Erling Haaland struck deep into stoppage time to hand Manchester City a thrilling 2–1 victory over Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday, cutting Arsenal’s advantage at the top of the Premier League back to six points.
City looked set for defeat with just minutes remaining after Dominik Szoboszlai’s sensational free kick had put Liverpool ahead, but Bernardo Silva dragged the visitors level six minutes from time to ignite a chaotic ending.
Haaland then completed the turnaround from the penalty spot before City had another goal chalked off, while Szoboszlai was shown a red card following a VAR review in the same sequence of events.
The win marked City’s first away victory against Liverpool in front of supporters since 2003 and reapplied pressure on Arsenal, who are chasing a first league title in 22 years.
For Liverpool, the defeat further damaged their hopes of qualifying for next season’s Champions League. The reigning champions remain sixth, now four points outside the top five.
Although these two sides have shared the last eight Premier League titles between them, both once again exposed weaknesses that have allowed Arsenal to seize control of the title race.
Haaland, who has struggled for goals from open play in recent weeks, showed signs of low confidence early on. Inside the opening two minutes, Silva split the Liverpool defence with a clever pass, but the Norwegian’s effort lacked power under pressure from Milos Kerkez, allowing Alisson Becker to save comfortably.
The City striker later flicked another attempt straight at Alisson as the visitors peppered the Liverpool goal with 10 first-half shots but failed to score.
As has often been the case this season, City faded after the break before producing a dramatic late surge to rescue their campaign.
Liverpool almost doubled their lead just before the hour mark when Hugo Ekitike completely mistimed a header following a rapid counterattack.
Marc Guehi, who joined City last month after a proposed move to Liverpool collapsed on deadline day, was heavily booed throughout. The defender was fortunate to escape with only a yellow card after hauling down Mohamed Salah near the edge of the box.
City were furious moments later when a free kick was awarded after Ryan Gravenberch went down under light contact, leading directly to Liverpool’s opener.
Szoboszlai, who scored a similar stunner against Arsenal earlier in the season, delivered another outstanding strike that clipped the inside of the post before crossing the line.
However, the midfielder’s afternoon unravelled late on. His positioning played Silva onside as the City midfielder volleyed home Haaland’s header to equalise.
Alisson then collided with Matheus Nunes in the box, conceding a penalty that Haaland calmly converted to give City the lead.
Pep Guardiola’s side still needed a crucial save from Gianluigi Donnarumma to turn Alexis Mac Allister’s deflected effort behind.
With Alisson upfield for the resulting corner, Rayan Cherki rolled the ball into an empty net from near the halfway line, but the goal was ruled out after Haaland and Szoboszlai were penalised for grappling, with a free kick awarded to City and the Liverpool midfielder dismissed.
What you should know
Manchester City’s late win at Anfield keeps their title defence alive and narrows Arsenal’s lead at the top of the Premier League.
The result highlights City’s growing reliance on late-game heroics and Liverpool’s continued struggles to secure Champions League qualification. Szoboszlai’s red card compounded a damaging afternoon for Liverpool, while Haaland’s decisive penalty underlined his importance despite recent scoring struggles.
With Arsenal still in control, the pressure is now back on the Gunners as the season enters its decisive phase.
