Manchester City defeated Liverpool 2-1 at Anfield on Sunday, February 8, 2026, in a dramatic Premier League encounter. After Dominik Szoboszlai put Liverpool ahead with a stunning 74th-minute free-kick, City staged a late comeback through a Bernardo Silva equaliser and a stoppage-time Erling Haaland penalty.In a season defined by late-game volatility, Anfield bore witness to perhaps its most chaotic chapter yet. On Sunday, February 8, 2026, Manchester City clawed back from the brink of a damaging defeat to secure a 2-1 victory over Liverpool, keeping their pursuit of league leaders Arsenal alive through the narrowest of margins.The Match Report For 74 minutes, Pep Guardiola’s side dominated possession but struggled to dismantle a disciplined Liverpool rearguard. The deadlock was finally broken in spectacular fashion when Dominik Szoboszlai unleashed a swerving, 30-yard free-kick that left Gianluigi Donnarumma helpless, sending the Kop into a frenzy. However, the "Anfield factor" was countered by City’s relentless late-game poise. In the 84th minute, Bernardo Silva silenced the home crowd, ghosting into the six-yard box to volley home a cushioned header from Erling Haaland. The drama peaked in the third minute of stoppage time. Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker, attempting to thwart a City counter-attack, clattered into Matheus Nunes inside the area. Erling Haaland, who had been largely stifled by Virgil van Dijk throughout the afternoon, stepped up to bury the resulting penalty—his first-ever goal at Anfield—to seal the turnaround.
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Post-Match Analysis & Controversy The final whistle did not signal the end of the spectacle. In a bizarre sequence during the 13th minute of added time, City substitute Rayan Cherki appeared to score from the halfway line into an empty net after Alisson had gone up for a late corner. However, VAR intervened to disallow the goal, instead awarding City a free-kick and showing a straight red card to Szoboszlai for a professional foul on Haaland during the build-up. Key Takeaways: City’s Historic Double: This victory marks Manchester City’s first league double over Liverpool since the 1936/37 season. Liverpool’s Late-Game Woes: Arne Slot’s side has now dropped eight points to injury-time goals this season, equalling an unwanted Premier League record. Title Race Implications: City remains in 2nd place, six points behind Arsenal with a game in hand against Fulham on Wednesday. Liverpool sits in 6th, their Champions League hopes fading as they fall five points behind fourth-placed Manchester United. For Guardiola, it was a "statement performance" in a stadium that has long been his Achilles' heel. For Slot, it was a bitter reminder that at the highest level, 80 minutes of excellence can be undone by 10 minutes of madness.
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