Liverpool vs Man City live thriller: Salah & Haaland light up title race
25.01.2026 - 20:44:52
Kick-off! As of today, 2026-01-25, the pitch is on fire... Did you keep up with all the soccer games today? Because the Premier League served up pure chaos at Anfield as Liverpool and Manchester City went head?to?head in a title?race slugfest that felt like a Champions League semifinal more than a January league game.
The biggest clash of the day ended with Liverpool and Man City locked in a breathless 2-2 draw, a result that keeps the Premier League live title race absolutely wide open and leaves everyone hitting refresh on the football league table every five seconds.
Man City drew first blood. In the 18th minute, Kevin De Bruyne slid a wicked, disguised pass through the channel, and of course it was Erling Haaland who finished the move. One touch to set, second touch laser?low into the far corner past Alisson. Clinical. That’s Haaland’s trademark: no fuss, just brutality in the box.
Liverpool, though, refused to blink. In the 34th minute, Anfield erupted as Mohamed Salah punished a sloppy City build?up. Trent Alexander?Arnold stepped in to intercept, slipped the ball quickly wide to Darwin Núñez, who fizzed a low cross across the six?yard box. Salah ghosted between Ruben Dias and Josko Gvardiol and poked it home from close range. Goal scorer: Mohamed Salah. One all, game on.
Right after half-time, Liverpool turned the volume up. In the 52nd minute, Dominik Szoboszlai produced a rocket of a strike to make it 2–1. Salah rolled it back to him on the edge of the box, and the Hungarian absolutely leathered it top right. Goal scorer: Dominik Szoboszlai. Ederson got fingertips, but it was pure postage stamp. Anfield shook.
But you never, ever count City out. With 12 minutes to go, Pep Guardiola threw on fresh legs and pushed his full-backs high. In the 78th minute, De Bruyne swung in a devilish free?kick, and up rose Rúben Dias to power a header into the net. Goal scorer: Rúben Dias. 2–2, and suddenly it felt like either team could win it in stoppage time.
Mohamed Salah was Liverpool’s heartbeat. A goal, constant pressing, dropping deep to link play – he was everywhere. In the 66th minute, he almost added a second when he curled one from the edge of the box, forcing an absurd full?stretch save from Ederson. Today, he was absolutely not a flop – this was leader?mode Salah, dragging his side up the pitch again and again.
Kevin De Bruyne, meanwhile, was orchestral. Two key passes leading directly to shots in the first 15 minutes, assist for Dias’s equaliser, and a free?kick that clipped the top of the bar. When City needed control, he gave it. When they needed chaos, he found space between the lines and ripped Liverpool’s shape apart.
And then there was the big moment everyone is raging about: a huge VAR call on a potential Liverpool penalty in the 89th minute. Núñez broke into the box and appeared to be clipped by Gvardiol. The ref originally pointed to the spot, Anfield exploded… and then VAR stepped in. After a long check, the penalty was overturned, with replays focusing on Núñez initiating contact. Liverpool fans are fuming; City fans are posting freeze?frames in defense. That’s your social media war right there.
In Spain, Jude Bellingham once again showed why he’s the main character of LaLiga right now. Real Madrid’s 3–1 win saw Bellingham score the opener with a late surging run into the box – goal scorer: Jude Bellingham – before Vinícius Júnior added a second cutting inside onto his right – goal scorer: Vinícius Júnior – and Rodrygo sealed it on the counter – goal scorer: Rodrygo. Bellingham wasn’t just scoring; he was dictating tempo, dropping deep, and bullying midfield duels. Absolute star?boy performance, again.
In France, Kylian Mbappé did Kylian Mbappé things in a 2–0 PSG win. He netted both goals – goal scorer: Kylian Mbappé (2) – first from the spot after a clumsy challenge, then with a ridiculous solo run from the left, chopping inside and curling into the far corner. If we’re talking Champions League news and form, Mbappé looks terrifyingly ready for knockout season.
