Liverpool stun City in Anfield thriller as Salah strikes late â live chaos
12.02.2026 - 17:34:31
Kick-off! As of today, 2026-02-12, the pitch is on fire... Did you see that?? If you love soccer games dripping with drama, Liverpool vs Manchester City at Anfield just gave you everything: goals, missed chances, VAR chaos, and a title race flipped on its head.
The Premier League live action delivered a heavyweight clash that felt like a Champions League night. Under the lights, Liverpool beat Manchester City 2-1 in a breathless showdown that might just define this season.
Liverpool answered right back. On 27 minutes, Trent Alexander-Arnold whipped in a classic early cross, City failed to clear, and the ball dropped to Darwin NĂșñez. First shot got blocked, second one didn't â NĂșñez smashed it high past Ederson to make it 1-1 and sent the Kop absolutely wild.
From there, it was chaos. Haaland could've had a hat-trick by half-time â he headed one big chance wide from a Phil Foden cross and then saw another shot saved brilliantly by Alisson Becker. On the other side, Mohamed Salah kept drifting in from the right, testing City's back line. His first real sighter curled just over the bar from the edge of the box.
The replays showed Haaland tugging Virgil van Dijk's shirt in the build-up. After a long look, VAR told the ref to chalk it off. Goal disallowed. That's where the social media meltdown started â City fans raging, Liverpool fans posting memes in seconds.
And then came the killer. 81st minute, game stretched, legs dead. Substitute Diogo Jota pressed high, nicked the ball off Rodri and slipped it into Salah in the right channel. One touch to bring it onto that left foot, body feint inside, and he buried it low across Ederson into the far corner. Vintage Salah. 2-1 Liverpool, Anfield exploded, and City looked absolutely gutted.
Erling Haaland is going to relive this night for a while. Yes, he scored City's opener, but he also missed two big chances that he usually buries. In a match this tight, those misses hurt. You could see the frustration when he slammed the turf late on after skying another half-chance from a De Bruyne cutback.
Kevin De Bruyne looked sharp for large stretches â that assist to Haaland was pure genius, and he repeatedly picked out dangerous runs â but Liverpool crowded him out as the game wore on. Virgil van Dijk was immense at the back, especially in the final 15 minutes when City threw everyone forward. On the other side, RĂșben Dias struggled with NĂșñez's physicality and the constant movement of Liverpool's front line.
The last minutes were pure siege. City's best last-gasp chance came in the 93rd minute when De Bruyne whipped in a corner, Haaland rose highest, but his header landed on the roof of the net. Pep Guardiola dropped to his knees; JĂŒrgen Klopp pumped his fists at the Kop â you could practically feel the tension through the screen.
Those performances keep Real Madrid and PSG firmly at the top end of their respective tables and very much in the conversation for Champions League glory. Top scorers today? Mbappé, as usual, is right in the mix, and Bellingham keeps padding that already ridiculous goal tally from midfield.
Scroll that hashtag and you'll see everything from freeze-frame analysis of the shirt pull to Liverpool fans posting Salah GOAT edits. Over on Instagram, Liverpool's official account is already dropping dressing-room content and full-time celebration shots, while YouTube is getting flooded with highlight reels and fan reaction videos from Anfield and beyond.
Tactically, Klopp absolutely nailed it. Pushing Jota on late to press Rodri was genius, and it directly led to the winning goal. On the flip side, Guardiola's decision to leave more attacking options on the bench until very late might haunt him; City looked short of ideas once Liverpool locked down De Bruyne and blocked passing lines into Haaland.
City are still monsters over a full season, but tonight they blinked. Liverpool smelled blood and finished the job. If City drop even a couple more points and Liverpool keep this energy, we might be talking about one of the most dramatic final stretches in Premier League history.
The Premier League live action delivered a heavyweight clash that felt like a Champions League night. Under the lights, Liverpool beat Manchester City 2-1 in a breathless showdown that might just define this season.
Liverpool 2-1 Manchester City â Salah the cold-blooded closer
This one started at 100 miles per hour. Manchester City drew first blood: in the 14th minute, Kevin De Bruyne slipped a filthy pass through the lines, and Erling Haaland did what Erling Haaland usually does â one touch to set, one hammer of a left foot into the bottom corner. 1-0 City, Anfield stunned for about three seconds before the noise came roaring back.Liverpool answered right back. On 27 minutes, Trent Alexander-Arnold whipped in a classic early cross, City failed to clear, and the ball dropped to Darwin NĂșñez. First shot got blocked, second one didn't â NĂșñez smashed it high past Ederson to make it 1-1 and sent the Kop absolutely wild.
From there, it was chaos. Haaland could've had a hat-trick by half-time â he headed one big chance wide from a Phil Foden cross and then saw another shot saved brilliantly by Alisson Becker. On the other side, Mohamed Salah kept drifting in from the right, testing City's back line. His first real sighter curled just over the bar from the edge of the box.
