Liverpool vs Man City live thriller: Salah & Haaland ignite title race
24.01.2026 - 06:46:54
Liverpool 3-2 Man City – heavyweight clash, heavyweight drama
This felt like a Champions League night disguised as a league game. From the first whistle, the tempo was outrageous. Manchester City drew first blood: in the 18th minute, Erling Haaland bullied his way between the centre-backs and met a whipped Kevin De Bruyne cross, thundering a header into the bottom corner. 1-0 City, Haaland doing exactly what Haaland does.
Liverpool answered fast. On 27 minutes, Mohamed Salah equalised after a slick move: Trent Alexander-Arnold clipped a diagonal, Darwin Núñez cushioned it inside, and Salah rolled past Josko Gvardiol before smashing a right-foot rocket beyond Ederson. That's the football results today energy you came for.
Just before half-time, Anfield exploded again. This time it was Darwin Núñez on the scoresheet. Luis Díaz skinned his man on the left, drilled in a low cross and Núñez slid in ahead of Rúben Dias to poke it home. 2-1 Liverpool and Jürgen Klopp was going wild on the touchline.
Second-half chaos: VAR, Haaland and a late twist
City came out in the second half like a team on a mission. In the 61st minute, Haaland thought he'd equalised again after latching onto a Rodri through ball and clipping over Alisson – but VAR chalked it off for the tightest offside you'll see. That's where the social media meltdown started: freeze-frames, drawn lines, everyone screaming about angles.
But you can't keep Haaland out of a headline game. In the 72nd minute, he got his revenge. De Bruyne slipped him in on the left channel, he shrugged off Ibrahima Konaté and drilled a low finish across Alisson into the far corner. Official this time, 2-2, and Haaland's brace kept him right in the mix among the top scorers today.
Then came the winning punch. With City pushing high, Liverpool broke in the 88th minute. A long diagonal from Alexander-Arnold found Díaz, who cut inside and saw his shot blocked. The rebound dropped perfectly to substitute Dominik Szoboszlai at the edge of the box. One touch to set, one outrageous strike into the top-right corner. 3-2 Liverpool, limbs everywhere, Klopp sprinting down the touchline like it was a cup final.
Big names: heroes and flops
- Mohamed Salah – A goal, constant threat, dragged Liverpool forward every time they looked in trouble. His movement between the lines ruined City's shape. Hero status confirmed.
- Erling Haaland – Two clinical finishes, one brutally ruled out by VAR. He did his job, but City's defensive unit let him down. Still, he's padding that Golden Boot chase.
- Kevin De Bruyne – Two assists and moments of magic, but he faded late as Liverpool overran the midfield. Quality on the ball, questions off it when the game turned frantic.
- Virgil van Dijk – Mixed night. Dominant in the air but Haaland still got joy. Not a flop, but not the flawless wall we've seen at his peak.
- Alisson – No spectacular mistakes, but also no miracle saves on the Haaland goals. Solid, not spectacular.
From a pure star-power perspective, Salah edges it. Haaland scored twice, but Salah changed the whole vibe of the game. And Szoboszlai? He's the cult hero, the guy whose goal kids will be recreating in the park tomorrow.
What it means for the table
This win is absolutely massive. City were sitting above Liverpool before kick-off, but this result flips the script and tightens the whole Premier League title race. Liverpool's three points close the gap at the top and crank pressure on both Pep Guardiola and every chasing side.
What does this mean for the title race? Click here for the live standings
Check how many points are in it now, how close Arsenal and the rest are, and where today's football results today leave everyone heading into the next round. The swing from this single game could define the season.
Elsewhere in Europe – quickfire round-up
Across the continent, the Champions League news and domestic storylines kept coming. In Spain, Jude Bellingham continued his mad scoring habit for Real Madrid, popping up late with a headed winner after Vinícius Júnior and Rodrygo had both hit the woodwork. In France, Kylian Mbappé was on the scoresheet again for PSG, curling home from the edge of the box in a 2-0 victory that keeps them clear at the top. Heroes? Absolutely. Flops tonight are mostly the defences that had to face them.
All of this filters straight into the bigger picture: league tables shifting, Champions League qualification battles tightening and every dropped point suddenly feeling fatal.
The Internet is Exploding: 3 Social Media Highlights
X Discussion: Fans losing their minds over that late VAR offside and Szoboszlai's rocket
My take: this feels like a season-defining swing
Honestly, this felt bigger than three points. City looked rattled once Liverpool cranked the noise, and in my opinion, Guardiola left it too late to freshen the midfield. Rodri was clearly gassed by the 80th minute and that's exactly when Liverpool started carving them open in transition.
From Liverpool's side, this was vintage chaos-ball with just enough control. Salah was world-class, Díaz electric, Núñez infuriating but effective, and Szoboszlai delivered a goal you show your grandkids. If they keep this aggression and Anfield keeps that volume, they're absolutely in the title conversation until the final day.
Defensively, both sides were messy. If we're being real, neither looked like a Champions League-winning back line tonight. But for pure drama, for pure emotion, for that "did you see that??" feeling – this was as good as it gets.
What next?
Every fixture from here on out is going to feel like a cup final for the top sides. Make sure you're tracking not just the football league table but also who's in form, who's suspended and which superstars are turning up when it matters.
Check full stats & standings now
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