Liverpool vs Man City Live: Anfield thriller shakes Premier League title race
08.02.2026 - 08:51:38
Kick-off! As of today, 2026-02-08, the pitch is on fire... Did you see that?? If you love soccer games, today was one of those days you’ll remember for years. Anfield under the lights, Liverpool vs Manchester City, title race on the line, and the stars absolutely refusing to play it safe.
We got drama, screamers, and a finish that sent the Kop into orbit. Liverpool beat Manchester City 3-2 in a breathtaking Premier League live showdown, with Mohamed Salah and Erling Haaland both on the scoresheet, but it was a late rocket from Dominik Szoboszlai that broke City hearts and flipped the momentum of the season.
But Liverpool reacted exactly how you’d expect. Jürgen Klopp’s side ramped up the press, and on 33 minutes they were level. Darwin Núñez bullied Rúben Dias to win a high ball, laid it off to Mohamed Salah on the edge of the box, and Salah curled a trademark left-foot finish inside Ederson’s far post. Classic Salah: touch, shift, whip – 1–1 and the stadium exploded.
Right before half-time, City struck again. A short-corner routine caught Liverpool half-asleep, and after a quick one-two between De Bruyne and Bernardo Silva, the Belgian floated a cross that found Phil Foden ghosting in at the back post. Foden smashed it first time past Alisson in the 44th minute to make it 1–2 to City. Pure ice-cold finish on a huge night.
After a long review, the penalty was finally given. Massive pressure moment. Mo Salah vs Ederson. Salah went low and hard to the keeper’s right in the 61st minute, Ederson guessed the right way but the strike had too much power. Salah made it 2–2 and Anfield absolutely lost it. That’s a brace for the Egyptian King on one of the biggest nights of the season.
City still had chances. Haaland flashed a header wide, and De Bruyne forced Alisson into a big save from distance. But slowly the game tilted towards the chaos Liverpool thrive on. Szoboszlai, who had been buzzing between the lines all game, stepped up in the moment that will be replayed for weeks.
In the 86th minute, Trent Alexander-Arnold switched play with a ridiculous diagonal to Luis Díaz, who cut inside and laid it off for Dominik Szoboszlai about 25 yards out. One touch to set, one thunderbolt strike into the top-right corner. No chance for Ederson. 3–2 Liverpool, Szoboszlai with a worldie, and Anfield went into full earthquake mode.
City pushed for an equaliser, lumping balls into the box, but Haaland was kept quiet late on by Van Dijk’s positioning and some huge clearances from Ibrahima Konaté. The final whistle sounded and it felt like a statement: Liverpool are absolutely in this title race, and City suddenly look… human.
Dominik Szoboszlai – If you’re talking about top scorers today with impact, you have to mention Szoboszlai’s winner. He didn’t just score – he ran the midfield in the second half, snapping into tackles and driving forward. That strike is already a Goal of the Month contender.
Erling Haaland – Scored a trademark opener and looked dangerous, but faded as Liverpool’s backline adjusted. He’ll still be up there in the Golden Boot race, but today he walks off the pitch overshadowed by Salah’s clutch performance and Szoboszlai’s screamer.
Kevin De Bruyne – Two big contributions: the assist for Haaland and the cross leading to Foden’s goal. But as the game opened up, he couldn’t seize control of midfield the way City needed. Not a flop, but also not the all-dominant De Bruyne we’ve seen in crunch fixtures.
Darwin Núñez – No goal, but a full chaos merchant performance. His physicality led to Salah’s first, and he won the penalty that Salah converted for the second. For a match report, his numbers won’t fully tell the story – he changed the tone of the game with pure aggression.
Liverpool climb closer to the summit, while City risk being reeled in by the chasing pack. Arsenal and others will be watching this thinking, "Yep, we’re still in this." You can feel the tension from now until May.
If you scroll through X, it’s wall-to-wall clips of Salah sending defenders for coffee, freeze-frames of the contact on Núñez in the box, and people arguing whether Haaland "disappears in big away games" or not. Over on Instagram, Liverpool’s official account is already spamming dressing-room celebrations, and you just know the Szoboszlai goal angle from behind the strike is about to farm millions of views.
City, on the other hand, looked a touch predictable when plan A stopped working. Guardiola’s side are still an absolute machine, but when the press hits and the crowd turns up to 11, they can be rattled. In my opinion, Pep waited too long to bring on fresh legs in midfield, and that left De Bruyne chasing shadows as Liverpool surged late on.
As for individual calls: Salah was world-class, Szoboszlai was clutch, and Núñez played the perfect villain for City’s back line. Haaland will still bag 30+ this season, but on this night, Anfield’s noise swallowed him in the final minutes.
If you’re tracking top scorers today, Salah and Haaland both padded their stats, but it’s Szoboszlai whose name is going to live longest from this one. And if you’re obsessed with the bigger picture – title race, top four, relegation scrap – you need to keep one eye locked on that live table.
We got drama, screamers, and a finish that sent the Kop into orbit. Liverpool beat Manchester City 3-2 in a breathtaking Premier League live showdown, with Mohamed Salah and Erling Haaland both on the scoresheet, but it was a late rocket from Dominik Szoboszlai that broke City hearts and flipped the momentum of the season.
Anfield Chaos: Liverpool 3–2 Manchester City
This was not just another game – this felt like a final in February. City started sharper, and of course it was Erling Haaland who drew first blood. On 18 minutes, Kevin De Bruyne slid a filthy through ball between the lines, Haaland shrugged off Virgil van Dijk and buried a low left-footed strike into the bottom corner. Goal machine doing goal machine things: Haaland 0–1 and Anfield stunned.But Liverpool reacted exactly how you’d expect. Jürgen Klopp’s side ramped up the press, and on 33 minutes they were level. Darwin Núñez bullied Rúben Dias to win a high ball, laid it off to Mohamed Salah on the edge of the box, and Salah curled a trademark left-foot finish inside Ederson’s far post. Classic Salah: touch, shift, whip – 1–1 and the stadium exploded.
