Liverpool vs Man City LIVE thriller: Salah & Haaland light up title race

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 classic as Liverpool beat Manchester City 3-2 in a match that had everything: Mo Salah vs Erling Haaland, a controversial VAR call, a last?minute winner and a title race that just got shaken to its core.

Red Thunder vs Blue Machine: Liverpool 3-2 Manchester City

This was chaos in the best possible way. From the very first whistle, you could feel it – no one was playing for a draw. Tackles flying in, presses on turbo, and the biggest stars right in the middle of the storm.

City actually struck first. In the 14th minute, Erling Haaland did exactly what everyone in the stadium feared: one pass from Kevin De Bruyne split Liverpool open, Haaland rolled off his marker and smashed a left-footed rocket low into the corner. 1-0 City, and the away end absolutely exploded.

Liverpool didnt blink. On 26 minutes, Mohamed Salah answered back. Trent Alexander-Arnold clipped a delicious diagonal, Darwin Núñez bullied his way past Rúben Dias and squared it. Salah arrived late, opened up his body and curled it past Ederson. Vintage Mo. 1-1 and Anfield was bouncing.

The second half turned into pure drama. On 54 minutes, Liverpool flipped the game. A short-corner routine ended with Dominik Szoboszlai whipping in a dangerous ball; City half-cleared, and it dropped perfectly for Alexis Mac Allister on the edge of the box. One touch to set, one thunderbolt into the top corner. 2-1 Liverpool, and Mac Allister took off toward the Kop like hed just won the World Cup again.

City, being City, refused to die. On 71 minutes, a slick passing move saw Phil Foden drift inside and feed Bernardo Silva. A disguised reverse ball split the center-backs, and Haaland was in again. He took a touch with his right and toe-poked home with his left. Erling Haaland again, 2-2, and suddenly it felt like momentum had flipped.

VAR Mayhem & A Last-Minute Killer

Heres where it went absolutely insane. On 83 minutes, Núñez went down in the box under a tangle with Joško Gvardiol. The ref waved play on, Liverpool screamed for a penalty, and Anfield erupted in fury. Then came the dreaded VAR check.

After what felt like a full episode of a TV drama, VAR called the ref to the monitor. Replays showed Gvardiol catching Núñezs standing leg before getting anywhere near the ball. Eventually, the ref pointed to the spot and City players lost it. Social media instantly went nuclear.

Mohamed Salah stepped up, staring down Ederson and the entire title race. One deep breath, quick run-up, and he absolutely buried it into the top-left corner in the 89th minute. 3-2 Liverpool. The Kop erupted like a volcano. Salah ripped away toward the corner flag, teammates piled on top, and Pep Guardiola just stood frozen, hands on head.

Heroes & Flops: Big Names Under the Spotlight

This was one of those soccer games where the superstars truly decided it.

• Mohamed Salah: Two goals, constant menace, clutch from the spot. Every time Liverpool needed magic, he delivered. Hero, no doubt.
• Erling Haaland: Two goals, lethal as always, bullying defenders, perfect movement. He did his job, but his teams defense let him down. Personal performance: world-class. Result: brutal.
• Kevin De Bruyne: His assist for Haalands opener was pure genius, but he faded a bit under Liverpools relentless press in the final half-hour.
• Trent Alexander-Arnold: Defensively shaky at times, but his passing range and that early assist to Salah once again showed why hes a cheat code going forward.

On the flip side, Citys back line will have nightmares about this one. Rúben Dias and Gvardiol struggled to deal with Núñezs chaos and Salahs movement. The penalty call on Gvardiol is already the most replayed clip of the night.

Title Race Shockwaves: Table Tightens Up

That result changes everything at the top. Liverpools win propels them back to the summit, while City suddenly feel human. The gap tightens, pressure rises, and every single point from here feels like a cup final. Arsenal and the chasing pack will be licking their lips watching the two giants beat each other up.

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

Elsewhere in Europe: Champions League Giants Flex

Across the continent, the Champions League news radar was buzzing as other heavyweights tuned up with big domestic results.

In Spain, Real Madrid grabbed a tight 2-1 win with Jude Bellingham once again in the headlines. He opened the scoring with a late run into the box and a calm right-footed finish, before a defensive lapse let the visitors equalise. Madrids winner came from Vinícius Júnior, who cut in from the left and drilled one low into the far corner. Bellingham wasnt flawless  he gave the ball away cheaply a few times  but when it mattered, he was there. Thats what superstars do.

In France, Paris Saint-Germain saw Kylian Mbappé do exactly what you expect: two goals in a 3-0 cruise. One was a trademark breakaway, the other a curling effort from the edge of the box that had the keeper rooted. PSG look locked in again, and every defender in Europe knows that once Mbappé hits this form, its a nightmare.

Social Media Spotlight: Liverpool vs Man City Meltdown

The internet didnt just react, it detonated. The official match hashtag #LIVMCI is absolutely trending, and the hot topic is clear: that late VAR penalty for Liverpool. Was it soft? Was it stonewall? Depends which side of the rivalry youre on.

My Take: This Felt Like a Statement

Honestly, this didnt feel like just another league game. This felt like a message. Liverpool showed that theyre not scared of Citys machine, not scared of Haaland, not scared of anything. The energy, the pressing, the refusal to sit back at 2-2  thats title-winner mentality.

From Citys side, theres a big question: can you really keep relying on Haaland to bail you out every time? When your number nine bags a brace away at Anfield, you should not be leaving with zero points. Something looks a bit off in that back line, and Pep has work to do.

In my opinion, Salah just sent a reminder to the world: hes still one of the deadliest players on the planet. Under pressure, with the stadium vibrating and the title race on the line, he went top bins from the spot. Thats not just technique, thats pure ice in the veins.

Whats Next?

Were heading into a brutal stretch of fixtures where dropped points will haunt you for months. Todays result reshapes the football league table, spices up every single pre-match press conference, and guarantees that the run-in is going to be pure drama.

Check full stats & standings now

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