Liverpool vs Man City LIVE: Salah & Haaland headline wild Premier League drama

Kick-off! As of today, 2026-01-25, the pitch is on fire... Did you see that?? If you were searching for football results today and somehow missed Liverpool vs Manchester City at Anfield, you need to catch up fast. This was pure chaos: elite goals, massive stars, a VAR storm, and a title race that just got turned upside down.

The Premier League live action delivered exactly what we wanted and a bit more than some managers can probably handle. Liverpool came from behind to beat Manchester City 3-2 in a game that swung like a pendulum and felt like a final. Mohamed Salah, Erling Haaland, and a late hero stepped into the spotlight under the Anfield lights – and social media is absolutely melting down.

Liverpool 3–2 Manchester City: Heavyweight slugfest on Merseyside

This one started at 100 mph. City drew first blood: in the 14th minute, Erling Haaland did exactly what Erling Haaland does. Kevin De Bruyne slipped a filthy reverse pass through the half-space, Haaland muscled past Virgil van Dijk and drilled a low left-foot finish into the far corner. 1–0 City, and Anfield went dead silent for a second.

Liverpool’s response? Brutal and instant. On 27 minutes, Mohamed Salah equalised after a slick move. Trent Alexander-Arnold pinged a diagonal to Luis Díaz, who squared inside the box. Salah killed the ball with his first touch, shifted it onto his left and smashed it high past Ederson. The roar from the Kop said it all: game on.

City thought they’d regained control just before the break. In the 41st minute, Phil Foden finished off a sweeping counter, tucking home a Bernardo Silva cut?back to make it 2–1 – but here comes the first big twist: VAR. The referee was called to the monitor, and replays showed Haaland tugging Ibrahima Konaté’s shirt in the build-up. Goal ruled out. Anfield celebrated that VAR decision like a goal; City fans on social media? Absolutely fuming.

Second-half madness: Salah, Haaland, and a late, late dagger

The second half opened with fireworks. In the 52nd minute, City did get their second. De Bruyne whipped in a corner, and Rúben Dias bullied everyone at the near post, glancing a header into the net. 2–1 City, and this time VAR stayed quiet.

Liverpool refused to die. On 67 minutes, they levelled again with another moment of Salah brilliance. Cody Gakpo peeled wide, dragged City’s backline over, and slipped a pass into the channel. Salah cut inside Nathan Aké and curled a stunning right-footed shot into the far top corner. Vintage Salah: 2–2, and he was absolutely cooking.

Then came the winner – and the biggest eruption of the night. In the 88th minute, substitute Darwin Núñez finally became the chaos hero Liverpool fans wanted. Alexander-Arnold whipped in a wicked cross; Núñez out-jumped John Stones and thundered a header past Ederson. 3–2 Liverpool. Núñez ripped his shirt off, the Kop went wild, and Pep Guardiola stared into the distance like he’d seen this movie one too many times.

There was still time for one last controversy: deep into stoppage time, City screamed for a penalty when the ball struck Andy Robertson’s arm inside the box. VAR checked, the referee stuck with his on?field decision of no penalty, and that’s where the internet absolutely exploded. Some angles made it look stonewall, others looked harsh. Either way, no whistle, full?time, and Liverpool walked away with a huge three points.

Heroes and flops: How the superstars actually played

Mohamed Salah was on pure world-class mode. Two goals – one rifled left-foot finish, one curling right-foot beauty – plus constant danger every time he picked up the ball. His movement dragged City’s defence all over the place, and his link-up with Díaz and Gakpo made Liverpool look lethal on every transition.

Erling Haaland got his goal and bullied defenders all night, but he’ll know this could have been a brace. He missed a big second-half chance when he flashed a header wide from six yards, and his shirt pull on Konaté cost City that disallowed Foden strike. On another day he’s the match-winner; tonight he’s the guy at the centre of one of the game’s biggest talking points.

Kevin De Bruyne was all class in possession – that assist for Haaland was trademark KDB – but Liverpool’s midfield intensity, led by Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister, stopped him from fully dictating the tempo. Meanwhile, Virgil van Dijk had a mixed night: beaten by Haaland for the opener but massive in the final 10 minutes, heading away everything once Liverpool were trying to close it out.

And then there’s Darwin Núñez. One chance, one bullet header, one statement. He’s chaos, he’s unpredictable, and tonight he’s the reason Liverpool fans are dreaming about the trophy again.

Title race shockwave: What this does to the table

This result could be the turning point. With those three points, Liverpool jump ahead of City in the football league table and crank the pressure up on everyone chasing them. City, who came into the weekend either top or level on points depending on earlier results, now face real questions about their away form against the big sides, while Liverpool just sent a message to the entire league: Anfield is still a fortress, and they’re very much in the title fight.

Arsenal and the other contenders are watching this thinking: the door just opened a crack. Drop points again, and City might suddenly be the ones scrambling instead of calmly cruising.

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

Social Media Spotlight: VAR rage, Salah love, Núñez memes

The Champions League news cycle can wait – tonight it’s all about this Premier League banger. The hot topic online is that stoppage-time handball shout against Robertson. City fans are clipping every angle, Liverpool fans are dropping screenshots of earlier incidents they didn’t get, and neutrals are just posting, “I love this league.”

Salah’s brace has him rocketing up the top scorers today charts, Núñez is being memed into legend status, and Haaland’s mixed night is sparking thinkpieces about whether he gets enough service in these mega away games.

My take: This felt like a statement, not just a win

I’ll be honest: this didn’t feel like just another three points, it felt like a message. In my opinion, City looked a bit too casual once they went 2–1 up, almost like they expected Liverpool to fade. Instead, Salah went into full superstar mode, Núñez turned chaos into gold, and Anfield dragged Liverpool over the line.

From a tactical point of view, you have to question City’s game management in those final minutes. Why is Núñez getting a clean run at a cross that late in a title-race six-pointer? On the flip side, credit to Liverpool’s subs and mentality – they smelled blood and absolutely went for it.

For me, Salah’s performance was straight-up Ballon d’Or conversation level. Big game, big stakes, big moments – he delivered in all of them. Haaland scoring but walking off the pitch on the losing side tells you everything about how thin the margins are at this level.

Closing whistle: Title race officially on fire

If you’re tracking football results today to figure out who really wants this Premier League crown, tonight’s answer was loud and clear: Liverpool aren’t backing down, and City are suddenly vulnerable. Every kick, every VAR check, every chance feels like it could swing the whole season.

Don’t just go by the scoreline – the context is everything. The table is shifting, the pressure is rising, and the next matchday is already feeling massive.

Check full stats & standings now

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