Liverpool v Man City live: Salah stunner, Haaland drama light up title race
05.02.2026 - 13:53:02
Kick-off! As of today, 2026-02-05, the pitch is on fire... You couldn't script this round of soccer games any better. Liverpool and Manchester City just detonated Anfield in a Premier League live showdown that felt like a Champions League final, Jude Bellingham and Real Madrid kept their machine rolling in LaLiga, and across Europe top scorers today have gone absolutely ruthless in front of goal.
But you knew Erling Haaland wasn't going to stay quiet. On 32 minutes, City finally broke through: Kevin De Bruyne slipped a filthy disguised pass between the lines, Haaland rolled Virgil van Dijk, and drilled a left-footed strike into the bottom corner for 1-1. Pure No.9 stuff â minimal backlift, maximum venom. The Norwegian went full gladiator celebration right in front of the Kop, and they absolutely hated it.
Right before half-time came another twist. A chaotic corner saw the ball ping-pong around the box, and City thought they'd turned it around when RĂșben Dias bundled in from close range. Cue a massive VAR check â was Rodri interfering with Alisson from an offside position? After a long delay and more than a few swear words from both dugouts, the goal stood. 1-2 to City at the break, Anfield boiling.
The winner? Of course it had to be Salah. On 78 minutes, Liverpool broke off a City corner. NĂșñez held it up, fed Alexis Mac Allister, who slid a slick pass into Salah cutting in from the right. One touch to set, one curling left-footed strike into the far top corner. 3-2 Liverpool, Anfield absolutely shaking. Salah to the rescue yet again.
Haaland still had a say in the drama. Deep into stoppage time, he went down under contact from van Dijk inside the box. City screamed for a penalty, referee waved play on, VAR checked and stuck with the on-field call. That decision is the hot topic right now â City fans are fuming, Liverpool fans are calling it "strong defending", neutrals are replaying the clip from every angle.
For City, Erling Haaland did his job on the scoresheet and bullied Liverpool's centre-backs all night, but he'll be furious leaving with zero points and no late penalty. Kevin De Bruyne was a joke in midfield â another assist, several laser passes â but faded slightly as Liverpool cranked up the tempo. And defensively, City just couldn't live with Liverpool's transitions; RĂșben Dias went from goal scorer to scrambling firefighter in the final 20 minutes.
In the other soccer games across England, Arsenal scraped a gritty 1-0 away win thanks to a late strike from Bukayo Saka, while Spurs kept pace with a 2-1 victory powered by a brace from Son Heung-min. All of that means the football league table is shifting almost by the minute, with just a handful of points between first and fourth.
In France, Kylian MbappĂ© continued his personal highlight reel. A trademark burst of acceleration into the left channel, a cut inside, and a whipped curler saw him hit the top corner again as PSG grabbed a 2-1 win. He also laid on a tap-in for Gonçalo Ramos. No flop energy there â when MbappĂ© decides it's his game, Ligue 1 defenders basically just pray.
Champions League news-wise, tonight's domestic form is a huge statement. Liverpool and City both looked like European heavyweights, Real Madrid are purring, and PSG are leaning hard on Mbappé's brilliance. You can feel that all these football nights are dress rehearsals for the knockout rounds to come.
In my opinion, Pep has to rethink the balance in midfield for these monster away days â too much aggression, not enough control once Liverpool turned the game into a track meet. Klopp, on the other hand, pushed all the right buttons with his subs and let Anfield do the rest. Absolute world-class energy from the stands and the pitch.
If you're trying to make sense of who's actually on top, who's charging, and who's clinging on in the football league table, you need to keep one eye on the live data while the other is glued to the screen.
Liverpool 3-2 Manchester City â Salah delivers, Haaland rages
If you blinked, you missed something. Anfield under the lights, the title race on a knife-edge, and straight from kick-off Liverpool went right at City. The opener came early: after intense pressing, Trent Alexander-Arnold fizzed in a low cross and Mohamed Salah did what he always does, ghosting between centre-backs to smash home the 1-0 on 18 minutes.But you knew Erling Haaland wasn't going to stay quiet. On 32 minutes, City finally broke through: Kevin De Bruyne slipped a filthy disguised pass between the lines, Haaland rolled Virgil van Dijk, and drilled a left-footed strike into the bottom corner for 1-1. Pure No.9 stuff â minimal backlift, maximum venom. The Norwegian went full gladiator celebration right in front of the Kop, and they absolutely hated it.
Right before half-time came another twist. A chaotic corner saw the ball ping-pong around the box, and City thought they'd turned it around when RĂșben Dias bundled in from close range. Cue a massive VAR check â was Rodri interfering with Alisson from an offside position? After a long delay and more than a few swear words from both dugouts, the goal stood. 1-2 to City at the break, Anfield boiling.
