Liverpool vs Man City goes wild: late drama, title race chaos live
25.01.2026 - 03:38:32
Kick-off! As of today, 2026-01-25, the pitch is on fire... You wanted insane soccer games? You got them. Anfield just served up a Premier League live thriller as Liverpool beat Manchester City 2-1 in a pulsating showdown that could flip the whole title race on its head. Did you see that chaos at the end??
From first whistle to final roar, this was pure, high-voltage football. The crowd was electric, tackles were flying, and every touch from the big stars felt like it could decide the season. This wasnât just another match â this felt like a mini-final in January.
City, though, donât stay quiet for long. Around the half-hour mark, they sparked into life. Kevin De Bruyne started pulling strings, and in the 32nd minute he whipped in a wicked ball from the right. Erling Haaland didnât score â and thatâs the story of his night â but his near-post run dragged defenders away, allowing Phil Foden to arrive late and smash home from just inside the box. Goal: Phil Foden (32') â calm, clinical, exactly what you expect from him.
After that, the game went completely end-to-end. Salah versus Kyle Walker on one flank, Foden twisting Trent Alexander-Arnold on the other, De Bruyne and Mac Allister trading passes like jabs in a boxing match. Haaland, though, looked strangely off it. His first touch was heavy, his runs werenât timed, and he missed a golden chance early in the second half â dragging a one-on-one wide after being slipped through by Bernardo Silva. You just donât see that often from him.
And as always in these heavyweight soccer games, if you donât take your moment, you get punished. On 82 minutes, Liverpool delivered the knockout blow. A quick throw-in found Dominik Szoboszlai free in midfield; he drove forward and slipped a pass into the box for Darwin NĂșñez. Instead of shooting, NĂșñez cleverly cut it back across the area, and there was Salah again, arriving like a sniper. One touch, bang, low into the corner. Goal: Mohamed Salah (82') â Anfield went absolutely nuclear.
City threw everything forward in stoppage time. De Bruyne fired a free-kick just wide, Haaland flicked a header straight at Alisson, and even Ederson came up for a last-gasp corner. But Liverpool held on with some heroic blocks from Van Dijk and Ibrahima Konaté. Final whistle: Liverpool 2-1 Manchester City, with Salah the undisputed hero and Haaland walking off shaking his head after a rare off-night.
Erling Haaland, on the other hand, had one of those nights heâll want to forget. No goals, one huge missed chance, and a chalked-off tap-in thatâs now the center of the VAR storm online. He still dragged defenders around and opened space for Foden, but when City needed that ice-cold finishing, it just wasnât there.
Kevin De Bruyne did everything but win the game: assist for Foden, several killer passes, and non-stop demands for the ball. You could feel Cityâs belief rise every time he picked it up. Beside him, Bernardo Silva covered an insane amount of ground, but couldnât find that final killer ball in the last ten minutes.
For Liverpool, Virgil van Dijk was a rock. He dominated aerially, calmed things down every time City threatened a late surge, and won the key duel on that disallowed Haaland goal. Behind him, Alisson came up big with two strong saves from Foden and JuliĂĄn Ălvarez, keeping Liverpool alive long enough for Salah to finish the job.
In the live football league table, this result nudges Liverpool ahead in the title scrap, with City now chasing instead of cruising. Thereâs still a long way to go, but psychologically this feels huge.
Meanwhile, Liverpool fans are flooding timelines with Salah edits, goal montages, and Anfield night reels. Over on Instagram, the clubâs official page is already teasing dressing-room scenes, with players posting stories from the tunnel and celebrating in front of the Kop.
And if you somehow missed the match live, highlight compilations are flying up on YouTube from the official Premier League providers and broadcasters, with millions of views incoming.
In my opinion, City will regret not managing this better once the VAR storm hit. They let the decision get into their heads. Haaland started snatching at chances, Guardiola was visibly raging on the touchline, and Liverpool looked calmer even under insane pressure. If you want to win titles, youâve got to be ruthless in these exact moments â and tonight, that was all Liverpool.
Salah was absolutely world-class, simple as that. When the game started to stretch and everyone looked tired, he still had that burst of pace and ice-cold finishing. On nights like this, he doesnât just score â he defines the whole narrative.
Donât just rely on the vibes though â check the hard numbers and see exactly how much tonightâs result shifts the balance at the top.
From first whistle to final roar, this was pure, high-voltage football. The crowd was electric, tackles were flying, and every touch from the big stars felt like it could decide the season. This wasnât just another match â this felt like a mini-final in January.
Liverpool 2-1 Manchester City â Salah decisive, Haaland disappears
Liverpool came out like a team on a mission, pressing high and forcing mistakes from Cityâs back line. The opening goal set the tone: on 18 minutes, a loose pass from the back was pounced on by Alexis Mac Allister, who slipped the ball into the right channel for Mohamed Salah. The Egyptian king took one touch inside and drilled a left-foot rocket low into the far corner past Ederson. Goal: Mohamed Salah (18') â pure class, pure Anfield.City, though, donât stay quiet for long. Around the half-hour mark, they sparked into life. Kevin De Bruyne started pulling strings, and in the 32nd minute he whipped in a wicked ball from the right. Erling Haaland didnât score â and thatâs the story of his night â but his near-post run dragged defenders away, allowing Phil Foden to arrive late and smash home from just inside the box. Goal: Phil Foden (32') â calm, clinical, exactly what you expect from him.
