Liverpool vs Man City goes wild: late drama, title race shaken live
25.01.2026 - 13:44:14
Kick-off! As of today, 2026-01-25, the pitch is on fire... Did you even catch your breath after that? If you were looking for football results today, Liverpool vs Manchester City at Anfield just served up pure chaos in the Premier League live action, with Mohamed Salah and Erling Haaland on the scoresheet and a late twist that could flip the whole title race on its head.
City struck first. In the 12th minute, Kevin De Bruyne slipped one of those trademark slide-rule passes between the lines, and Erling Haaland did what Erling Haaland does. One touch to set, second touch laced low into the bottom corner past Alisson for 0-1. Clinical, ice-cold, totally against the early run of play but absolutely inevitable once KDB got turned.
Liverpools response was pure chaos-ball. The press cranked up, the crowd went up a level, and on 27 minutes they were level. Trent Alexander-Arnold pinged a diagonal to Luis DĂaz, who squared it inside. A deflection dropped kindly and Mohamed Salah smashed a right-foot volley into the roof of the net. 1-1, Anfield roaring, Salah doing the trademark celebration right in front of the City end. Statement stuff.
Right before half-time, we got the first big controversy. Liverpool thought theyd turned it around when a whipped corner found Virgil van Dijk, whose towering header was parried by Ederson onto the post before Darwin NĂșñez bundled it in on the line. Wild scenes, but VAR drew the lines and ruled NĂșñez fractionally offside. The goal chalked off, Pep smirking on the touchline, Anfield absolutely furious.
But City dont fold. On 71 minutes, De Bruyne drifted into that right half-space and clipped a teasing ball to the far post where Phil Foden arrived unmarked. Side-foot volley, bouncing into the corner, 2-2. Quiet all game, Foden suddenly ripped Anfield back to silence with one swing of his boot.
Then came the big talking point everyones raging about. On 82 minutes, Haaland broke into the box and went down after a tangle with Ibrahima Konaté. The ref initially pointed to the spot, but after a VAR check, the decision was overturned for an earlier shirt pull by Haaland in the build-up. City players lost it, Guardiola furious on the touchline, and X was instantly filled with freeze-frames and angle breakdowns.
And just when we were all settling for a draw, Anfield did Anfield things. In the 89th minute, a quick short corner caught City half asleep. Dominik Szoboszlai clipped a ball to the edge of the box where Trent Alexander-Arnold had peeled away. One touch out of his feet, then a whipped strike across goal into the far corner. 3-2 Liverpool, Trent sprinting to the Kop, sliding on his knees, the whole stadium shaking. Absolute screamer, absolute heartbreak for City.
Erling Haaland had a strange one. He scored a classic Haaland goal and occupied both centre-backs all game, but hell be gutted with that overturned penalty and a big late chance he headed straight at Alisson. Not exactly a flop, but not the ruthless closer City needed in a title-shaping night.
Kevin De Bruyne quietly dropped another masterclass: one assist, several pre-assists, and constant control in transition. But even he couldnt stop Liverpools wave in the final ten minutes. On Liverpools side, Trent Alexander-Arnold was the headline-maker: one assist-calibre ball in open play, endless switches, and that winning goal that will be replayed in every match report and highlight reel for weeks.
At the back, Virgil van Dijk was huge in the air, especially dealing with Haalands constant movement. Meanwhile, Citys defence looked oddly rattled RĂșben Dias and JoĆĄko Gvardiol struggled with NĂșñezs runs in behind and Salah drifting into pockets. If youre tracking soccer news about title-defining performances, this one is going to be circled in red for the analysis shows.
Liverpools home form continues to be ridiculous, and with Salah in this kind of shape and Trent pulling strings from deep, you can feel the belief surging again at Anfield. For City, its not panic stations, but the margins are razor-thin and theyve just given a direct rival a huge momentum swing.
