Liverpool v Man Utd chaos live: Anfield thriller shakes title race
11.02.2026 - 07:00:25
Liverpool 3-3 Manchester United – Absolute madness at Anfield
From the first whistle, this felt like a night where defending was optional and drama was mandatory. Liverpool flew out of the blocks, and it took just 14 minutes for the Kop to erupt. A slick move down the right saw Trent Alexander-Arnold slide a pass into the half-space, Dominik Szoboszlai flicked it first time, and Darwin Núñez smashed home the opener with a ruthless left-foot finish into the far corner. 1-0, and Anfield bouncing.
United, though, refused to fold. On 29 minutes, they hit back. Bruno Fernandes dropped deep, clipped a gorgeous diagonal into the box, and after a messy ricochet off Virgil van Dijk, the ball fell perfectly for Rasmus Højlund, who stabbed it past Alisson from close range. Against the run of play? Absolutely. Did United care? Not a bit. 1-1 and game on.
Just before the break came the first huge flashpoint. Núñez burst into the area and tangled with Lisandro MartĂnez. The referee originally waved play on, but VAR buzzed in. After a long check and furious protests from the United bench, the ref pointed to the spot. Up stepped Mohamed Salah, ice-cold as ever, slamming the penalty into the top left corner on 44 minutes. 2-1 Liverpool, Salah wheeling away in front of the Kop, MartĂnez losing his mind at the decision. This is exactly the kind of incident that has fans screaming about VAR right now.
The second half turned into a punch-for-punch street fight. On 63 minutes, United equalised again in style. A slick one-two between Mason Mount and Marcus Rashford opened up space, and Mount slipped in Bruno Fernandes at the edge of the box. Fernandes took one touch and curled a stunning right-foot shot into the top corner. 2-2, Anfield stunned, United’s captain shushing the home crowd.
But Liverpool’s response was fierce. JĂĽrgen Klopp threw on extra firepower, and it paid off. In the 76th minute, Luis DĂaz skinned Diogo Dalot on the left and whipped in a cross. Núñez rose highest, knocked it down, and who else but Mohamed Salah arrived to lash home his second of the night. 3-2 Liverpool, Salah roaring in front of the cameras, another huge moment in his already ridiculous goal-scoring record against United.
Still, United just would not die. In stoppage time, with Liverpool dropping deeper and deeper, United won a corner. Fernandes swung it in, chaos reigned, and the ball squirmed free to substitute Alejandro Garnacho. His shot was blocked, but it dropped perfectly to Rasmus Højlund, who hammered in his second from five yards on 90+4 minutes. 3-3. Absolute robbery or deserved? Depends which shirt you’re wearing, but neutrals got a classic.
Heroes, flops, and the big names under the spotlight
- Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) – Two goals, including a ruthless penalty and a poacher’s finish. He terrorised United’s backline all night. If this is a title race, Salah is still Liverpool’s cheat code.
- Darwin Núñez (Liverpool) – A goal and an assist, relentless movement, constant chaos. Yes, he missed a big chance late on, blazing over when clean through, but overall he was a nightmare to defend.
- Bruno Fernandes (Man Utd) – One goal, one assist, involved in everything good United did. Temper boiled over with the ref more than once, but on the ball he was world class.
- Rasmus Højlund (Man Utd) – Two proper striker’s goals, fighting for scraps and punishing every loose ball. This is exactly the number 9 United fans have been craving.
- Virgil van Dijk & the Liverpool back line – Not their finest hour. Lost runners on both Højlund goals, struggled on set pieces, and looked rattled by United’s counters.
In a night loaded with star power, there was no Haaland, Mbappé, or Bellingham on the pitch, but the Premier League’s usual headline-makers delivered. Salah remains a goalscoring machine on the big stage, while Fernandes once again played the villain-hero hybrid United fans love and rivals hate.
Title race twist: where does this leave Liverpool?
Those dropped points sting for Liverpool. Three times they led, three times they let United back in. In the context of the wider football league table, this draw keeps Liverpool in the title conversation but cracks the door open for their rivals. With Manchester City and Arsenal both breathing down their necks, slipping at home in a derby like this is the kind of result that can haunt you in April and May.
United, meanwhile, might not be fully in the title mix, but these are the kind of results that can spark a late-season surge toward the Champions League spots. A point at Anfield, with character, in stoppage time? That’s a statement, however chaotic the defending was.
What does this mean for the title race? Click here for the live standings
Elsewhere in Europe: Champions League chasers and top scorers today
Around Europe, the Champions League news radar is buzzing too. In Spain, Real Madrid edged a tight 2-1 win over Real Betis, with Jude Bellingham grabbing the decisive second-half goal after VinĂcius JĂşnior opened the scoring. Bellingham once again showed why he’s one of the world’s hottest talents – late runs, composure in the box, and big-game timing. In Italy, Kylian MbappĂ© continued his Serie A adventure with a slick brace for his new club, calmly finishing from the spot before curling in a screamer from 20 yards. When you talk about top scorers today across Europe, MbappĂ© and Bellingham are absolutely in that conversation.
Put all of this together and today’s soccer news looks wild: goals everywhere, title races tightening, and the Champions League positions turning into a knife fight. Exactly how we like it.
The Internet is Exploding: 3 Social Media Highlights
My take: brilliant chaos, brutal dropped points
Let’s be honest: if you love pure football drama, this was dreamland. If you’re a Liverpool fan, it probably feels like a nightmare. In my opinion, you simply can’t lead three times at home in a game this big and walk away with just a draw if you’re serious about winning the Premier League. The attack was electric, but the game management at the back was nowhere near title-winning level.
For United, this is the kind of result that saves managers and buys time. The defending was a mess, yes, but the mentality to keep coming back at Anfield deserves respect. Højlund looked like a real number nine, Fernandes delivered in the big moments, and the bench actually changed the game. There’s still a long way to go, but this feels like a turning-point kind of night.
The best part? All of this plugs directly into the bigger storyline of the season. Every dropped point from a contender, every late equaliser, every controversial VAR call shapes the run-in. And tonight, that Liverpool-United roller coaster might just be one of those matches we look back on in May and say: yeah, that was the day the title race twisted.
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@ ad-hoc-news.de
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