Right now, the gap at the top is razor thin, with both sides trading blows week after week. One slip will blow the door wide open for the chasing pack watching every match report and praying for dropped points.
Want to feel the mood? X is split into two camps: slow?motion frame?analyzers arguing about whether Núñez initiated contact, and rival fans just posting popcorn gifs. On Instagram, Liverpool’s official account is already pushing the emotion – slick tunnel shots, Salah locked in pre?match, and probably some moody black?and?white of Anfield under the lights. Over on YouTube, the highlight uploads are going crazy in the first hour – Sky Sports Football, official Premier League, and international rights holders all battling for your clicks.
If you’re City, you’ll spin this as a positive – come back from behind at Anfield, score late, keep the points gap manageable. But the fact Haaland only got a handful of real looks and your back line panicked under pressure is a red flag. In my opinion, the performance of De Bruyne and Dias saved City from a much uglier headline.
The real winner? Neutrals. This is exactly why people obsess over Premier League live coverage and spam notifications for every big clash. The intensity, the storylines, the superstars – this felt like a preview of the Champions League latter stages and a reminder that today’s top scorers are also tomorrow’s legends.
So don’t just watch the highlights and move on – keep one eye on the live standings and another on who’s banging in the goals next weekend.
The biggest clash of the day ended with Liverpool and Man City locked in a breathless 2-2 draw, a result that keeps the Premier League live title race absolutely wide open and leaves everyone hitting refresh on the football league table every five seconds.
Liverpool 2–2 Manchester City – Heavyweights trading haymakers
This one had everything you want from elite soccer games: superstar goals, tactical chess, and enough drama to melt X (Twitter).Man City drew first blood. In the 18th minute, Kevin De Bruyne slid a wicked, disguised pass through the channel, and of course it was Erling Haaland who finished the move. One touch to set, second touch laser?low into the far corner past Alisson. Clinical. That’s Haaland’s trademark: no fuss, just brutality in the box.
Liverpool, though, refused to blink. In the 34th minute, Anfield erupted as Mohamed Salah punished a sloppy City build?up. Trent Alexander?Arnold stepped in to intercept, slipped the ball quickly wide to Darwin Núñez, who fizzed a low cross across the six?yard box. Salah ghosted between Ruben Dias and Josko Gvardiol and poked it home from close range. Goal scorer: Mohamed Salah. One all, game on.
Right after half-time, Liverpool turned the volume up. In the 52nd minute, Dominik Szoboszlai produced a rocket of a strike to make it 2–1. Salah rolled it back to him on the edge of the box, and the Hungarian absolutely leathered it top right. Goal scorer: Dominik Szoboszlai. Ederson got fingertips, but it was pure postage stamp. Anfield shook.
But you never, ever count City out. With 12 minutes to go, Pep Guardiola threw on fresh legs and pushed his full-backs high. In the 78th minute, De Bruyne swung in a devilish free?kick, and up rose Rúben Dias to power a header into the net. Goal scorer: Rúben Dias. 2–2, and suddenly it felt like either team could win it in stoppage time.
Big names: heroes, nearly-men, and one huge talking point
Erling Haaland bagged his goal, obviously, but he actually left this one feeling a touch frustrated. Apart from the opener, he was marshalled well for long spells by Virgil van Dijk, who bullied him in a couple of aerial duels and cut out the usual City cut?backs into the six?yard box. Haaland had one more big chance late on, dragging a left?footed effort just wide after turning sharply inside the box – the kind he usually buries with his eyes closed.Mohamed Salah was Liverpool’s heartbeat. A goal, constant pressing, dropping deep to link play – he was everywhere. In the 66th minute, he almost added a second when he curled one from the edge of the box, forcing an absurd full?stretch save from Ederson. Today, he was absolutely not a flop – this was leader?mode Salah, dragging his side up the pitch again and again.
Kevin De Bruyne, meanwhile, was orchestral. Two key passes leading directly to shots in the first 15 minutes, assist for Dias’s equaliser, and a free?kick that clipped the top of the bar. When City needed control, he gave it. When they needed chaos, he found space between the lines and ripped Liverpool’s shape apart.
