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Manchester City came from behind to beat Liverpool 2-1 at Anfield to stay in the Premier League title race, but the finale was dominated by some controversial decisions.

Manchester City beat Liverpool at Anfield to stay in the Premier League title race – but only after a dramatic finale provided by VAR.

City came from behind to win 2-1 and complete a league double over their rivals in chaotic and confusing fashion.

Dominik Szoboszlai smashed Liverpool ahead with a stunning long-range free-kick yet ended the game with a red card in astonishing fashion.

Bernardo Silva fired City level from Erling Haaland’s knock-down before Alisson clattered Matheus Nunes to hand City a penalty late on. Haaland converted the spot-kick to put City 2-1 up in the 93rd minute.

But more was to come, with Alisson heading up to the other end of the pitch as Liverpool desperately chased an equaliser. That left the goal open on the counter-attack and City thought they had gone 3-1 up in the closing stages as Rayan Cherki’s effort dribbled over the line.

Szoboszlai and Haaland raced back after the ball and pulled each others’ shirts, only for the ball to roll over the goaline untouched. However, VAR cancelled the goal, awarding City a free-kick outside the area while sending off Szoboszlai for the denial of a clear goalscoring opportunity.

Szoboszlai trudged off and City managed to see out the remaining minutes to close the gap on Arsenal at the top of the Premier League to six points. After VAR review, the referee overturned the original decision of goal to Manchester City.

Official Craig Pawson said: “After review, there is a careless foul by Erling Haaland, that pulls the shirt of Dominic Szoboszlai. Prior to that, Szoboszlai commits a holding offence that denies an obvious goal scoring opportunity. The final decision is a direct free kick to Manchester City and a red card.”

It was a chaotic and confusing end to the match, which had Sky Sports co-commentator Gary Neville fuming at referee Craig Pawson.

“You live to watch games like this. I am a fan of VAR but it has just killed the joy,” Neville said. “The reason fans watch football matches is for entertainment and for moments like that.”

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Arsenal mounted pressure on title rivals Manchester City with a 3-0 victory over Sunderland at the Emirates Stadium, extending their lead at the top of the Premier League to nine points.

Although the scoreline was comfortable in the end, Sunderland’s performance made Arsenal work extremely hard for a win that strengthens their bid for a first title in 22 years.

Martin Zubimendi’s stunning low strike (42) and substitute Viktor Gyokeres’s double (66, 90+3) helped the Gunners further extend their advantage at the top after Aston Villa’s 1-1 draw at Bournemouth and ahead of Man City’s crucial trip to Anfield, live on Sky Sports on Super Sunday.

It’s the first time Arsenal have held a nine-point lead at the top of the Premier League since the 2003/04 season – the last time the title headed to north London.

Former Gunner Paul Merson, speaking on Soccer Saturday, believes anything but a Man City win at Anfield on Super Sunday and the title will be heading to the Emirates.

If the lead is eight or nine points tomorrow evening, the race is over,” he said. “However, if Man City can go to Liverpool and win, that would be a real statement. It would certainly make Arsenal think.

Anyone expecting a comfortable Arsenal afternoon was probably having second thoughts after the opening few minutes.

Kai Havertz, the match-winner for Arsenal in the Carabao Cup semi-final against Chelsea in midweek, was heavily involved at both ends early on, planting a free header well wide from eight yards out before coming up with a crucial block to keep out Brian Brobbey’s strike into an empty net after an uncharacteristic error from David Raya.

Sunderland weren’t playing like a side without a win in seven league matches on the road, restricting the Gunners to just a Declan Rice strike, which drifted agonisingly wide, and a Gabriel Jesus strike from distance that was comfortably saved by Robin Roefs.

However, the breakthrough eventually came from distance as Martin Zubimendi’s strike from the edge of the box curled in off the inside of the post.

Sunderland may have been behind but they continued to play with confidence after the break. Chemsdine Talbi forced a fine save from David Raya before the Arsenal goalkeeper mis-kicked an attempted clearance as Gabriel Magalhaes produced a last-ditch covering tackle on Trai Hume to bail his team-mate out.

Arsenal needed a second goal and Arteta turned to Gyokeres and Gabriel Martinelli, and the move paid dividends.

Gyokeres forced the ball home after being teed up by Havertz for his second goal in as many Premier League games before he rounded off a perfect afternoon for the Gunners with a third in stoppage time to put Mikel Arteta’s side in an incredible position at the top of the table ahead of City’s crunch game at Anfield.

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Victor Osimhen’s stay in Istanbul could prove brief, less than a year after his headline move to Galatasaray, with Arsenal and Juventus both monitoring the Nigerian striker’s situation closely.

Victor Osimhen, 27, joined the Turkish giants in a €75 million deal and is contracted until 2029, but growing interest from Europe’s elite has raised fresh questions about how long he will remain in Turkey.

At Arsenal, recruitment plans are believed to prioritise Atletico Madrid forward Julian Alvarez. The Argentine, who joined Atletico from Manchester City in 2024, remains under contract until 2030, making any potential transfer complex and expensive. With that in mind, Osimhen has reportedly been identified as a leading alternative, especially if Alvarez proves unattainable.

Sources suggest Galatasaray are reluctant to entertain any sale in 2026, yet a bid in the region of €100 million could trigger serious negotiations, particularly if Osimhen expresses a desire to return to a top European league. The striker is understood to be open to a Premier League move, having already cemented his legacy in Serie A with Napoli.

Juventus are also keeping a close eye on developments. Reports from Italy indicate the Turin club is impressed by Galatasaray’s financial commitment to Osimhen and could make a move if the opportunity arises.

Galatasaray manager Okan Buruk recently addressed the financial scale of the deal, saying: “Galatasaray’s transfer fees and salaries have been going up since last year. With Osimhen’s transfer fee and salary, you could probably put together a full team.

“We need to take these things into account. We brought in some very important players for the team, such as Singo, Ugurcan, Sane, and Ilkay. Every team has a budget, and when you set up budgets at the start of the season, you need to follow that budget closely.”

Those comments have reportedly resonated at Juventus, where head coach Luciano Spalletti is eager to reunite with the striker he guided to Napoli’s historic Serie A title in 2023.

Under Spalletti, Osimhen enjoyed a career-defining campaign, scoring 26 league goals to claim the Golden Boot and lead Napoli to their first Scudetto in decades.

With Juventus planning a potential attacking overhaul and Dusan Vlahovic’s future uncertain, Osimhen is viewed as a statement signing who could spearhead a new era in Turin.

On the pitch, the former Lille forward continues to justify the attention. He has registered 14 goals and one assist in 20 appearances across all competitions for Galatasaray.

At the international level, he scored four goals and provided two assists in six matches at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), earning a place in the Team of the Tournament after helping Nigeria secure a bronze medal.