Liverpool v Man City live: Anfield erupts as Salah and Haaland trade blows

Kick-off! As of today, 2026-02-07, the pitch is on fire... You wanted drama in soccer games, you got pure chaos at Anfield. Liverpool and Manchester City just threw haymakers at each other in a Premier League blockbuster that had goals, a wild VAR twist, and both Mohamed Salah and Erling Haaland on the scoresheet in a real heavyweight showdown.

Liverpool vs Manchester City – Title race turns into a street fight

This felt less like a February fixture and more like a cup final. From the first whistle, Liverpool pressed like mad, City tried to suffocate the game with possession, and every attack looked like it could explode into a goal.

The breakthrough came when Mohamed Salah did exactly what Mohamed Salah does. In the 21st minute, he drifted in from the right, played a slick one-two with Dominik Szoboszlai, and buried a low left-footed shot past Ederson into the far corner. Salah's goal – his 15th of the league season – sent Anfield absolutely wild.

But you knew City would hit back. On 34 minutes, Kevin De Bruyne worked a tiny pocket of space and clipped a ridiculous ball over the top. Erling Haaland bullied his way between the centre-backs, brought it down on his chest and smashed a right-footed volley past Alisson. Haaland's equaliser silenced the Kop for about three seconds before the whole stadium just went "Did you SEE that?!"

The second half turned into a tactical chess match – but with dynamite. City nearly took the lead when Phil Foden crashed a shot off the bar after a cut-back from Bernardo Silva. Moments later, Liverpool thought they had City on the ropes: a quick counter saw Darwin Núñez slide in Salah, and only a sharp Ederson save kept it level.

VAR madness and a late, late twist

The real chaos hit in the final 15 minutes. City believed they had a crucial lead when Haaland bundled home a De Bruyne corner on 78 minutes. The Etihad fanbase online already had the "Haaland brace" graphics ready. But VAR stepped in – replays showed Haaland slightly tugging on Virgil van Dijk's shirt. After a long review, the goal was ruled out. Cue absolute meltdown on social media.

And then, football did what football does. In the 89th minute, Liverpool broke again. Alexis Mac Allister clipped a ball into the box, Núñez competed with Ruben Dias, the ball dropped loose, and substitute Diogo Jota reacted first, stabbing it beyond Ederson. Anfield went nuclear. Jota wheeled away toward the Kop, sliding on his knees as red flares lit up the background. Goal-scorers on the night: Mohamed Salah, Erling Haaland and the late hero Diogo Jota.

City screamed for another VAR check for a possible foul by Núñez on Dias in the build-up, but this time the decision stood. Liverpool clung on through seven minutes of stoppage time, with Alisson making one last big stop from a Haaland header.

Stars under the spotlight – Heroes and flops

Mohamed Salah was pure big-game energy. A goal, constant danger on the break, and his link-up play with Núñez and Szoboszlai kept City nervous all night. This wasn't just numbers; it was leadership and presence. He looked like a man dragging Liverpool into the title fight by sheer will.

Erling Haaland was a monster in flashes. His goal was vintage Haaland – ruthless, explosive, clinical. But he'll be furious walking off with just the one strike after seeing his second chalked off. Physically, he dominated, but he also got isolated at times when Liverpool's press disrupted City's buildup. Still, if anyone screamed "world-class" with every touch, it was him.

Kevin De Bruyne quietly ran the game in spells. One assist, several dangerous passes, and he was the only City player repeatedly splitting the lines. But for all his quality, that one mistake – a cheap turnover late on – gave Liverpool the counter that led to Jota's winner. Fine margins at this level.

On the other side, Virgil van Dijk had a proper old-school battle with Haaland. He won some, he lost some, but he never hid. The disallowed goal will feel like justice to him, given the tug in the box. Núñez was chaos incarnate – not the cleanest game technically, but his runs and physicality ruined City's defensive structure.

What it means for the title race

This result is absolutely massive. Liverpool's win blows the Premier League title race wide open again. Instead of City pulling away, the gap at the top tightens, with Liverpool now pushing right up on their shoulders and the chasing pack – Arsenal, maybe Spurs or another surprise package – suddenly back in the picture.

City, usually ice-cold at this stage of the season, showed a rare bit of emotional wobble. You could see Pep Guardiola on the touchline losing his mind over the VAR calls. Meanwhile, Liverpool look like a team that believes again – Anfield under the lights, big names stepping up, late winners… it's got that familiar feel.

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

Elsewhere in Europe – Bellingham & Mbappé keep the spotlight

Over in Spain, Jude Bellingham continued to live his "main character" storyline. Real Madrid squeezed out a tight win with Bellingham on the scoresheet again, arriving late into the box to finish a low cross from Vinícius Júnior. His goal wasn't a worldie, but it was another clutch moment, another reminder that he's the heartbeat of Madrid's attack.

In France, Kylian Mbappé put on a show for PSG with a classic brace: one lightning-fast counter-attack finished into the corner, and one curled beauty from the edge of the box. Defences know exactly what he wants to do, and they still can't stop it. With Champions League news heating up again soon, both Bellingham and Mbappé are clearly tuning up for the knockout rounds.

Social Media Spotlight – where the game never ends

Online, the conversation is absolutely wild. Everything is about that disallowed Haaland goal and whether VAR "killed" the game or saved it. Clips of Salah celebrating in front of the Kop, freeze-frames of van Dijk and Haaland wrestling in the box, slow-motion replays of Jota's winner – your feed is just football, football, football.

My take – This felt like a statement win

From a pure vibes perspective, this felt huge. In my opinion, this was more than just three points for Liverpool – this was a "we're still here" message to the entire league. The energy, the aggression, the big moments from big players… it had that old Anfield aura.

For City, I'd say this: you can't live on the edge forever. Relying on tiny margins, leaning on VAR breaks and Haaland bailouts game after game will eventually bite you, and tonight it did. You can call the disallowed goal harsh, but you can also say: don't give the referee a decision to make by grabbing a defender in the box.

As for individual performances, Salah and Haaland both showed exactly why they're always in the "top scorers today" conversations. Salah delivered in a massive Premier League live spotlight, Haaland made defenders suffer, and Jota grabbed his moment like a cold-blooded closer.

One more look at the table before we go

The football league table just got a serious shake. City drop vital points, Liverpool surge, and the neutral fan wins because this title race is fully alive again. Every upcoming round is going to feel like a mini-final now – especially with Champions League news creeping back into the headlines and squad rotations becoming risky business.

Check full stats & standings now

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