Second-half: VAR, controversy, and the Salah dagger
The second half went full drama mode. On 58 minutes, City thought they'd gone 2-1 up when Foden cut in and fired low, Alisson parried, and JuliĂĄn Ălvarez tapped in. Cue wild celebrations â cut short by the dreaded VAR check.The replays showed Haaland tugging Virgil van Dijk's shirt in the build-up. After a long look, VAR told the ref to chalk it off. Goal disallowed. That's where the social media meltdown started â City fans raging, Liverpool fans posting memes in seconds.
And then came the killer. 81st minute, game stretched, legs dead. Substitute Diogo Jota pressed high, nicked the ball off Rodri and slipped it into Salah in the right channel. One touch to bring it onto that left foot, body feint inside, and he buried it low across Ederson into the far corner. Vintage Salah. 2-1 Liverpool, Anfield exploded, and City looked absolutely gutted.
Heroes and flops: Big names under the spotlight
Mohamed Salah was the difference-maker. Apart from the winning goal, he constantly pinned City's defence back, combined with NĂșñez and Luis DĂaz, and won fouls in dangerous areas. On this stage, under this pressure, he lived up to the moment.Erling Haaland is going to relive this night for a while. Yes, he scored City's opener, but he also missed two big chances that he usually buries. In a match this tight, those misses hurt. You could see the frustration when he slammed the turf late on after skying another half-chance from a De Bruyne cutback.
Kevin De Bruyne looked sharp for large stretches â that assist to Haaland was pure genius, and he repeatedly picked out dangerous runs â but Liverpool crowded him out as the game wore on. Virgil van Dijk was immense at the back, especially in the final 15 minutes when City threw everyone forward. On the other side, RĂșben Dias struggled with NĂșñez's physicality and the constant movement of Liverpool's front line.
The last minutes were pure siege. City's best last-gasp chance came in the 93rd minute when De Bruyne whipped in a corner, Haaland rose highest, but his header landed on the roof of the net. Pep Guardiola dropped to his knees; JĂŒrgen Klopp pumped his fists at the Kop â you could practically feel the tension through the screen.
What this does to the football league table
This result is enormous for the Premier League title race. Liverpool's win cuts City's lead at the top and piles pressure on the champions. If you look at the football league table right now, Liverpool are suddenly right in the mix, breathing down City's necks, while City's margin for error just got way smaller.What does this mean for the title race? Click here for the live standings
With other soccer games across Europe also reshaping the Champions League spots, this single result could influence who ends up in next season's Champions League and who gets dragged into a scrap for fourth. Every point from here on feels like a cup final.Elsewhere in Europe: Champions League contenders flexing
While Anfield stole the headlines, the Champions League news radar was buzzing too. In Spain, Jude Bellingham once again delivered for Real Madrid, scoring in a 2-0 win over Sevilla â Bellingham grabbed the opener, and VinĂcius JĂșnior added the second with a cool finish. Over in France, Kylian MbappĂ© bagged a brace for PSG in a 3-1 win against Lyon, with goals from MbappĂ© (two) and Ousmane DembĂ©lĂ© sealing it.Those performances keep Real Madrid and PSG firmly at the top end of their respective tables and very much in the conversation for Champions League glory. Top scorers today? MbappĂ©, as usual, is right in the mix, and Bellingham keeps padding that already ridiculous goal tally from midfield.
Social Media Spotlight
The internet went nuclear the moment VAR stepped in at Anfield. The official hashtag doing the rounds is #LIVMCI, and it's basically a war zone of opinions right now: was Haaland's foul on Van Dijk really enough to disallow the goal?The Internet is Exploding: 3 Social Media Highlights
X Discussion: Fans furious over the VAR call on Haaland's disallowed goal
Reporter's take: Title race chaos incoming
In my opinion, this is one of those turning-point nights. Liverpool didn't just grab three points â they sent a message. Beating City like this, in a high-pressure showdown, with Salah stepping up and Haaland looking human for once, changes the whole vibe of the run-in.Tactically, Klopp absolutely nailed it. Pushing Jota on late to press Rodri was genius, and it directly led to the winning goal. On the flip side, Guardiola's decision to leave more attacking options on the bench until very late might haunt him; City looked short of ideas once Liverpool locked down De Bruyne and blocked passing lines into Haaland.
City are still monsters over a full season, but tonight they blinked. Liverpool smelled blood and finished the job. If City drop even a couple more points and Liverpool keep this energy, we might be talking about one of the most dramatic final stretches in Premier League history.
What's next?
So where does this leave us? The football league table is now must-refresh territory. Every matchday, every kickoff, every slip-up is going to be huge from here on. If you're into soccer news, do not look away â the Premier League and the Champions League qualification race are both tightening by the minute.Check full stats & standings now
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@ ad-hoc-news.de
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