, constant threat in behind, dragging defenders all over the place. Even when he wasn't scoring, he was the gravity point of every attack. Dominik Szoboszlai delivered in the big moment with that crucial second goal, while Diogo Jota gets the headline with the winner – super-sub energy, ruthless composure.
At the back, it was a real mixed night. Virgil van Dijk had some massive clearances and blocks but still had to live with Haaland bullying the line a few times. Alisson pulled off one top save from Foden in the first half, yet will replay City's second goal in his head for days.
For City, Erling Haaland did what Haaland does – one clinical goal, one late finish chalked off, and a constant target that panicked Liverpool's defence. Kevin De Bruyne ran the show for long spells with his passing range, while Phil Foden once again showed he's built for big stages with that sharp finish. But defensively, City looked rattled by the intensity. Ruben Dias and John Stones never truly got comfortable under Liverpool's pressing, and the late winner summed it up – too slow to react, too passive in the box.
Title race impact: Liverpool land a massive punch
This wasn't just about bragging rights. With three points in the bag, Liverpool jump back to the top of the Premier League and crank up the pressure on City and the rest of the chasing pack. City, meanwhile, suddenly can't afford many more slip?ups with fixtures against top-six opposition still to come. Goal difference, head-to-head, and momentum are all in play now – and this result could be the line we look back on in May and say: that was the turning point.
What does this mean for the title race? Click here for the live standings
Elsewhere in today's soccer gamesWhile Anfield stole the spotlight, there was action all over Europe. In Spain, Jude Bellingham kept his ridiculous form going for Real Madrid, scoring the opener in a 2–0 win with a trademark late run into the box and cool finish. In France, Kylian Mbappé bagged a brace for PSG in a 3–1 victory, including one outrageous solo goal where he skinned two defenders before bending it into the top corner. The superstars showed up – pure box-office stuff wherever you looked.
Social Media Spotlight: VAR rage & Salah love
You knew this was coming. The overturned first-half penalty and Haaland's last-gasp offside equaliser have completely split opinion online. One fan's "clear and obvious" is another fan's "daylight robbery", and X (Twitter) is basically a wall of freeze frames and drawn-offside lines tonight. On the other side, Liverpool fans are flooding the timeline with Salah comps, Jota memes, and Anfield crowd videos that give you goosebumps even through a screen.
The Internet is Exploding: 3 Social Media Highlights
X Discussion: Fans losing it over that late VAR offside on Haaland
From a young reporter's eye test, this wasn't just a big win for Liverpool – it was a message. The intensity, the belief to go again after being pegged back twice, and the bravery to keep attacking instead of settling for a draw against City… that's title-winning mentality. In my opinion, Pep got his in-game tweaks slightly wrong late on; City looked leggy and too cautious when Liverpool started rolling the dice, and by the time the defensive changes came, the damage was done.
Do I think City are finished? Not even close. With Haaland and De Bruyne fit and firing, they're never out of this. But this result gives Liverpool the psychological edge and injects raw chaos into the Premier League run-in – exactly what neutrals dream of.
Closing whistle: buckle up, this ride isn't done
If tonight is a preview of what's coming in the final months, we're in for an insane finish. Salah firing, Haaland hunting records, Bellingham bossing Spain, Mbappé tearing up Ligue 1 – the global stage is stacked, and every round of soccer games is shaking up the storylines.
Want to see exactly how Liverpool's win twists the title race and who's chasing European spots or fighting the drop?
Check full stats & standings now
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