Liverpool v Man City goes wild: Salah & Haaland drama as title race explodes live

Kick-off! As of today, 2026-02-12, the pitch is on fire... Did you see that?? If you missed tonight's monster clash at Anfield, you missed one of the wildest soccer games of the season. Liverpool and Manchester City just played out a breathless 2-2 draw that felt like a Champions League final, not a mid-February Premier League night. Goals, VAR, screaming finishes – this had everything.

Liverpool 2-2 Manchester City – Heavyweights trading haymakers

This was pure chaos from the first whistle. Liverpool came flying out, pressing like mad, and it paid off early. On 18 minutes, Mohamed Salah broke the deadlock, tucking home a cool right-foot finish after a slick move with Darwin Núñez. Núñez slipped him in with a clever reverse pass, Salah opened his body and lashed it low past Ederson into the far corner. Anfield exploded.

City, though, don't blink. On 32 minutes, who else but Erling Haaland? A floated ball from Kevin De Bruyne found Haaland peeling off his marker, one perfect first touch, then a ruthless left-foot strike across Alisson for 1-1. Classic Haaland: one chance, one goal, pure efficiency.

The second half turned into a firefight. Liverpool regained the lead on 61 minutes when Dominik Szoboszlai hammered in a screamer from the edge of the area. A loose clearance dropped to him and he smashed a rising shot that clipped the bar and dipped in – Ederson barely moved. Anfield absolutely shook.

But you can never kill off this City side. On 83 minutes, another De Bruyne set-piece caused chaos. His whipped free-kick was flicked on by Rúben Dias, and Phil Foden reacted quickest at the back post to stab it in for 2-2. Liverpool players screamed for offside, and here came the drama...

VAR chaos and superstar verdicts

For a full two minutes, the stadium held its breath as VAR drew lines all over the screen. Foden looked millimetres onside, and after a long check, the goal stood. The home crowd erupted in boos, City players celebrated like mad, and social media went nuclear over the decision.

How did the big names perform? Mohamed Salah was electric – goal, constant threat, endlessly dragging City's back line out of shape. He faded a bit late on, but his first-half display was world-class. Darwin Núñez didn't score, but his assist for Salah and his chaos factor up front made him a nightmare to mark.

On the other side, Erling Haaland did what Haaland does: maybe only 20 touches, but one ice-cold goal and a couple of half-chances that had Alisson scrambling. Kevin De Bruyne was the conductor – one assist, one pre-assist, and at least three passes that sliced Liverpool open. Whenever City upped the tempo, it was running through him.

Defensively, both sides looked shaky. Virgil van Dijk had some big interventions but struggled to keep Haaland completely quiet. For City, Josko Gvardiol had a really tough time tracking Salah's inside runs, and Liverpool clearly targeted that flank all game.

What this does to the title race

This draw keeps the title race absolutely alive. Liverpool stay right in the hunt, but they'll feel like they dropped two points at home after twice taking the lead. City, meanwhile, will quietly be delighted to escape Anfield with a point after spending long stretches on the back foot.

Depending on how Arsenal and the chasing pack do this weekend, this 2-2 could be one of those results we look back on in May and say: that was the night the title momentum swung. The gap at the top is razor-thin, and this point might be huge for both.

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

Elsewhere in Europe: Champions League contenders flex

Across the continent, the other giants were also busy. In Spain, Real Madrid edged a gritty 1-0 away win thanks to a late header from Jude Bellingham. He rose above everyone on an 82nd-minute corner and powered it in – yet another clutch moment from the Englishman. He wasn't at his absolute best for 80 minutes, but when it mattered, he delivered. Again.

In France, Kylian Mbappé reminded everyone why he's a cheat code in boots. PSG rolled to a 3-1 win, with Mbappé bagging a brace – one ruthless one-on-one finish and one trademark curling shot from the left side of the box into the far top corner. Total madness. His movement tore the opposition apart, and right now he looks in 'try and stop me' mode heading into the next Champions League round.

These results crank up the pressure in the Champions League news cycle: City grinding through in England, Madrid and PSG both winning with their stars decisive – everything is lining up for a ridiculous knockout phase.

My take: managers under the microscope

From a young reporter’s seat, it feels like this was a massive "statement draw" for both managers. For Liverpool, you see the game plan: high press, front-foot, trust Salah and the runners. It worked for long spells, but the lack of control late on is a worry. In my opinion, the game management from the home bench was too conservative – once they went 2-1 up, they sat a bit deeper, invited De Bruyne into dangerous pockets, and got punished.

For City, it wasn't vintage dominance, but it was ruthless survival. Haaland barely touched the ball but still scored. De Bruyne, even when marked tightly, found that one moment to flip the game. That's the difference at this level: your stars don't need to be perfect; they just need one moment. City's ability to find that late equaliser, yet again, feels absolutely title-worthy.

If you're Arsenal or anyone else chasing, you watched this and thought: how on earth do you shake these two off the top of the football league table? They just refuse to go away.

Closing whistle: title race on a knife-edge

So where does this leave us tonight? We've got Salah scoring, Haaland scoring, VAR stealing the spotlight, and a Premier League live title race that looks like it's heading for a photo finish. Across Europe, Bellingham and Mbappé are in full superhero mode, and the Champions League storylines are heating up fast.

If you love soccer games with chaos, emotion and world-class talent all over the pitch, today was your night. And the best part? The run-in is only just starting.

Check full stats & standings now

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@ ad-hoc-news.de

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