Liverpool vs Man City live thriller: Salah & Haaland light up title race
03.02.2026 - 07:09:47
Liverpool 3-2 Manchester City â Anfield turns into a cauldron
This was one of those nights where you'll remember exactly where you were. From the first whistle, both teams flew into tackles, pressed like maniacs and refused to back down. The opening goal came early and, of course, it was Erling Haaland silencing the Kop.
On 18 minutes, Kevin De Bruyne slid a filthy through ball between the lines, Haaland bullied his marker, shrugged him off and drilled a low left-foot strike past Alisson into the bottom corner. 0-1 City, and you could almost hear every Fantasy Football manager smiling.
But Liverpool hit back. On 32 minutes, Mohamed Salah did Salah things. He drifted in from the right, played a slick one-two with Dominik Szoboszlai, and then curled a trademark left-foot rocket into the far corner beyond Ederson. Anfield exploded. 1-1 and game on.
Just before half-time, the hosts flipped the script again. From a corner on 44 minutes, Virgil van Dijk rose highest, powered a header off the bar, and Darwin NĂșñez reacted fastest to stab home the rebound from close range. 2-1 Liverpool, and City looked rattled for the first time all night.
Second-half storm: Haaland vs Salah, round two
City came out angry after the break. On 57 minutes, a slick move down the left saw Phil Foden cut inside and whip in a teasing cross. Haaland peeled off his man and nodded in from six yards for his second of the night. 2-2, and the away end lost its mind. That's 2 goals for Haaland â absolute machine mode.
From there, it turned into pure chaos. Tackles flying in, counters everywhere, VAR on red alert. De Bruyne tested Alisson from distance, Szoboszlai forced Ederson into a full-stretch save, and every transition felt like it could decide the title.
VAR drama and a last-gasp winner
The key flashpoint came on 78 minutes. NĂșñez burst into the box and went down under a challenge from RĂșben Dias. The referee initially waved play on, but was sent to the monitor by VAR. After an agonizing delay, the penalty was awarded â and that's where the stadium simply lost it.
Up stepped Salah on 80 minutes, one-on-one with Ederson, title race hanging in the balance. Ice-cold. He slammed the ball high into the top-right corner for his second of the night. 3-2 Liverpool, haters silenced, Anfield bouncing.
City pushed like crazy in stoppage time. De Bruyne whipped in a dangerous free-kick, Haaland almost nicked a hat-trick with a glancing header just wide, and Bernardo Silva had a shot blocked on the line by van Dijk in the 94th minute. Absolute heart-attack football.
Heroes, flops and big names under the spotlight
- Mohamed Salah: Two massive goals, constant menace, dragged Liverpool forward whenever they needed a spark. This is prime Salah â ruthless, relentless, unplayable. Out-and-out hero tonight.
- Erling Haaland: Two goals at Anfield in a loss still says everything about his level. Movement was elite, finishing was clinical. He did his job; the cast around him didn't fully match that energy.
- Kevin De Bruyne: Vision was outrageous at times, including the assist for the opener, but faded a bit late on as Liverpool squeezed the midfield. Still, every time he got on the ball, you felt danger.
- Virgil van Dijk: Absolute wall at the back in the final 15 minutes. That last-ditch block on Bernardo Silva is the kind of moment titles are built on.
- City defence: Dias and the back line had a rough night. They never fully handled NĂșñez's chaos or Salah's movement. In a game this big, that's costly.
Elsewhere in Europe: Bellingham and Mbappé in the spotlight
Over in Spain, Jude Bellingham once again showed he's built for the big stage. Real Madrid's 2-0 win was sealed by goals from VinĂcius JĂșnior and Bellingham himself, who arrived late in the box on 70 minutes to slot home after a cut-back from Rodrygo. Calm finish, pure maturity. He bossed midfield, constantly demanding the ball and driving forward.
In France, Kylian Mbappé bagged a brace in a 3-1 PSG win: a coolly-taken penalty in the first half and a ruthless near-post smash after burning his defender for pace in the second. Once again, when PSG needed a moment of magic, Mbappé delivered. Not the most difficult opposition, but he turned it into a personal highlight reel.
What this does to the Premier League table
Liverpool's win over City blows the title race wide open. Instead of City cruising clear, Liverpool leapfrog them in the standings and put serious pressure on everyone chasing European spots. City are suddenly looking over their shoulders instead of staring down from the top.
What does this mean for the title race? Click here for the live standings
Social Media Spotlight: Anfield meltdown goes global
The online reaction? Absolutely nuclear. The penalty call on Dias vs NĂșñez is the Hot Topic right now â everyone is debating whether there was enough contact, whether NĂșñez went down too easily, and if VAR is ruining or saving the modern game.
The Internet is Exploding: 3 Social Media Highlights
X Discussion: Fans furious and divided over the late VAR penalty at Anfield
My take: statement win, huge questions
From a pure football perspective, this felt like a statement: Liverpool aren't just in the title race, they're grabbing it by the throat. Salah looked like a man on a mission, NĂșñez weaponized chaos perfectly, and Anfield did what Anfield always does on the biggest nights â it swallowed the opposition whole.
For City, there's no need to panic, but there are questions. Defensively they looked too open, too vulnerable to direct balls and transitions, and once again they struggled when the game turned into a fight instead of a training drill. In my opinion, if Pep doesn't tighten that back line fast, this season could slip away in the head-to-heads, not the small games.
As for the VAR call â honestly, I've seen them given and not given. Dias steps across, there's contact, NĂșñez goes down. If you're a City fan, you're fuming. If you're a Liverpool fan, you're screaming "stonewall". But with the way Liverpool were pushing, it always felt like something big was coming.
What's next?
With Salah firing, Haaland still scoring for fun and Bellingham and Mbappé running their leagues, the Champions League news cycle is about to go wild. These are the guys who decide seasons, trophies and legacies. If today is any clue, the run-in is going to be pure chaos.
Don't just rely on the vibes, though â the numbers are shifting by the minute. Title hopes, European spots, relegation fears, it's all in the standings.
Check full stats & standings now
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