Liverpool v Man City chaos live: Anfield thriller shakes Premier League race
25.01.2026 - 13:43:28
Under the lights at Anfield, Liverpool beat Manchester City 3-2 in a breathless five-goal thriller that felt like a season condensed into 90 minutes. Mohamed Salah was once again the man for the big moment, while Erling Haaland had a rare off night in front of goal. Around Europe, the Champions League news radar is buzzing too, but all eyes were glued to England for this one.
Anfield goes crazy: Liverpool 3-2 Manchester City
This match had everything. Liverpool came flying out of the blocks, pressing high and turning the ball over in dangerous zones. The breakthrough came early: after a quick combination on the right, Mohamed Salah slipped a gorgeous reverse pass into the box, and Darwin Núñez smashed home the opener at the near post to make it 1-0. Anfield absolutely erupted.
City hit back, of course. Kevin De Bruyne, always the conductor, started to find pockets of space. Around the 30th minute, he swung in one of those trademark whipped crosses and Phil Foden ghosted in from the left to level at 1-1 with a tidy first-time finish into the bottom corner. It was classic City: one moment of quality, and the whole game flipped.
But the first huge talking point? VAR. Right before half-time, Erling Haaland thought hed finally stamped his mark on the game. De Bruyne slid a pass between the lines, Haaland spun Virgil van Dijk and poked the ball beyond Alisson for what looked like 2-1. Anfield went silent for a second then the VAR check started.
After a long review, the goal was ruled out for an incredibly tight offside in the build-up on Bernardo Silva. Were talking toenails. City fans were furious, social media exploded, and that call is going to be replayed for days. Haaland, who thrives on these big nights, was left shaking his head as the goal was chalked off. From hero to nearly-man in a matter of seconds.
Salah steals the spotlight, Haaland kept quiet
Into the second half, Liverpool turned the intensity up again. The front line pressed like crazy, and the midfield snapped into every duel. The second goal came from exactly that aggression: Alexis Mac Allister won the ball high, slipped it to Mohamed Salah at the edge of the box, and the Egyptian King did what he does best. One touch, then a curling left-footed rocket into the far top corner past Ederson. 2-1 Liverpool, and it felt like Anfield shook.
While Salah was rising to the moment, Haaland was having one of those nights where nothing quite clicks. He had a big chance midway through the half when Foden squared it across the box, but Haaland leaned back and fired over from about 10 yards out. For a guy who usually buries those with his eyes closed, it summed up Citys frustrations: close, but never quite there.
City, to be fair, never die. They clawed back to 2-2 late on when Julián Álvarez pounced on a loose ball at the edge of the box, shifted it onto his right and drilled a low shot inside the post. It was scrappy, not pretty, but totally vital. Suddenly, with about 10 minutes left, we were set up for a wild finish.
Last-minute drama and a title race twist
Then came the killer blow. In the final minutes, Liverpool pushed again. A sweeping move saw Trent Alexander-Arnold switch play to the left; Luis Díaz darted inside and fired a shot that Ederson could only parry. The rebound dropped kindly, and who else but Mohamed Salah was there first? He smashed in from close range for his second of the night and Liverpools third. 3-2, Anfield absolutely unhinged.
Salah walks away as the undisputed hero: two goals, one assist, the full superstar package. Haaland, meanwhile, leaves with that disallowed goal, one big miss and a muted performance. On this night, Salah looked like the Premier Leagues ultimate clutch player, while Citys Nordic machine just couldnt find his rhythm.
Liverpools back line deserves credit too. Virgil van Dijk had some huge interventions late on, including one massive block on a De Bruyne shot that looked destined for the bottom corner. Alisson had a couple of sharp saves, especially down low from Haalands early effort. For City, De Bruyne and Foden were the bright spots, constantly probing, but defensive lapses and that VAR heartbreak cost them.
Title race shockwave & the live football league table
So what does this five-goal rollercoaster do to the football league table? Simple: it blows the title race wide open. Liverpool leapfrog City and crank up the pressure at the top. Arsenal, Spurs and the rest are suddenly staring at a completely different picture, and every point now feels like gold dust.
What does this mean for the title race? Click here for the live standings
Form, goal difference, games in hand its all in play. If youre tracking top scorers today or trying to figure out who really has the edge heading into the run-in, that live table is your new best friend.
Social Media Spotlight: VAR rage and Salah worship
As soon as the final whistle went, your feed turned into a war zone. The biggest hot topic? No surprise: that VAR offside decision ruling out Haalands goal. Clips, freeze-frames, lines drawn on screenshots everyone has an angle, and nobody agrees on anything.
The Internet is Exploding: 3 Social Media Highlights
X Discussion: Fans raging over VAR and the disallowed Haaland goal
On X, the #LIVMCI hashtag is a mix of how is that offside? posts and Salah appreciation threads. On Instagram, Liverpools official account is already dropping those tunnel shots, dressing-room roars and full-chest celebrations. And if you missed any of the goals, your YouTube recommendations are basically just wall-to-wall highlight packages from the big broadcasters.
Reporters take: This felt like a statement
From my seat, this didnt feel like just three points. It felt like a statement. Liverpool showed that when the energy at Anfield is like this, they can still run with anyone on the planet. Salah was pure world-class, Darwins chaos completely unsettled City, and the crowd dragged every last sprint out of that team.
For City, Im not hitting panic mode yet theyre too good, too experienced. But the warning signs are there: a slightly shaky back line under pressure, Haaland being isolated for stretches, and their margin for error shrinking in a brutal schedule that also includes upcoming Champions League games. In matches like this, your stars need to be ruthless. Salah was. Haaland wasnt.
In my opinion, this also puts a big spotlight on VAR again. When a title-deciding clash is heavily shaped by one super-tight offside call, you know the debate is going to rage. Whether you think it was technically correct or not, it sucked the air out of Citys momentum and threw gasoline on the Liverpool crowd. Decisions like that are why every big football conversation now has a VAR chapter.
Whats next in this wild season?
The run-in now looks absolutely insane. Every weekend is going to feel like a mini cup final at the top, while the relegation fight and European spots are also shifting with each set of soccer games. If youre following Premier League live coverage, this result is the one everyone will point back to if Liverpool end up lifting the trophy.
Dont just rely on the noise on your timeline keep one eye constantly on how the football league table is moving, whos climbing, whos choking and whos suddenly back in the race from nowhere.
Check full stats & standings now
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