Erling Haaland hit a hat-trick as Manchester City thrashed Liverpool 4-0 on Saturday to reach the FA Cup semi-finals and increase the pressure on Reds boss Arne Slot.
Haaland netted twice late in the first half of the quarter-final at the Etihad Stadium and completed his treble after the interval following an Antoine Semenyo strike.
With Liverpool trailing by four, Mohamed Salah had a penalty saved by City goalkeeper James Trafford to compound a miserable afternoon for the under-fire Slot.
Liverpool head to Paris Saint-Germain for the Champions League quarter-final first leg on Wednesday with Slot desperately needing a victory over the holders to keep the critics at bay.
“We have had a lot of setbacks and disappointments but that is also part of being a football player and being a human being. You have to stand there when things are not so positive,” Slot said.
Liverpool, who have just two wins in their last seven matches in all competitions, are fifth in the Premier League and far from certain to qualify for next season’s Champions League.
It is a remarkable decline for Slot, who just 12 months ago was on the brink of leading Liverpool to their record-equalling 20th English title.
“It’s very disappointing to be out, not only in the manner but also the score. Another big disappointment for us,” Slot said.
“The only good thing was that we didn’t concede more.”
City’s ruthless performance took them into the FA Cup semi-finals for an eighth successive season.
After beating Liverpool twice in the Premier League this term, City have enjoyed three successive victories over the Reds for the first time since 1937.
City have also won 18 consecutive home FA Cup matches, setting a new record in the competition.
Trailing Premier League leaders Arsenal by nine points and knocked out of the Champions League by Real Madrid, City bounced back to beat the Gunners 2-0 in the League Cup final just before the international break.
Now they can set their sights on winning the FA Cup for the first time since 2023 while retaining an outside chance of catching Arsenal in the title race.
– Liverpool in disarray –
Fresh from scoring twice in the League Cup final, Nico O’Reilly was key to City’s 39th-minute opener.
Matheus Nunes picked out O’Reilly in the Liverpool area and as he twisted away from Virgil van Dijk, the defender’s clumsy trip conceded a penalty that Haaland converted in clinical fashion.
Haaland doubled City’s advantage on the stroke of half-time.
Rayan Cherki found Semenyo’s run and he lofted a pin-point cross towards Haaland, who made a perfectly-timed run in front of Ibrahima Konate to glance a superb header past Giorgi Mamardashvili.
Liverpool were in disarray and Semenyo landed the knockout blow five minutes after the interval.
Cherki’s pass sent Semenyo sprinting in behind the flat-footed Van Dijk to clip a deft finish over Mamardashvili.
Haaland completed the 28th treble of his career in the 57th minute, drilling home via the underside of the bar after O’Reilly teed him up 12 yards from goal.
On a prolonged farewell tour after announcing he will leave Liverpool at the end of the season, the out-of-form Salah missed his penalty after Nunes fouled Ekitike.
Chelsea crushed Port Vale 7-0 at Stamford Bridge to provide a welcome boost for Blues boss Liam Rosenior.
Rocked by four successive defeats and Rosenior’s controversial decision to suspend Enzo Fernandez for two games after the midfielder hinted he might leave in the summer, Chelsea could not afford an embarrassing loss to a team bottom of the third tier.
Jorrel Hato and Joao Pedro put Chelsea in command in the first-half before Jordan Lawrence-Gabriel’s own goal was followed by second-half goals from Tosin Adarabioyo, Andrey Santos, Estevao Willian and Alejandro Garnacho.
Later on Saturday, Premier League leaders Arsenal visit Championship side Southampton.
West Ham meet Leeds at the London Stadium in the last quarter-final on Sunday.
AFP
