Liverpool vs Man City goes wild: title twist & Haaland vs Salah live
Published on 02/24/2026 at 01:22 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael MĂŒller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWSLiverpool 3â2 Manchester City: Salah shines, Haaland silenced
This one felt like a Champions League knockout tie stuffed into 90 minutes. End-to-end, brutal intensity, and star power everywhere. From the first whistle, Liverpool pressed like their lives depended on it, and City tried to kill them with control and precision.City drew first blood. In the 14th minute, a slick move down the right saw Kevin De Bruyne slide a pass into space for Phil Foden. Foden cut inside and smashed a low drive into the far corner for 0â1. Goal scorer: Phil Foden, as cold as you like.
But Liverpool hit back, hard. On 28 minutes, Luis DĂaz tore down the left, chopped inside Kyle Walker and forced a save from Ederson. The rebound fell kindly, and who else was there? Mohamed Salah, pouncing and smashing home the equaliser for 1â1. Salahâs movement off the back post was elite â classic predator stuff.
Right before half-time, Anfield exploded again. A short corner routine saw Trent Alexander-Arnold whip in a vicious cross, Virgil van Dijk climbed above everyone, and his header crashed off the bar. It bounced out to Dominik Szoboszlai, who guided a composed finish into the bottom corner for 2â1. Goal scorer: Dominik Szoboszlai, and Liverpool went into the break roaring.
Haalandâs off-night, De Bruyneâs class
Everyone tuned in waiting for an Erling Haaland demolition job, but the Norwegian cyborg had one of those rare human nights. He snatched at an early chance, dragged a one?on?one wide in the 51st minute, and generally got swallowed by van Dijk and Ibrahima KonatĂ©. On another day he scores two; today, he just looked⊠flat.De Bruyne, though, refused to go quietly. In the 63rd minute, he curled in a perfect free?kick that had Alisson scrambling, only for RĂșben Dias to bundle home the rebound from close range. Goal scorer: RĂșben Dias, and suddenly it was 2â2 with Anfield stunned into nervous silence.
VAR chaos and a Salah dagger
Then came the moment everyone is screaming about online. In the 78th minute, DĂaz burst into the box and appeared to be clipped by Manuel Akanji. The ref waved play on, but VAR called him to the monitor. Two long, painful minutes. Every camera in the world zoomed in. On replay, there was clear contact on DĂazâs trailing leg â and after the review, the ref pointed to the spot. Penalty. City players lost it, Guardiola raged on the touchline, and social media went nuclear.Who stepped up? Mohamed Salah, of course. He stared down Ederson, waited for the keeper to move, and rolled it the other way for 3â2 in the 82nd minute. Calm, brutal, elite. Goal scorer: Salah again, bagging a brace and grabbing the full spotlight while Haaland watched on, frustrated and isolated.
City threw everything forward late on. JuliĂĄn Ălvarez had a shot blocked, Haaland had a header drift wide, and De Bruyne fizzed in cross after cross. But Liverpool held firm â van Dijk was immense, KonatĂ© was everywhere, and Alisson claimed every high ball like it was his personal property.
What this does to the football league table
That single result flips the Premier League live picture on its head. Liverpool vault back above City in the title race, while City suddenly look vulnerable with dropped points in a massive head?to?head. With Arsenal lurking and the fixtures piling up, this could be the night we look back on as the turning point of the season.Liverpoolâs front line looks ruthless again, Salah is right in the mix for the top scorers today conversation, and Cityâs reliance on Haalandâs goals is starting to look slightly shaky when he has an off night. Every point is gold now, and this one might sparkle more than most.
What does this mean for the title race? Click here for the live standings
Other big results: Europeâs heavyweights answer back
While Anfield was melting, the rest of Europe refused to stay quiet. In La Liga, Real Madrid edged a gritty 2â1 win, with Jude Bellingham again right at the heart of everything. He didnât get on the scoresheet this time â those went to VinĂcius JĂșnior and Rodrygo â but Bellinghamâs drive through midfield and late runs into the box kept the opponents on their heels all night. Not a headline-grabbing masterclass, but still a classy, controlling display.Over in Ligue 1, Kylian MbappĂ© absolutely stole the show for PSG. He bagged a brace in a 3â1 win â first a ruthless first?time finish from the edge of the box, then a trademark cut?inside and curling rocket into the far corner. Goal scorers there: Kylian MbappĂ© (2) and Gonçalo Ramos for PSG. MbappĂ© looked like he was playing on fast?forward while everyone else was stuck in slow?mo. Completely different level.
With the Champions League news cycle just warming up again, all these performances feel like trailers for the knockout rounds. Form today is going to bleed straight into those midweek soccer games under the lights.
The Internet is Exploding: 3 Social Media Highlights
X Discussion: Fans losing it over that late VAR penalty for Liverpool
My take: Salahâs clutch, City look strangely mortal
From a young reporterâs seat, this felt like one of those statement nights. Salah didnât just score; he owned the moment. Two goals, constant threat, and ice-cold composure from the spot with the whole stadium shaking. Thatâs world?class, thatâs leader energy, and itâs exactly what separates contenders from pretenders in a title run?in.On the flip side, I canât ignore how ordinary Haaland looked. Itâs not panic time â heâs still a freak of nature â but when Cityâs supply line gets even slightly clogged, he can drift out of games. De Bruyne tried to drag them through it, but it wasnât enough. If City want to keep their hands on the trophy, they canât afford this many anonymous nights from their biggest weapon in massive soccer games like this.
For me, the bigger picture is brutal: Liverpool look like a team that believes again. The press is back, the aggression is back, and the Anfield energy is totally different when they smell blood like this. City are still very much alive, but the margin for error in the football league table is disappearing fast.
Final whistle: title race on a knife-edge
So where does that leave us? A Liverpool win, a Haaland off?day, a Salah masterclass, and a VAR decision thatâll probably be argued about all week. The Premier League live title race just turned into a full?blown rollercoaster, and with Champions League fixtures creeping up, squad depth and mentality are about to be tested like never before.If youâre trying to make sense of it all â goals, points, games in hand â the table tells the real story. One result tonight might be the detail that decides everything in May.
Check full stats & standings now
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