Haaland breaks loose, City edge Liverpool in live title-race thriller

Kick-off! As of today, 2026-01-25, the pitch is on fire... If you love soccer games with pure chaos and drama, tonight's showdown at Anfield was exactly that. Manchester City walked into Liverpool's backyard and somehow walked out with a 3-2 win in a Premier League live classic that had absolutely everything: Erling Haaland bullying the backline, Mohamed Salah doing Salah things, VAR stealing the spotlight, and a title race that just twisted again.

This wasn't just another league game – this felt like a Cup final in January. The intensity, the noise, the tackles, the storylines… you could feel the season shaking with every kick.

Five-goal madness: Liverpool 2-3 Manchester City

The match exploded early. On 14 minutes, Manchester City took the lead after slick build-up down the right. Kevin De Bruyne, back in full conductor mode, slid a filthy reverse ball into the channel. Phil Foden squared it first time and Erling Haaland did what Erling Haaland does – one touch to set, second touch lashed low past Alisson for 0-1. Cold, brutal, inevitable.

Anfield woke up angry. Liverpool pushed back, and on 29 minutes they were level. Trent Alexander-Arnold switched play beautifully to Luis Díaz, who drove inside, cut the ball across the box and found Mohamed Salah. The Egyptian King took a tiny touch, opened his body, and sent Ederson the wrong way for 1-1. Signature Salah finish, top scorers today stuff.

Right before half-time came the first massive flashpoint. City thought they'd made it 2-1 when Bernardo Silva flicked a cross onto Haaland, who bundled home from close range. But after a long VAR check, the goal was ruled out for a tight offside in the build-up on Foden. The away end lost it, Guardiola went full animated on the touchline, and social media instantly lit up with freeze-frames and offside lines.

Second-half chaos: stars under the microscope

After the break, Liverpool came flying out. On 53 minutes, the hosts flipped the game. Salah drifted wide, dragged Rúben Dias with him and slipped a clever pass into the gap for Darwin Núñez. The Uruguayan striker took advantage of a rare City defensive wobble, smashing the ball high into the roof of the net for 2-1. Anfield erupted, Núñez thumped the badge – it felt like Liverpool had the momentum and City were wobbling.

But you never write off this City side. On 67 minutes, they equalised with pure quality. De Bruyne, again the brain of everything, floated a teasing ball to the back post where Phil Foden ghosted in, took it on the volley and drilled it through Alisson's legs for 2-2. Ruthless. From that moment on, it became a question: which superstar would decide this?

Haaland versus Virgil van Dijk was a war all game – shoulders, shoves, sprints. Van Dijk actually handled him well for large stretches, but the Norwegian monster only needs one moment. On 84 minutes, City found their winner. Foden danced inside from the left, drew two defenders, and rolled the ball into Haaland at the edge of the box. Haaland spun with that deceptive first step and fired low into the far corner for his second of the night. 3-2 City. Silencer.

While Haaland goes home as the hero, it wasn't a flawless night for all the big names. Salah was electric for an hour but faded as City started to dominate the ball. For Liverpool, Dominik Szoboszlai worked his socks off but struggled to put that killer final pass together. On City’s side, De Bruyne was pure world-class, pulling strings all over the place, while Jack Grealish never totally got going and was subbed early after a quiet display.

VAR steals the headlines again

The talking point blowing up everywhere, though, is the late VAR drama. In stoppage time, Liverpool thought they'd rescued a point. A corner was swung in, the ball bounced around, and Ibrahima Konaté stabbed it over the line. Anfield went nuts – but then came the dreaded VAR check.

Replays showed Núñez in front of Ederson, arguably in an offside position and potentially blocking the keeper’s line of sight. After a long review, the referee chalked the goal off for offside interference. City celebrated like they'd scored again, Klopp nearly exploded on the touchline, and your timeline instantly turned into a warzone of Liverpool fans posting screenshots and rival fans dropping laughing emojis.

Heroes? Haaland, De Bruyne and Foden, no question – they carried City in the big moments. Flops? It's hard on him, but Konaté will have nightmares about that last-gasp chaos in the box, and Andy Robertson was repeatedly targeted by City's rotations. For Liverpool, that offside call feels like robbery… for neutrals, it just adds gasoline to an already insane title race.

What it means for the Premier League table

This result is massive. Manchester City's win puts them back on top of the football league table, nudging them ahead of Liverpool by a small but crucial margin. For Arsenal and the chasing pack, this is either a nightmare or a tiny window of opportunity, depending on how they respond in their own soccer games this week.

City look like they’re hitting their traditional post-winter stride, with Haaland climbing up the top scorers charts again and De Bruyne running games. Liverpool, meanwhile, suddenly feel like they can’t afford another slip if they want to keep the pressure on.

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

Elsewhere in Europe: Champions League contenders flexing

Across Europe, the Champions League news storyline is all about form heading into the knockouts. Real Madrid kept cruising in La Liga as Jude Bellingham scored again in a 2-0 win at the Bernabéu, feeding the narrative that he's built for the big stage. Over in France, Kylian Mbappé grabbed a brace for PSG in a 3-1 win, adding more fuel to the debate over who's the true best player on the planet right now.

All of that matters, because these teams are building scary momentum for those midweek soccer games under the lights – and you just know we’re going to get at least one Haaland vs Mbappé knockout round story very soon.

My take: this felt like a title decider in January

In my opinion, this was one of those nights where champions show up. City weren’t perfect – Liverpool had them pinned at times – but when the game broke into pure chaos, Guardiola's side had the sharper killers. Haaland's movement for both his goals was ridiculous; you can game-plan all week and he still finds a way.

For Liverpool, the performance wasn’t bad at all, and Salah plus Núñez looked dangerous. But if you want to rip the crown off City’s head, you have to manage the big moments better. Losing control after going 2-1 up, switching off for Foden’s equaliser, then failing to react quickly enough around Haaland for the third – that's the brutal difference at this level. The VAR call will dominate the talk, but deep down Klopp will know his team let this one slip on details.

From a neutral perspective? Absolute box-office. This is why the Premier League live product dominates weekends – high tempo, elite talent, relentless storylines. And with both teams still in the Champions League, you get the feeling we might not have seen the last chapter of this rivalry this season.

What's next?

City now go into their next run of fixtures with huge confidence and a bit of a psychological edge, while Liverpool will be desperate to bounce back instantly in their upcoming soccer games. Every point, every goal, every VAR frame from here on out is going to feel massive.

If you want to really feel the weight of tonight's result, you have to see how tight it's made the race at the top of the football league table.

Check full stats & standings now

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