Manchester City kept the Premier League title race alive with a 2-1 comeback win at Liverpool, secured by Erling Haaland’s 93rd-minute penalty. The result
cut Arsenal’s lead over City to six points and, according to Bernardo Silva, avoided a defeat that could have ended City’s championship hopes.
The victory also completed a league double over Liverpool for Manchester City for the first time since the 1936-37 season. That added a layer of historical weight to an already tense match at Anfield, where Guardiola’s team often struggled in previous visits against Liverpool in the Premier League.
Dominik Szoboszlai put Liverpool ahead on 74 minutes with a powerful free-kick from distance. Bernardo Silva equalised 10 minutes later with a close-range finish, setting up a frantic finale. The decisive moment came when Matheus Nunes went down in the area under a challenge from Alisson Becker.
Referee and VAR confirmed the penalty, and Haaland converted from 12 yards for City’s second goal. The spot-kick was Haaland’s first goal at Anfield in his career. That strike gave City three points that the squad believed were essential to maintain realistic hopes of catching Arsenal in the standings.
Despite this result, Opta’s supercomputer still gives Manchester City only a 7.1% chance of winning the Premier League title. Arsenal remain strong favourites, projected to finish top in 91.4% of season simulations after matchday 25. Yet this display suggested City still have the level to challenge Arsenal over the remaining fixtures.
Performance data also backed up Manchester City’s win at Anfield. Guardiola’s side produced 17 shots to Liverpool’s 15 and posted an expected goals figure of 2.91 against Liverpool’s 1.21. City also relied on Gianluigi Donnarumma, who made a late stop to push away a powerful drive from Alexis Mac Allister.
The match contained more twists in stoppage time. Liverpool pressed for an equaliser, and Rayan Cherki appeared to score with Alisson Becker stranded outside the penalty area. However, the effort was disallowed for a foul by Haaland on Szoboszlai in the build-up, delaying the restart while officials reviewed several incidents.
After further VAR checks, the focus shifted back to an earlier tussle between Haaland and Szoboszlai. Replays showed Szoboszlai pulling Haaland’s shirt, and the Liverpool midfielder received a red card in the 103rd minute. That dismissal ended the contest and highlighted the chaotic closing stages in front of the Anfield crowd.
Premier League title race and Anfield records under spotlight
This defeat marked a rare setback for Liverpool when scoring first at Anfield in the Premier League. The last time Liverpool lost a home league match after opening the scoring was a 2-1 defeat to Crystal Palace in April 2017. Between those losses, Liverpool stayed unbeaten in 109 such home league games, winning 98 and drawing 11.
Bernardo Silva’s impact extended beyond the equaliser. The midfielder has now scored three Premier League goals at Anfield, his highest tally at any away stadium in the competition. Silva is also now Manchester City’s joint-top scorer at Anfield in the Premier League era, matching Nicolas Anelka and Ilkay Gundogan, who also have three goals each.
Silva detailed both the challenge and the importance of the result. "It is the toughest place in the Premier League by far, but we needed to go for another goal," Silva told Sky Sports. "When I scored, I was happy, but we needed another and Erling got it. Very happy, but these points count as much as any in any other game. It has been frustrating at the beginning of the year because we have not done our job properly. We could be closer to Arsenal. For me, you must imagine how tough it is to win here, but I am really happy. I feel the whole team knew before the game if we lost it, then the title race was probably over. We felt like we needed to win. The hope is there, and we are going to fight until the end. We need to keep doing our job that we haven’t lately. "
Guardiola called the contest a strong advert for the league and praised the response led by Silva. "It was a brilliant advert for the Premier League," Guardiola said. "The first half was really good, and we lost a bit of momentum in the second half. Anfield can feel like that. After that, we played more directly and, after that, we lost the ball and we were passive. Omar and Erling were passive and that’s why we struggled. What a strike from Szoboszlai and after that, led by our captain Bernardo, we came back. "
When asked about the late VAR drama and Cherki’s disallowed effort, Guardiola joked about the long delay. "Come on referee, give the goal and go home!" he said, reflecting the tension that surrounded the closing minutes as both Liverpool and Manchester City chased a decisive moment in the Premier League title race.
Guardiola also underlined Silva’s wider role in the squad, describing why the midfielder now wears the armband. "He is one of the best players I have ever trained with. He is the perfect captain," Guardiola added. "It is a joy for me as a manager to have him. The team comes first. His contribution is massive, and he is one of the legends of this club. "
For Manchester City, the win at Anfield restored belief that the Premier League title race remains open, even with Arsenal clear at the top. The performance, the numbers and the resilience in a difficult stadium all suggested Guardiola’s team still have the quality and mentality to apply pressure in the remaining weeks.
