Haaland’s Hat-Trick Humiliates Liverpool, Sends Man City to FA Cup Semis.
Erling Haaland delivered a ruthless masterclass as Manchester City tore apart Liverpool FC, booking their place in the FA Cup semi-finals for a record-extending eighth straight season.
Despite watching from the stands, due to a touchline ban, manager, Pep Guardiola, saw his side dominate the Reds in emphatic fashion, piling more pressure on Liverpool boss Arne Slot.
City had earlier lifted the EFL Cup at Wembley Stadium after defeating Arsenal FC, and their latest triumph keeps hopes alive for a domestic cup double.
The breakthrough came late in the first half at Etihad Stadium when Haaland calmly converted a penalty after Virgil van Dijk clumsily brought down Nico O’Reilly inside the box.
The Norwegian striker quickly found his rhythm, adding a second just before half-time with a precise header from Antoine Semenyo’s cross.
Liverpool had shown flashes of promise earlier, with Florian Wirtz influential in midfield, but their failure to convert chances proved costly.
In one key moment, Mohamed Salah, playing his first game since announcing he will leave Anfield this summer, hesitated when through on goal, allowing Abdukodir Khusanov to recover and block the effort.
Salah’s miserable outing worsened when James Trafford saved his penalty, while Hugo Ekitike blasted another opportunity over the bar.
City, by contrast, were clinical. Semenyo struck again early in the second half to make it 3-0 before Haaland completed his hat-trick, sealing a crushing victory and City’s comfortable progression to the last four.
The win also marked a rare feat — City defeating Liverpool three times in a single season for the first time in nearly a century.
For Haaland, the performance silenced recent doubts after a brief goal drought. The prolific striker now has 46 goals across all competitions this season and has scored in four consecutive home games against Liverpool.
For Liverpool, however, it was a day to forget.
Many travelling supporters left the stadium long before the final whistle as Slot’s struggling side slumped to another defeat. With their FA Cup hopes gone, Liverpool’s only remaining chance of silverware this season now lies in the UEFA Champions League, where they face a daunting quarter-final clash with Paris Saint‑Germain F.C.
