Liverpool 1-2 Man City: Five key talking points from Anfield thriller as Pep Guardiola receives huge Premier League title boost

Manchester City pulled off a dramatic comeback to beat reigning Premier League champions Liverpool by a 2-1 scoreline at Anfield on Sunday.

A stunning 30-yard free-kick from Dominik Szoboszlai looked set to secure maximum points for the Reds, but Citizens captain Bernardo Silva poked home an 84th-minute equaliser before Alisson Becker clumsily brought down Matheus Nunes inside the penalty area in stoppage time.

Erling Haaland stepped up and confidently converted from the spot in the 93rd minute, but there was still time for late drama as Gianluigi Donnarumma produced a wonderful save to deny Alexis Mac Allister, before Szoboszlai was shown a straight red card amid VAR confusion as Rayan Cherki's goal from the halfway line was disallowed.

Pep Guardiola’s men eventually came away with an important victory on Merseyside to boost their title hopes, condemning Arne Slot’s side to another disappointing defeat that hinders their chances of a top-five finish.

Here, Sports Mole takes a closer look at five key talking points from an enthralling encounter at Anfield.

Man City will not go down without a fight in title battle with Arsenal

Man City were around 10 minutes away from crashing out of the Premier League title race and allowing Arsenal to establish a healthy nine-point advantage at the summit, but like true champions, the Citizens showed why they will not go down without a fight.

City, who controlled the first half after registering 10 shots and more than 60% possession, allowed Liverpool to dominate large parts of the second 45, and Citizens supporters were certainly fearing the worst when Szoboszlai fired home his unstoppable long-range free kick.

However, Bernardo Silva was not finished, nor were Erling Haaland or Gianluigi Donnarumma - three big-game characters who all produced game-changing moments to help Man City snatch victory from the jaws of defeat at a stadium where they had previously won just once in 10 matches under Guardiola (and that was behind closed door in 2021).

After comfortably winning 3-0 in the reverse fixture at the Etihad in November, Man City have completed their first league double over Liverpool since 1936-37. Victory has also seen them move back to within six points of leaders Arsenal, and that gap could soon become just three if Guardiola’s men beat Fulham on Wednesday before the Gunners travel to in-form Brentford on Thursday.

Liverpool suffer Champions League blow as pressure mounts on Slot

While Man City are rightly in buoyant mood, Liverpool are down in the dumps after suffering their eighth Premier League defeat of the season - twice as many as they recorded in the entirety of their 2024-25 title-winning campaign (four).

The Reds were leading up to the 84th minute against the Citizens, but they came away empty handed, with this defeat representing the latest they have ever led in a Premier League match at Anfield and gone on to lose.

Dropping points late in games has become an unwanted habit for Liverpool, who have now conceded four 90th-minute winners in the top flight this season, already the joint-most by a team in a single PL campaign with 13 games still to play, after Watford in 2017-18 and 2021-22, West Ham in 2021-22, and Southampton in 2024-25.

Few would have envisaged Liverpool sitting down in seventh spot and a whopping 17 points behind leaders Arsenal at this stage of the season, especially after their £450m outlay on summer signings. The pressure is mounting on Arne Slot to save their season and secure Champions League football, with five points now separating the Reds from in-form Man United in fourth.

Slot is not expected to lose his job in the immediate aftermath, but the Dutchman has been warned that “disastrous” days like this one could weigh heavily in FSG’s thinking at the end of the season.

Haaland delivers at crucial moment to end Anfield hoodoo

Erling Haaland had scored only one Premier League goal in seven games heading into Sunday’s showdown and many questioned whether he and Man City could deliver in the final third at Anfield.

The Norwegian may not have had his best game in a sky blue shirt, but it was his headed flick-on that set up Bernardo Silva to poke home an equaliser before he composed himself well to slot home a match-winning penalty in stoppage time.

In his fourth Premier League appearance at Anfield, Haaland celebrated scoring his first goal at Liverpool’s home stadium in the division, and he has now found the net at 23 of the 24 grounds he has played at in the English top flight, failing only at the Stadium of Light.

Haaland has scored a Premier League-high 21 goals so far this season and will be hoping to increase his tally to not only strengthen his chances of claiming a third Golden Boot in four years, but to also boost Man City’s hopes of closing the gap to Arsenal.

Szoboszlai will miss only one game through suspension after Man City red card

Dominik Szoboszlai must have felt a rollercoaster of emotions during Sunday’s eventful contest, but after netting what he hoped would be a wonderful winner, Liverpool’s stand-in right-back feels deflated in more ways than one.

Indeed, suffering defeat in that manner will hurt the Hungarian and his teammates, but he was also sent off in the dying embers of the match following a controversial VAR intervention for pulling Haaland’s shirt before Cherki’s through-ball rolled into the net.

Szoboszlai will subsequently serve a one-match ban and will miss Liverpool’s tricky trip to the Stadium of Light where the Reds do battle with Sunderland, with Slot tasked with finding another player to solve his right-back dilemma.

On a positive note, Szoboszlai will not serve a three-match suspension as he was not dismissed for violent conduct and was instead shown a straight red for denying a goalscoring opportunity, so he will be able to return for Liverpool’s FA Cup fourth-round tie at home to Brighton this weekend and their next league fixture at Nottingham Forest on February 22.

Bernardo Silva at his best once again for Man City

Bernardo Silva was a fitness doubt ahead of Man City’s trip to Anfield, but he started the contest as captain and produced a superb man-of-the-match display, showcasing exactly why he will go down as a true sky blue great.

On his 441st appearance for the club, Bernardo covered every blade of grass as he operated in various midfield positions, combining relentless work rate with exceptional composure and close control that allowed City to keep the ball under intense pressure.

Bernardo was a hugely influential figure in Guardiola’s side and the tireless playmaker could have had a couple of assists on another day, but he instead found himself in the right place at the right time to score City’s equaliser at a crucial moment.

The 31-year-old now has seven Premier League goal involvements against Liverpool (three goals, four assists) and has only ever recorded more against Man United in the division (eight).