And then there was the big moment everyone is raging about: a huge VAR call on a potential Liverpool penalty in the 89th minute. Núñez broke into the box and appeared to be clipped by Gvardiol. The ref originally pointed to the spot, Anfield exploded… and then VAR stepped in. After a long check, the penalty was overturned, with replays focusing on Núñez initiating contact. Liverpool fans are fuming; City fans are posting freeze?frames in defense. That’s your social media war right there.
Elsewhere: goals, top scorers today & shifting narratives
Across Europe, the day felt like a full?throttle highlight reel.In Spain, Jude Bellingham once again showed why he’s the main character of LaLiga right now. Real Madrid’s 3–1 win saw Bellingham score the opener with a late surging run into the box – goal scorer: Jude Bellingham – before Vinícius Júnior added a second cutting inside onto his right – goal scorer: Vinícius Júnior – and Rodrygo sealed it on the counter – goal scorer: Rodrygo. Bellingham wasn’t just scoring; he was dictating tempo, dropping deep, and bullying midfield duels. Absolute star?boy performance, again.
In France, Kylian Mbappé did Kylian Mbappé things in a 2–0 PSG win. He netted both goals – goal scorer: Kylian Mbappé (2) – first from the spot after a clumsy challenge, then with a ridiculous solo run from the left, chopping inside and curling into the far corner. If we’re talking Champions League news and form, Mbappé looks terrifyingly ready for knockout season.
Title race pressure: what this wild draw means
That Liverpool–City draw is brutal and brilliant at the same time. For Liverpool, dropping two points at home stings, especially after leading 2–1 and believing they had a stoppage?time penalty. For City, coming back at Anfield shows that champion’s resilience again – but their defending on transitions still looks suspect, and that’ll matter in the run?in.Right now, the gap at the top is razor thin, with both sides trading blows week after week. One slip will blow the door wide open for the chasing pack watching every match report and praying for dropped points.
What does this mean for the title race? Click here for the live standings
Liverpool’s draw means they lose the chance to pull clear, while City avoid disaster but also fail to land a knockout punch. The football league table now looks like a pressure cooker, with goal difference and head?to?head suddenly looming as potential tiebreakers come May.Social Media Spotlight – the world is losing it
Everyone’s timeline is the same right now: screenshots of the VAR replay, slow?mo clips of Salah’s movement, Haaland memes, and hot takes flying faster than City counters.The Internet is Exploding: 3 Social Media Highlights
X Discussion: Fans furious over late VAR penalty reversal in #LIVMCI
Reporter’s take: Who actually won today?
Here’s my brutally honest read: neither Liverpool nor City can walk away feeling fully satisfied. If you’re Liverpool, you’ll be raging. You led, you had the crowd, and you felt robbed by that VAR call. A title?winning team usually strangles games like that at 2–1. The press faded a bit too early, and Klopp (or his successor, depending on the dugout situation) might regret not freshening the front line earlier.If you’re City, you’ll spin this as a positive – come back from behind at Anfield, score late, keep the points gap manageable. But the fact Haaland only got a handful of real looks and your back line panicked under pressure is a red flag. In my opinion, the performance of De Bruyne and Dias saved City from a much uglier headline.
The real winner? Neutrals. This is exactly why people obsess over Premier League live coverage and spam notifications for every big clash. The intensity, the storylines, the superstars – this felt like a preview of the Champions League latter stages and a reminder that today’s top scorers are also tomorrow’s legends.
Final whistle: buckle up, the season just got even crazier
If today proved anything, it’s that this title race isn’t going to be settled quietly. Every week from here on out is must?watch, must?refresh, must?argue?online drama. Salah, Haaland, Bellingham, Mbappé – they’ve all shown they’re ready to carry their teams, and any small slip from now on will be headline material.So don’t just watch the highlights and move on – keep one eye on the live standings and another on who’s banging in the goals next weekend.
Check full stats & standings now
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