Erling Haaland Isn’t Done Yet: Winners And Losers As Man City Keep Arsenal Sweating In The Title Race

Just when it looked like Manchester City were finally fading from the Premier League title picture, Erling Haaland and Bernardo Silva ripped up the script at Anfield.

City’s dramatic late win over Liverpool didn’t just revive their title hopes — it sent shockwaves through the race, left Arsenal nervously glancing over their shoulders, and raised serious questions about Liverpool’s alarming habit of late collapses.

This was City’s first league win at Anfield in front of fans since 2003, a ground that has historically been Pep Guardiola’s toughest hunting territory. On a night full of firsts, City also completed a league double over Liverpool for the first time since 1937.

Here are the big winners and losers from a Premier League classic.

Winner: Erling Haaland

If there was ever a night for Erling Haaland to silence doubts, this was it.

The Norwegian striker had failed to score in his previous Anfield appearances for City, missing a big early chance and watching Liverpool take a late lead through Dominik Szoboszlai’s thunderous free-kick. It felt like history was repeating itself.

But elite strikers don’t disappear — they persist.

Haaland rose above Ibrahima Konaté to set up Bernardo Silva’s equaliser before stepping up under enormous pressure to bury the decisive penalty. It was his first goal at Anfield in a City shirt, and arguably one of his most significant moments of the season.

Haaland isn’t done. And the title race definitely isn’t either.

Loser: Hugo Ekitike

Coming into the game, Hugo Ekitike was flying. Comparisons with Fernando Torres were circulating, and Anfield sang his name loudly.

Unfortunately, this was a night when hype met harsh reality.

Ekitike missed two huge chances — curling wide from the back post and misdirecting a free header set up by Mohamed Salah. Against elite opposition, margins are thin, and he didn’t take his.

While his debut season at Liverpool has been promising, his struggles against top sides are becoming a worrying trend. No goals against Manchester United, Arsenal, Real Madrid, and now Manchester City — twice.

Big moments demand big performances. This wasn’t one of them.

Winner: Marc Guehi

Few players thrived more under pressure than Marc Guehi.

Boos rained down from Liverpool fans every time he touched the ball, a reminder of the collapsed move that nearly took him to Anfield. Instead, Guehi delivered a masterclass in composure and authority.

He dominated duels, snuffed out through-balls, frustrated Salah, Ekitike, and Florian Wirtz, and even recovered from a rare lapse that earned him a yellow card.

City didn’t just sign a defender — they signed a leader. Liverpool felt that absence keenly.

Loser: Liverpool’s Late-Game Nerves

This defeat felt painfully familiar.

It was the fourth time this season Liverpool conceded a 90th-minute winner — already among the worst records in Premier League history. Arne Slot’s side showed fight, quality, and belief, but once again lacked control when it mattered most.

With Champions League qualification far from secure, Liverpool now face a very real possibility of slipping into the Europa League, a scenario few would have imagined earlier in the season.

Late collapses don’t win titles. They cost them.

What This Means For The Title Race

Manchester City are back.
Arsenal are watching.
Liverpool are wobbling.

If this truly is Pep Guardiola’s final season at City, then this felt like a statement performance — one that reminded everyone why City are never out of the race until the very last whistle.

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