After that, the game went completely end-to-end. Salah versus Kyle Walker on one flank, Foden twisting Trent Alexander-Arnold on the other, De Bruyne and Mac Allister trading passes like jabs in a boxing match. Haaland, though, looked strangely off it. His first touch was heavy, his runs werenât timed, and he missed a golden chance early in the second half â dragging a one-on-one wide after being slipped through by Bernardo Silva. You just donât see that often from him.
Second-half chaos: VAR drama and a late winner
The main flashpoint came on 63 minutes. City thought theyâd turned the game around when Haaland finally bundled the ball over the line after a scramble in the six-yard box. The away end exploded⊠for about 30 seconds. VAR stepped in, checking a potential foul by RĂșben Dias on Virgil van Dijk in the build-up. After a long, painful look, the referee went to the monitor and ruled the goal out for a push. Absolute meltdown online, absolute rage from Pep Guardiola on the touchline.And as always in these heavyweight soccer games, if you donât take your moment, you get punished. On 82 minutes, Liverpool delivered the knockout blow. A quick throw-in found Dominik Szoboszlai free in midfield; he drove forward and slipped a pass into the box for Darwin NĂșñez. Instead of shooting, NĂșñez cleverly cut it back across the area, and there was Salah again, arriving like a sniper. One touch, bang, low into the corner. Goal: Mohamed Salah (82') â Anfield went absolutely nuclear.
City threw everything forward in stoppage time. De Bruyne fired a free-kick just wide, Haaland flicked a header straight at Alisson, and even Ederson came up for a last-gasp corner. But Liverpool held on with some heroic blocks from Van Dijk and Ibrahima Konaté. Final whistle: Liverpool 2-1 Manchester City, with Salah the undisputed hero and Haaland walking off shaking his head after a rare off-night.
Stars on show: Heroes and flops
Mohamed Salah was on a different level. Two massive goals, constant menace, and big-game aura all over the place. His first strike set the tone, his second killed City. This is exactly why heâs still one of the most feared forwards on the planet.Erling Haaland, on the other hand, had one of those nights heâll want to forget. No goals, one huge missed chance, and a chalked-off tap-in thatâs now the center of the VAR storm online. He still dragged defenders around and opened space for Foden, but when City needed that ice-cold finishing, it just wasnât there.
Kevin De Bruyne did everything but win the game: assist for Foden, several killer passes, and non-stop demands for the ball. You could feel Cityâs belief rise every time he picked it up. Beside him, Bernardo Silva covered an insane amount of ground, but couldnât find that final killer ball in the last ten minutes.
For Liverpool, Virgil van Dijk was a rock. He dominated aerially, calmed things down every time City threatened a late surge, and won the key duel on that disallowed Haaland goal. Behind him, Alisson came up big with two strong saves from Foden and JuliĂĄn Ălvarez, keeping Liverpool alive long enough for Salah to finish the job.
What this does to the table
This win could be massive. Liverpool not only take three points off their biggest title rivals, they also send a huge message: Anfield is still a fortress and theyâre not going away in this title race. City, meanwhile, lose ground and face serious questions about their cutting edge in the biggest away games.In the live football league table, this result nudges Liverpool ahead in the title scrap, with City now chasing instead of cruising. Thereâs still a long way to go, but psychologically this feels huge.
What does this mean for the title race? Click here for the live standings
Social Media Spotlight: VAR meltdown & Salah love
The instant the final whistle went, the internet just exploded. The hot topic? That disallowed Haaland goal. Half of X (Twitter) is convinced it was soft, half is screaming that it was a clear push on Van Dijk. The debate is pure chaos â screenshots, freeze-frames, and slow-mo clips everywhere.Meanwhile, Liverpool fans are flooding timelines with Salah edits, goal montages, and Anfield night reels. Over on Instagram, the clubâs official page is already teasing dressing-room scenes, with players posting stories from the tunnel and celebrating in front of the Kop.
And if you somehow missed the match live, highlight compilations are flying up on YouTube from the official Premier League providers and broadcasters, with millions of views incoming.
The Internet is Exploding: 3 Social Media Highlights
X Discussion: Fans losing it over the VAR call on Haaland's disallowed goal
My take: This felt like a statement win
From a young reporterâs seat, this didnât just feel like three points â it felt like a power shift, at least for tonight. Liverpool played like a team thatâs sick of hearing about Cityâs dominance. The press was brave, the atmosphere was wild, and when the big moment came, it was their superstar who delivered and not Cityâs.In my opinion, City will regret not managing this better once the VAR storm hit. They let the decision get into their heads. Haaland started snatching at chances, Guardiola was visibly raging on the touchline, and Liverpool looked calmer even under insane pressure. If you want to win titles, youâve got to be ruthless in these exact moments â and tonight, that was all Liverpool.
Salah was absolutely world-class, simple as that. When the game started to stretch and everyone looked tired, he still had that burst of pace and ice-cold finishing. On nights like this, he doesnât just score â he defines the whole narrative.
Closing whistle: Title race officially insane
So where does this leave us? The title race just got seriously spicy. Every point, every goal, every VAR decision from here on out is going to feel massive. If youâre into Premier League live drama and nail-biting soccer games, buckle up â this season is not slowing down.Donât just rely on the vibes though â check the hard numbers and see exactly how much tonightâs result shifts the balance at the top.
Check full stats & standings now
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