LIVERPOOL: Manchester City reignited their Premier League title challenge with a dramatic 2-1 comeback victory over Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday, sealed by Erling Haaland’s stoppage-time penalty.
City looked set for defeat deep into the second half after Dominik Szoboszlai produced a moment of brilliance, curling a sensational free-kick beyond the reach of the goalkeeper to give Liverpool the lead. The home crowd believed the result would strengthen Liverpool’s push for a top-five finish and dent City’s championship ambitions.
However, Pep Guardiola’s side refused to surrender. With just six minutes remaining, Bernardo Silva found space inside the box and volleyed home from close range after Erling Haaland’s flick-on, leveling the score and shifting the momentum dramatically.
The late pressure soon paid off. Alisson Becker clattered into Matheus Nunes while attempting to clear the ball, leaving the referee with no option but to award a penalty. Haaland stepped up and calmly dispatched the spot-kick, silencing Anfield and securing City’s first away win against Liverpool in front of a crowd since 2003.
The dramatic ending did not stop there. Liverpool thought they had conceded a third when the ball was rolled into an empty net following a chaotic corner. However, VAR intervened, ruling the goal out due to a foul involving Haaland and Szoboszlai. The Hungarian midfielder was shown a red card after the review, compounding Liverpool’s misery.
Despite dominating long spells, Liverpool were once again left frustrated by their inability to close out matches. The defeat keeps them sixth in the standings, four points outside the Champions League qualification places, dealing another blow to their European hopes.
City’s victory cuts Arsenal’s lead at the top of the table back to six points and keeps the defending champions firmly in the title race. Speaking after the match, Bernardo Silva admitted the significance of the win, stressing that defeat would have left City with little margin for error in the run-in.
Both teams showed flashes of quality, but also defensive vulnerabilities that have allowed Arsenal to emerge as serious contenders this season. For City, belief remains intact. For Liverpool, questions continue to grow as pressure mounts in the final weeks of the campaign.
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