Second-half storm: NĂșñez chaos, Salah magic
JĂŒrgen Klopp threw the kitchen sink at it. On 55 minutes, Darwin NĂșñez finally got his moment. Luis DĂaz burned Kyle Walker down the left, clipped a cross, and NĂșñez powered a header past Ederson for 2-2. Classic NĂșñez: raw, wild, but unstoppable when he times it right.The winner? Of course it had to be Salah. On 78 minutes, Liverpool broke off a City corner. NĂșñez held it up, fed Alexis Mac Allister, who slid a slick pass into Salah cutting in from the right. One touch to set, one curling left-footed strike into the far top corner. 3-2 Liverpool, Anfield absolutely shaking. Salah to the rescue yet again.
Haaland still had a say in the drama. Deep into stoppage time, he went down under contact from van Dijk inside the box. City screamed for a penalty, referee waved play on, VAR checked and stuck with the on-field call. That decision is the hot topic right now â City fans are fuming, Liverpool fans are calling it "strong defending", neutrals are replaying the clip from every angle.
Heroes & flops: big names under the spotlight
Mohamed Salah was outrageous â two massive goal contributions, relentless pressing, and the match-winning screamer when it mattered. Pure big-game aura. Darwin NĂșñez walked the usual tightrope, missing a big chance early but making up for it with that bullet header and constant chaos in City's backline.For City, Erling Haaland did his job on the scoresheet and bullied Liverpool's centre-backs all night, but he'll be furious leaving with zero points and no late penalty. Kevin De Bruyne was a joke in midfield â another assist, several laser passes â but faded slightly as Liverpool cranked up the tempo. And defensively, City just couldn't live with Liverpool's transitions; RĂșben Dias went from goal scorer to scrambling firefighter in the final 20 minutes.
Title race twist: how the table looks now
That 3-2 win blows the Premier League title race wide open. Liverpool leapfrog City and crank up the pressure on everyone chasing European spots. City suddenly look human again, and every dropped point now feels massive with the season heading into its final third.In the other soccer games across England, Arsenal scraped a gritty 1-0 away win thanks to a late strike from Bukayo Saka, while Spurs kept pace with a 2-1 victory powered by a brace from Son Heung-min. All of that means the football league table is shifting almost by the minute, with just a handful of points between first and fourth.
What does this mean for the title race? Liverpool's win cranks them back toward the summit, City are suddenly chasing, and Arsenal and Spurs are lurking just behind. One more wobble from any of them and the whole top four could reshuffle overnight. Click here for the live standings
Across Europe: Bellingham, Mbappé & the chase for glory
In Spain, Jude Bellingham put on yet another clinic for Real Madrid. He scored the opener with a late run into the box â classic Bellingham timing â and added an assist with a slick through ball for VinĂcius JĂșnior as Madrid rolled to a 3-0 win. He wasn't just padding stats either; he bossed the tempo, pressed like a madman, and looked every inch a future Ballon d'Or winner.In France, Kylian MbappĂ© continued his personal highlight reel. A trademark burst of acceleration into the left channel, a cut inside, and a whipped curler saw him hit the top corner again as PSG grabbed a 2-1 win. He also laid on a tap-in for Gonçalo Ramos. No flop energy there â when MbappĂ© decides it's his game, Ligue 1 defenders basically just pray.
Champions League news-wise, tonight's domestic form is a huge statement. Liverpool and City both looked like European heavyweights, Real Madrid are purring, and PSG are leaning hard on Mbappé's brilliance. You can feel that all these football nights are dress rehearsals for the knockout rounds to come.
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My take: this felt bigger than three points
From a young reporter's seat, this didn't just look like another entry in the match report list â it felt like a power shift. Liverpool played like a team that refuses to hand the crown back to City, and Salah once again proved he's one of the defining forwards of this era. City were brilliant in patches, but you can't keep giving away big counterattacking chances in these high-stakes soccer games and expect to walk away with titles forever.In my opinion, Pep has to rethink the balance in midfield for these monster away days â too much aggression, not enough control once Liverpool turned the game into a track meet. Klopp, on the other hand, pushed all the right buttons with his subs and let Anfield do the rest. Absolute world-class energy from the stands and the pitch.
Closing whistle: the season just got wild
So yeah, did you see that?? From Salah and Haaland trading haymakers at Anfield, to Bellingham conducting Madrid, to Mbappé slicing through another backline, today felt like a sizzle reel of why we live for this sport. The Champions League news cycle is about to go into overdrive, and every domestic fixture now doubles as a pressure test for Europe.If you're trying to make sense of who's actually on top, who's charging, and who's clinging on in the football league table, you need to keep one eye on the live data while the other is glued to the screen.
Check full stats & standings now
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