Erling Haaland has finally broken his Anfield duck with a dramatic stoppage-time penalty that rescued Manchester City’s title challenge and intensified the pressure on league leaders Arsenal.
The Norwegian striker’s late spot-kick secured a remarkable 2-1 comeback victory for Pep Guardiola’s side in Merseyside on Sunday evening, preserving their six-point gap behind the Gunners with crucial weeks remaining in the season.
Manchester City trailed after Dominik Szoboszlai’s brilliant long-range free-kick beat goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma. Bernardo Silva responded shortly afterwards to level the contest before Haaland’s nerveless penalty deep into added time clinched all three points for the visitors.
Liverpool thought they had salvaged a point when Rayan Cherki struck from distance, but the Video Assistant Referee intervened to disallow the effort, confirming City’s vital victory.
The result prevented Guardiola’s team from falling nine points adrift of Arsenal, a margin that would have severely damaged their championship aspirations with limited fixtures remaining.
Former Manchester United captain Wayne Rooney, analyzing the match for BBC’s Match of the Day, highlighted the psychological impact on Arsenal’s squad as they watched their rivals claw back into contention.
“Arsenal can only focus on themselves,” Rooney explained, noting the difficulty of maintaining concentration when title rivals are playing. “The Arsenal players would have been watching that game at home and thinking Man City are slipping up here. It would have been deflating, and you can waste a lot of energy hoping your rivals are going to slip up.”
The pundit particularly emphasized Haaland’s transformed confidence following his maiden goal at Liverpool’s fortress, suggesting the striker’s renewed form could prove decisive in the championship run-in.
Rooney observed an unusual tactical approach from Haaland during the match, with the forward operating deeper than typical and focusing on chance creation rather than finishing. “Normally it’s about his power and pace and being ruthless in front of goal, but he was a bit deeper today,” he noted.
The former England international believes Haaland’s successful penalty under extreme pressure will elevate his confidence significantly. “The confidence that will give him now will be scary for Arsenal in the next few weeks,” Rooney warned, identifying scoring consistency as crucial to any striker’s self-belief.
Manchester City’s triumph at one of English football’s most challenging venues demonstrated their championship credentials whilst simultaneously applying maximum pressure on Arsenal to maintain their advantage.
Both title contenders now face demanding fixture schedules as the season enters its decisive phase, with Arsenal needing to respond to City’s momentum-building performance.
