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’s tame surrender was a bitter blow to Slot, who had to endure chants of “you’re getting sacked in the morning” from gloating City fans.
They 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.
Slot’s team, 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.
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.
Guardiola’s men have found a rich vein of form at just the right time to salvage their season.
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.
Haaland hot streak
Liverpool made a bright start but Hugo Ekitike fired just wide from the edge of the area before Salah wasted a golden opportunity in the 14th minute, dragging his shot wide from just six yards out.
Ekitike lashed wastefully wide with a snap-shot from 10 yards as Liverpool paid the price for failing to make the pressure count.
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 had scored just once in his previous six games in all competitions.
But the prolific Norway striker is never far from a hot streak and he 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, Salah produced the latest in a long line of lacklustre performances.
The Egyptian’s struggles were encapsulated by his second-half penalty miss after Nunes fouled Ekitike.
Later on Saturday, Chelsea host third tier strugglers Port Vale and Premier League leaders Arsenal visit Championship side Southampton.
West Ham meet Leeds at the London Stadium in the last quarter-final on Sunday.
AFP