Manchester City 4-0 Liverpool: Haaland 39 pen, 45+2, 57, Semenyo 50
For about half an hour against Manchester City, Liverpool were in the game and Arne Slot could fancy his side’s chances of reaching the FA Cup’s last four. Hugo Ekitike twice tested City’s nerve, Mohamed Salah scuffed a one-on-one, but then Virgil van Dijk’s clumsy challenge on Nico O’Reilly led to a penalty and Erling Haaland converted.
Another goal in stoppage time of the first half and City were comfortable heading into the break. Rayan Cherki’s pass down the right-hand side was met by Antoine Semenyo at the byline and the Ghanian crossed for Haaland to shrug off Ibrahima Konate and head into the far corner.
How could Liverpool come back from this? The general feeling coming back from the international break was that Slot had only a few critical games to save his job: this FA Cup quarter-final against City as they target a Wembley final, the Champions League last-eight battle against Paris Saint-Germain, and then the Premier League run-in to shrug off Chelsea and claim one of the five spots that guarantee elite European football next season.
— Manchester City (@ManCity) April 4, 2026
There was no worse way to begin than this humiliation. Five minutes into the second period and there was no pressure on O’Reilly, allowing him to slip the ball to Cherki, who then played a brilliant forensic pass to Semenyo. And then what a way for the Ghanian to finish, lifting the ball delicately over the onrushing Giorgi Mamardashvili.
Liverpool begged for reprieve from the video assistant referee but replays showed Semenyo was just kept onside by Van Dijk, who could barely put a foot right.
Salah had a chance to summon some energy for his side after being through by a neat diagonal from Ryan Gravenberch, but James Trafford was alert, dropping low to deny him.
Does anyone know the way to Wembley? 🤔
— Manchester City (@ManCity) April 4, 2026
Then Haaland had his hat-trick with arguably the best goal of the bunch. Jeremy Doku cut through the Liverpool right and slipped in O’Reilly, who drew Mamardashvili to himself but then cut back for Haaland, whose shot cannoned off the underside of the crossbar and in.
Even a consolation was denied the Reds. Ekitike was hauled down by Matheus Nunes and Michael Oliver pointed to the spot. A chance for Salah, but his fierce shot was far too central and Trafford parried. There would be no reprieve, not for the departing Egyptian, nor Slot, nor his Liverpool side.
