Premier League chaos live: Haaland hits late winner as title race twists
25.01.2026 - 11:45:17
Premier League live fireworks: City edge thriller as Haaland delivers
All eyes were on the Etihad as Manchester City scraped a wild 3-2 home win over Liverpool that shook up the title race. The football results today had everything, but this one was the headliner.
City exploded out of the blocks. On 12 minutes, Kevin De Bruyne threaded one of those trademark passes through the lines, and Erling Haaland did the rest, bullying his marker and drilling a low left-foot strike past the keeper for 1-0. Thats Haaland in full cheat-code mode.
Liverpool answered in pure chaos style. On 30 minutes, Mohamed Salah cut inside from the right, combined with Darwin Núñez, and Salah swept home with his left from the edge of the box to make it 1-1. Clinical. Then just before half-time, a swift counter saw Luis Díaz isolate his man, drop a shoulder, and smash a rising shot in off the bar for 1-2. Anfield energy, but in Manchester.
Second half, City turned the screw. On 63 minutes, a De Bruyne corner picked out Rúben Dias, who powered a header into the far corner for 2-2. Liverpool shouted for a push, VAR check dragged on forever, but the goal stood. The home crowd went absolutely nuts.
And then the killer. 88th minute, the exact moment title contenders either blink or go berserk. De Bruyne again carved Liverpool open, sliding a pass between centre-back and full-back. Haaland attacked the space and, one-on-one, just passed the ball into the net for 3-2. Ice-cold, game over, City back on top in the football league table picture.
Heroes & flops? Haaland was ruthless with his brace, De Bruyne was basically operating with a joystick, and Dias thundered through everything. For Liverpool, Salah was sharp with a goal and constant movement, but their back line completely lost Haaland at the worst possible moment. The big flop tag hangs over the Liverpool defence in that final 20 minutes just not good enough if you want to win titles.
London calling: Arsenal cruise, Spurs stumble
While City and Liverpool went to war, Arsenal just took care of business in North London. At the Emirates, they beat Newcastle United 2-0 with an efficient, almost boringly professional performance and thats exactly what title serious looks like.
The opener came on 22 minutes: Bukayo Saka drove at his full-back, slipped in Martin Ødegaard, and the captain squared it for Gabriel Jesus to tap in from close range. Classic Arsenal pattern play. Newcastle barely touched the ball in the first half.
Second half, the killer goal was all about Saka. On 57 minutes, he cut inside onto his left and bent a gorgeous shot into the far corner for 2-0. No chance for the keeper, pure postage-stamp stuff. Ødegaard pulled the strings, Jesus worked like a lunatic, but Saka was the star. Top scorers today? Saka firmly put his hand up with that stunner.
Over at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, though, it was pain. Spurs were held 1-1 by a stubborn Brighton side. Son Heung-min put Spurs ahead with a tidy right-foot finish after a clever one-two with James Maddison on 33 minutes. But Brighton refused to die, and on 76 minutes, João Pedro rose above everyone to head home from a corner and make it 1-1.
Spurs threw everything at it late on, but the cutting edge wasnt there. Son worked hard, but compared to Haaland and Saka, he just didnt have that knockout punch today. For a team chasing Champions League football, thats two big points dropped.
Champions League chase & table twist
With these football results today, the Premier League live narrative has tilted again. Citys win plus Arsenals calm control keeps them both firmly in the title mix, while Liverpool are suddenly playing catch-up. Spurs draw opens the door for the pack behind them in the race for those Champions League spots.
Citys three points mean they nudge clear at the top, Arsenal tuck right in behind, and Liverpool slide just a bit further away from the summit. Down the table, Newcastles loss dents their European hopes, while Brightons away point at Spurs feels huge for their confidence and their push up the football league table.
What does this mean for the title race? Click here for the live standings
Elsewhere in Europe: Bellingham and Mbappé keep the spotlight
Across the continent, the big names didnt want to be left out. In La Liga, Jude Bellingham was once again the heartbeat of Real Madrid in a 2-1 home win over Sevilla. Bellingham opened the scoring, timing a late run into the box and smashing in a low cross on 19 minutes for 1-0. Later, after Sevilla equalised through Youssef En-Nesyri with a sharp near-post finish, it was Vinícius Júnior who produced the winner.
On 72 minutes, Bellingham slid Vinícius in down the left; Vini cut inside and curled one into the far corner for 2-1. Bellingham was everywhere dropping deep, driving forward, setting the tempo. Definitely in the hero column today.
In Ligue 1, Kylian Mbappé did Mbappé things for Paris Saint-Germain in a 3-1 victory over Lyon. He bagged a brace: first, a blistering run in behind and a composed left-foot finish on 14 minutes, then a penalty smashed home on 61 minutes after he was brought down in the box. Ousmane Dembélé added the other PSG goal with a near-post rocket, while Lyons consolation came from Alexandre Lacazette following a rebound in the area.
Champions League news watchers, take note: the way Bellingham and Mbappé are rolling right now, those knockout rounds are shaping up to be absolutely insane.
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My take: title mentality vs. nearly-men
From a young reporters seat, this felt like one of those defining matchdays. City didnt actually play their best football for 90 minutes, but when it mattered, Haaland and De Bruyne just refused to let them drop points. Thats the difference between being in the race and owning it.
Liverpool, on the other hand, were brilliant in flashes but fragile when it counted. You cant score two away at the Etihad, lead at half-time, and still walk away with nothing if you want to be champions. In my opinion, the manager has to be furious with how they defended the final 20 minutes. You could feel the fear every time Haaland got a half-yard.
Arsenal quietly doing their job might be the scariest thing of all. No meltdown, no chaos, just controlled intensity and big players stepping up Jesus finishing, Saka producing world-class moments. For me, Saka was one of the standout players anywhere in Europe today, right up there with Haaland, Bellingham, and Mbappé.
Spurs? If they keep letting leads slip at home, theyre going to be watching the Champions League on TV instead of hearing that anthem on the pitch. The performance wasnt awful, but it screamed not ruthless enough.
Closing whistle: buckle up for the run-in
The football results today have lit a fire under the title race, the Champions League chase, and the whole narrative across Europe. Haaland scored when it mattered, Salah shone but couldnt drag Liverpool over the line, Saka produced a stunner, Bellingham dominated, and Mbappé continued his personal highlight reel.
If this is a preview of the run-in, clear your weekends. Every point, every goal, every VAR check is going to feel like a final.
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