Right before half-time, City struck again. A short-corner routine caught Liverpool half-asleep, and after a quick one-two between De Bruyne and Bernardo Silva, the Belgian floated a cross that found Phil Foden ghosting in at the back post. Foden smashed it first time past Alisson in the 44th minute to make it 1–2 to City. Pure ice-cold finish on a huge night.
Second-Half Turnaround: Salah the Creator, Szoboszlai the Hero
Liverpool came out furious after the break. City tried to slow the tempo, but the press just kept coming. On 58 minutes we had our first slice of full-blown drama. Núñez was tripped by Kyle Walker after racing into the box – the ref waved play on, but VAR stepped in.After a long review, the penalty was finally given. Massive pressure moment. Mo Salah vs Ederson. Salah went low and hard to the keeper’s right in the 61st minute, Ederson guessed the right way but the strike had too much power. Salah made it 2–2 and Anfield absolutely lost it. That’s a brace for the Egyptian King on one of the biggest nights of the season.
City still had chances. Haaland flashed a header wide, and De Bruyne forced Alisson into a big save from distance. But slowly the game tilted towards the chaos Liverpool thrive on. Szoboszlai, who had been buzzing between the lines all game, stepped up in the moment that will be replayed for weeks.
In the 86th minute, Trent Alexander-Arnold switched play with a ridiculous diagonal to Luis Díaz, who cut inside and laid it off for Dominik Szoboszlai about 25 yards out. One touch to set, one thunderbolt strike into the top-right corner. No chance for Ederson. 3–2 Liverpool, Szoboszlai with a worldie, and Anfield went into full earthquake mode.
City pushed for an equaliser, lumping balls into the box, but Haaland was kept quiet late on by Van Dijk’s positioning and some huge clearances from Ibrahima Konaté. The final whistle sounded and it felt like a statement: Liverpool are absolutely in this title race, and City suddenly look… human.
Heroes & Flops: The Big Names Under the Spotlight
Mohamed Salah – Two goals in a must-win game, constant menace, and the nerve to score from the spot after a long VAR delay. This was elite, big-game Salah. He dropped deep, combined well with Núñez, and dragged defenders out of shape all night. Undisputed hero.Dominik Szoboszlai – If you’re talking about top scorers today with impact, you have to mention Szoboszlai’s winner. He didn’t just score – he ran the midfield in the second half, snapping into tackles and driving forward. That strike is already a Goal of the Month contender.
Erling Haaland – Scored a trademark opener and looked dangerous, but faded as Liverpool’s backline adjusted. He’ll still be up there in the Golden Boot race, but today he walks off the pitch overshadowed by Salah’s clutch performance and Szoboszlai’s screamer.
Kevin De Bruyne – Two big contributions: the assist for Haaland and the cross leading to Foden’s goal. But as the game opened up, he couldn’t seize control of midfield the way City needed. Not a flop, but also not the all-dominant De Bruyne we’ve seen in crunch fixtures.
Darwin Núñez – No goal, but a full chaos merchant performance. His physicality led to Salah’s first, and he won the penalty that Salah converted for the second. For a match report, his numbers won’t fully tell the story – he changed the tone of the game with pure aggression.
Title Race Shockwaves & Live Table Context
This result hits the football league table like a hammer. Liverpool’s win drags them right into the heart of the Premier League title race, while City drop crucial points in a stadium where they’ve struggled for years. With only a handful of points separating the top three, every goal feels like it’s worth double now.Liverpool climb closer to the summit, while City risk being reeled in by the chasing pack. Arsenal and others will be watching this thinking, "Yep, we’re still in this." You can feel the tension from now until May.
What does this mean for the title race? Click here for the live standings
Social Media Spotlight: Anfield Meltdown in Real Time
Everyone’s timelines are basically just replays of Szoboszlai’s rocket and arguments about that VAR penalty. The official hashtag #LIVMCI is going crazy, with fans split between "stonewall pen" and "game’s gone soft" takes.The Internet is Exploding: 3 Social Media Highlights
X Discussion: Fans debating the VAR penalty and Szoboszlai's screamer in a wild Anfield finish
Reporter’s Take: This Felt Like a Statement
From my point of view, this was more than just three points. This was Liverpool standing up to the Premier League’s modern superpower and saying, "We’re not done yet." The energy, the aggression, the risk-taking – that’s what you want from top-level soccer news, not cautious sideways stuff.City, on the other hand, looked a touch predictable when plan A stopped working. Guardiola’s side are still an absolute machine, but when the press hits and the crowd turns up to 11, they can be rattled. In my opinion, Pep waited too long to bring on fresh legs in midfield, and that left De Bruyne chasing shadows as Liverpool surged late on.
As for individual calls: Salah was world-class, Szoboszlai was clutch, and Núñez played the perfect villain for City’s back line. Haaland will still bag 30+ this season, but on this night, Anfield’s noise swallowed him in the final minutes.
What’s Next?
With Champions League news just around the corner and the domestic run-in heating up, nights like this feel like previews of knockout football: tiny margins, huge swings. Both these teams are built to go deep on all fronts, but this result adds a spicy layer of pressure onto City’s shoulders.If you’re tracking top scorers today, Salah and Haaland both padded their stats, but it’s Szoboszlai whose name is going to live longest from this one. And if you’re obsessed with the bigger picture – title race, top four, relegation scrap – you need to keep one eye locked on that live table.
Check full stats & standings now
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