Erling Haaland scored a sensational hat-trick as Manchester City crushed Liverpool 4-0 on Saturday to secure a place in the FA Cup semi-finals, intensifying pressure on Reds manager Arne Slot.
Haaland opened the scoring with a penalty in the 39th minute after a clumsy challenge by Virgil van Dijk, before doubling City’s lead with a precise header just before half-time. Following an Antoine Semenyo strike early in the second half, Haaland completed his treble in the 57th minute, drilling the ball home after a clever setup by Nico O’Reilly.
Liverpool, who had started brightly, squandered early opportunities, including a golden chance by Mohamed Salah in the 14th minute. The afternoon worsened for the Reds as Salah saw a second-half penalty saved by City goalkeeper James Trafford, leaving Liverpool fans frustrated and the under-fire Slot facing chants of “you’re getting sacked in the morning” from the home crowd.
The defeat comes at a critical time for Liverpool, who have just two wins in their last seven matches across all competitions. Currently fifth in the Premier League, Slot’s side faces mounting pressure ahead of their Champions League quarter-final first leg against Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday.
City’s dominant display marked their eighth consecutive season reaching the FA Cup semi-finals and their third successive win over Liverpool this season, the first such streak since 1937. The victory also extended City’s unbeaten run to 18 home FA Cup matches, setting a new record in the competition.
Despite trailing Premier League leaders Arsenal by nine points and exiting the Champions League against Real Madrid, City have shown resilience, recently defeating Arsenal 2-0 to claim the League Cup. Guardiola’s men now aim to add the FA Cup to their trophy haul while keeping an outside chance of challenging for the league title.
Elsewhere in the FA Cup quarter-finals, Chelsea host Port Vale, Arsenal face Championship side Southampton, and West Ham meet Leeds United on Sunday, rounding out the last fixtures before the semi-finals.