Over in France, Kylian Mbappé bagged a brace for PSG one from the penalty spot and another cutting in from the left and bending it into the far corner. Pure Mbappé trademark stuff. Defenders know whats coming and still cant stop it. If youre tracking top scorers today across Europe, his numbers are once again exploding, and every goal just feeds the transfer rumour machine even more.
City, meanwhile, looked strangely mortal. They still had their patterns, still controlled spells of play, but defensively they never looked fully comfortable against NĂșñezs chaos and Salahs timing. In my opinion, Pep has serious questions to answer about game management in the final 15 minutes. Sitting off at Anfield, at 2-2, with this Liverpool? Thats playing with fire and tonight, he got burnt.
If youre tracking football results today to work out who really has the edge in this title slugfest, this one goes down as a massive psychological blow in Liverpools favour. The return fixture at the Etihad is already circling the calendar as a must-watch, season-defining showdown.
Stay locked in, because if tonight is any indication, the rest of this season is going to be absolutely unhinged.
Liverpool 3-2 Manchester City â Salah and Haaland light it up, but a new hero steps up
Anfield under the lights, top spot on the line, and two of the best attacks in the world swinging for the fences. Within 15 minutes, the tempo was outrageous.City struck first. In the 12th minute, Kevin De Bruyne slipped one of those trademark slide-rule passes between the lines, and Erling Haaland did what Erling Haaland does. One touch to set, second touch laced low into the bottom corner past Alisson for 0-1. Clinical, ice-cold, totally against the early run of play but absolutely inevitable once KDB got turned.
Liverpools response was pure chaos-ball. The press cranked up, the crowd went up a level, and on 27 minutes they were level. Trent Alexander-Arnold pinged a diagonal to Luis DĂaz, who squared it inside. A deflection dropped kindly and Mohamed Salah smashed a right-foot volley into the roof of the net. 1-1, Anfield roaring, Salah doing the trademark celebration right in front of the City end. Statement stuff.
Right before half-time, we got the first big controversy. Liverpool thought theyd turned it around when a whipped corner found Virgil van Dijk, whose towering header was parried by Ederson onto the post before Darwin NĂșñez bundled it in on the line. Wild scenes, but VAR drew the lines and ruled NĂșñez fractionally offside. The goal chalked off, Pep smirking on the touchline, Anfield absolutely furious.
Second-half madness: Salah again, Foden risposta, then a last-gasp killer
The second half was pure end-to-end. On 56 minutes, Liverpool finally did get their lead. Curtis Jones pressed Rodri high, nicked the ball, and instantly slipped a through ball into the box. Salah ghosted in off the right and finished first time into the far corner. Mohamed Salah again, 2-1, and at that point you felt like he was dragging Liverpool into the title conversation by sheer will.But City dont fold. On 71 minutes, De Bruyne drifted into that right half-space and clipped a teasing ball to the far post where Phil Foden arrived unmarked. Side-foot volley, bouncing into the corner, 2-2. Quiet all game, Foden suddenly ripped Anfield back to silence with one swing of his boot.
Then came the big talking point everyones raging about. On 82 minutes, Haaland broke into the box and went down after a tangle with Ibrahima Konaté. The ref initially pointed to the spot, but after a VAR check, the decision was overturned for an earlier shirt pull by Haaland in the build-up. City players lost it, Guardiola furious on the touchline, and X was instantly filled with freeze-frames and angle breakdowns.
And just when we were all settling for a draw, Anfield did Anfield things. In the 89th minute, a quick short corner caught City half asleep. Dominik Szoboszlai clipped a ball to the edge of the box where Trent Alexander-Arnold had peeled away. One touch out of his feet, then a whipped strike across goal into the far corner. 3-2 Liverpool, Trent sprinting to the Kop, sliding on his knees, the whole stadium shaking. Absolute screamer, absolute heartbreak for City.
