Haaland’s late penalty seals 2-1 comeback win for Man City against Liverpool

LIVERPOOL: Erling Haaland scored a dramatic late penalty as Manchester City claimed a thrilling 2-1 comeback victory over Liverpool at Anfield.

Manchester City kicked the match off on a positive note and nearly took the lead inside two minutes when Haaland raced through on goal, but Alisson Becker reacted quickly to undo his effort, according to the Premier League website. Despite City’s early pressure, clear chances were limited in a tight first half, with both sides cancelling each other out.

Liverpool grew into the game after the break and began to put City under pressure. Their breakthrough came in the 74th minute when Dominik Szoboszlai produced a moment of brilliance, shooting a stunning free-kick from long range, leaving City’s Gianluigi Donnarumma with no chance.

City responded positively and showed their resilience. In the 84th minute, Bernardo Silva timed his run perfectly to slide in and shoot Haaland’s headed pass beyond Alisson to equalise.

Erling Haaland’s first Premier League goal at Anfield is an extra sweet one pic.twitter.com/KSe1xgqFiS

— ESPN UK (@ESPNUK) February 8, 2026

During stoppage time, Matheus Nunes ran into Liverpool’s penalty area and was fouled by the goalkeeper, resulting in a penalty for Manchester City. Haaland kept his composure and dispatched the penalty into the bottom-left corner to secure the win and score his first goal at Anfield.

Liverpool thought they had snatched a late equaliser when Rayan Cherki scored from distance with Alisson out of position, but the goal was ruled out following a VAR review for a foul. To worsen Liverpool’s frustration, Szoboszlai was shown a red card in the closing seconds for a last-man challenge on Haaland.

The victory moves Manchester City up to second in the Premier League table with 50 points to their name, cutting Arsenal’s lead at the top to six points. Liverpool, on the other hand, remain sixth with 39 points to their name. (ANI)