Liverpool vs Man City chaos live: Salah & Haaland light up title race

Kick-off! As of today, 2026-02-09, the pitch is on fire... Did you see that?? If you were searching for Football results today and somehow missed Liverpool vs Manchester City at Anfield, stop everything and catch up – this was pure chaos. Goals, VAR, touchline meltdowns, superstar drama… this is the kind of night that tilts a whole season.

Liverpool 3-2 Manchester City – Salah vs Haaland in a title-race thriller

Anfield under the lights, Premier League live, and from the first whistle it felt like something special was brewing. Liverpool flew out of the blocks and it took just 11 minutes for the place to erupt. A slick move down the right saw Trent Alexander-Arnold fizz a low cross in, Darwin Núñez cushioned it perfectly, and Mohamed Salah drilled home the opener with his left foot into the far corner. 1-0, and the Kop went absolutely wild.

But you knew Manchester City would punch back. On 28 minutes, Kevin De Bruyne slipped a trademark through-ball into space, Erling Haaland shrugged off Virgil van Dijk and buried a ruthless right-foot finish across Alisson for 1-1. Classic Haaland: one chance, one goal, that ice-cold celebration right in front of the home fans.

The game turned nasty and glorious at the same time. Tackles flew in, the tempo barely dropped, and right before half-time Liverpool struck again. After a corner wasn't cleared, the ball dropped to Dominik Szoboszlai on the edge of the box – he took one touch out of his feet and absolutely hammered a rocket into the top corner. No chance for Ederson. 2-1 Liverpool at the break, and that might be the goal of the season shout you'll see in soccer news all week.

Second-half drama: VAR, penalties and a late twist

City came out like a machine in the second half. On 57 minutes, a loose touch from Ibrahima Konaté invited pressure, Bernardo Silva pounced, and slipped in Phil Foden. Alisson saved the first effort, but the rebound fell kindly to Phil Foden, who poked it in for 2-2. Cue Guardiola going ballistic on the touchline, whipping the away end into a frenzy.

Then came the hot-topic moment of the night. On 72 minutes, Núñez burst into the box, tangled with Rúben Dias, went down, and the ref initially waved play on. But after a long VAR check – lines everywhere, players crowding the monitor – the decision was overturned. Penalty Liverpool. City players were livid, Haaland screaming at the fourth official, Guardiola laughing that furious laugh you only see when he thinks the whole world is against him.

Up stepped Mohamed Salah again. You could feel the pressure through the screen, but he just rolled it calmly into the bottom corner, sending Ederson the wrong way. 3-2 Liverpool, Salah brace, and Anfield was bouncing like a Champions League night.

The final 15 minutes were pure siege. Haaland had a header tipped over by Alisson, De Bruyne curled a free-kick inches wide, and in stoppage time City thought they'd equalised when Erling Haaland smashed in from close range – but the flag went up for an earlier offside on Julián Álvarez. VAR checked it, the lines showed Álvarez just ahead of the last defender, and the goal was chalked off. That offside / VAR combo is exactly what everyone is raging about online right now.

Stars under the spotlight: Heroes and flops

• Mohamed Salah – Two massive goals, endless running, constantly dragging Liverpool up the pitch. Big-game player, simple as. When people talk about top scorers today, this is the kind of statement night they mean.
• Erling Haaland – Laser-sharp finish for his goal, should have had two, and bullied defenders all game. But he ended the night furious, throwing his arms up at every whistle and storming down the tunnel after the final VAR offside decision.
• Kevin De Bruyne – The brain of City's attack. One gorgeous assist for Haaland, two or three more passes that could have been goals on another day. Faded slightly late on as Liverpool's press tightened.
• Virgil van Dijk – Won some huge duels, lost a couple to Haaland, but in stoppage time he made a monster block on Álvarez that basically saved the three points.

For Liverpool, this win doesn't just feel big – it feels season-defining. For City, it's a brutal reminder that in this league, any slip can blow the title race wide open.

What this does to the Premier League table

So, how does this crazy night hit the football league table? Liverpool leapfrog City and move to the top, at least for now, putting real pressure on the rest of the top four. City drop crucial points in what's becoming an insanely tight title battle – a single defeat here and there and you're suddenly chasing, not leading.

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

If you're tracking Premier League live numbers, go look at that table and tell me this isn't shaping up to be the most chaotic run-in in years.

Elsewhere in Europe: Champions League contenders warming up

Across the continent, the Champions League news angle is all about how the big guns are sharpening their teeth before the knockouts. Real Madrid cruised with Jude Bellingham again on the scoresheet, arriving late in the box to slot home a cool finish. Over in France, Kylian Mbappé produced another trademark performance for PSG – electric pace, one-on-ones for fun, and a clinical penalty smashed high into the net.

These performances might not be in the same league as Liverpool vs City tonight, but in terms of momentum, they matter. When you scan Football results today from the top leagues, the pattern is clear: the superstars are starting to hit peak form just as the season heads into its most brutal phase.

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My take: This felt like a title turning point

Here's the thing: you don't often get league-deciding vibes in February, but tonight felt different. In my opinion, Liverpool looked hungrier, sharper, more desperate to prove they're not just clinging on to the top, they're owning it. Salah played like a man who's sick of hearing Haaland and Mbappé get all the headlines. Núñez was chaos in boots – not perfect, but impossible to ignore.

City were still brilliant in spells, but there was a weird fragility about them. When the VAR calls went against them, they seemed to lose their cool instead of doubling down. Guardiola can complain all he wants, but if you're going to win this league again, you can't mentally fall apart every time a 50-50 goes against you.

From a pure neutral standpoint? Absolute world-class entertainment. From a City perspective? A nightmare. From Liverpool's view? This is the night you circle if they end up champions.

What's next?

The title race is officially in chaos mode. Every fixture, every missed chance, every marginal VAR call is suddenly loaded with pressure. We'll be tracking all the Premier League live twists, the top scorers today and tomorrow, and how these clubs balance domestic grind with Champions League intensity.

Check full stats & standings now

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@ ad-hoc-news.de

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