Heroes, flops, and the big names under the spotlight
Mohamed Salah was box-office again. Two goals, constant menace cutting in from the right, and his link-up with DĂaz and NĂșñez kept Citys back line on skates. On current top scorers today lists, hes right in the Golden Boot mix and this performance only strengthens his case as Liverpools clutch king.Erling Haaland had a strange one. He scored a classic Haaland goal and occupied both centre-backs all game, but hell be gutted with that overturned penalty and a big late chance he headed straight at Alisson. Not exactly a flop, but not the ruthless closer City needed in a title-shaping night.
Kevin De Bruyne quietly dropped another masterclass: one assist, several pre-assists, and constant control in transition. But even he couldnt stop Liverpools wave in the final ten minutes. On Liverpools side, Trent Alexander-Arnold was the headline-maker: one assist-calibre ball in open play, endless switches, and that winning goal that will be replayed in every match report and highlight reel for weeks.
At the back, Virgil van Dijk was huge in the air, especially dealing with Haalands constant movement. Meanwhile, Citys defence looked oddly rattled RĂșben Dias and JoĆĄko Gvardiol struggled with NĂșñezs runs in behind and Salah drifting into pockets. If youre tracking soccer news about title-defining performances, this one is going to be circled in red for the analysis shows.
Title race context: where the table stands right now
With this win, Liverpool leapfrog City in the football league table and crank the pressure right up in the Premier League title chase. City, who came into the game with the chance to open a gap, now find themselves chasing again, and every dropped point from here looks massive.Liverpools home form continues to be ridiculous, and with Salah in this kind of shape and Trent pulling strings from deep, you can feel the belief surging again at Anfield. For City, its not panic stations, but the margins are razor-thin and theyve just given a direct rival a huge momentum swing.
What does this mean for the title race? Click here for the live standings
Elsewhere in Europe: Bellingham and Mbappé in the spotlight
In Spain, the Champions League news narrative got another boost as Jude Bellingham delivered again for Real Madrid. He scored a late winner from the edge of the box after a quick one-two with VinĂcius JĂșnior, adding another entry to his ridiculous highlight reel this season. Another calm finish, another game where he looks like the main man in the biggest moments.Over in France, Kylian MbappĂ© bagged a brace for PSG one from the penalty spot and another cutting in from the left and bending it into the far corner. Pure MbappĂ© trademark stuff. Defenders know whats coming and still cant stop it. If youre tracking top scorers today across Europe, his numbers are once again exploding, and every goal just feeds the transfer rumour machine even more.
Social Media Spotlight: fans lose it over VAR and Trents screamer
The online reaction is absolutely wild. The overturned Haaland penalty is the big Hot Topic, with fans arguing freeze-frames and slo-mo replays, while Trents winner is already being clipped, remixed, and posted everywhere.The Internet is Exploding: 3 Social Media Highlights
X Discussion: Fans furious over the overturned Haaland penalty and raving about Trents winner
My take: statement win, big questions for Pep
From a young reporters seat, that felt like a proper power shift night. Liverpool played like a team that refuses to accept a transition season. Salah was ruthless, Trent was outrageous, and the whole side fed off the Anfield energy. This wasnt lucky; it was a whirlwind.City, meanwhile, looked strangely mortal. They still had their patterns, still controlled spells of play, but defensively they never looked fully comfortable against NĂșñezs chaos and Salahs timing. In my opinion, Pep has serious questions to answer about game management in the final 15 minutes. Sitting off at Anfield, at 2-2, with this Liverpool? Thats playing with fire and tonight, he got burnt.
If youre tracking football results today to work out who really has the edge in this title slugfest, this one goes down as a massive psychological blow in Liverpools favour. The return fixture at the Etihad is already circling the calendar as a must-watch, season-defining showdown.
Whats next?
Liverpool now roll into a softer-looking run of fixtures with momentum sky-high and Salah chasing more goals for the Golden Boot. City, on the other hand, cant afford another wobble with chasing teams smelling blood. All of this feeds straight into the Champions League narrative too; on nights like this, you see who thrives under real pressure.Stay locked in, because if tonight is any indication, the rest of this season is going to be absolutely unhinged.
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