Manchester City 4-0 Liverpool: Erling Haaland hat-trick, Mohamed Salah misses a penalty as Josep Guardiola’s side advance to the FA Cup semi-finals
Erling Haaland scores a hat-trick for Manchester City (Image: Carl Recine/Getty Images)
Erling Haaland puts pressure on Liverpool manager Arn Slott as Manchester City score a hat-trick in the last four of the FA Cup. Haaland, by his own standards, equalized in a dry run but gave Liverpool a hard time.
Liverpool started as the brighter of the two teams, but were unable to capitalize on their chances. Mohamed Salah got on the end of a long ball and sent his shot wide of the target, while Hugo Ekitike snapped a shot over the bar from a loose ball.
Milos Kerkes was probably lucky not to concede a penalty for a trip on Rayan Cherki. However, there was no respite when Virgil van Dijk tripped Nico O’Reilly in the box and Haaland made it 1-0 with a calm penalty.
Man City’s goal machine doubled their lead before the break, heading home Antoine Semenyo’s perfect dink cross. Semenyo made City safe with a delicate chip finish after Cherki had scored him clean through.
City showed no mercy and O’Reilly completed his hat-trick in the 57th minute, converting Haaland’s shot under the crossbar. Liverpool had a chance to score the winner when Matheus Nunez tripped Ekitike in the box, but James Trafford easily saved Salah’s penalty. Here are the talking points from the FA Cup quarter-finals.
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read more: Non-league manager sent off for headbutting rival as brawl breaks out in derbyread more: Mohamed Salah, everything he said about his next club and leaving Liverpool
1. Salah’s successor needs to step up
All eyes were always on the Egyptian player as it was Mohamed Salah’s first match since announcing his departure in the summer. But Arne Slott’s comments in the pre-match press conference also put a spotlight on his attacking teammates, the ones who will take on more responsibility if he leaves.
When asked about how Liverpool would replace Salah, the Dutchman said they were scrutinizing the transfer market but their initial plan was to move on from their £320m summer signings in the form of Ekitike, Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak. Salah’s scoring record from the flanks has been outrageous, and although Ekitike and Wirtz had a promising partnership in the first half, their tendency to overplay in dangerous areas and deny shooting opportunities showed the difficulty of their task next season. Their debauchery proved costly.
Hugo Ekitike will have greater responsibility if Mo Salah leaves (Image: Carl Recine/Getty Images)
2. Continuous improvement of O’Reilly
Nico O’Reilly’s promise is nothing new, but his complete ease in any position on the pitch is still worth commenting on. The 21-year-old now has the full trust of manager Josep Guardiola, who has used him in central midfield and at left-back, with equally impressive results.
At the time, O’Reilly was playing – at least in theory – at left-back. However, he often hid inside Jeremy Doku on the left wing to support Haaland. While his athleticism and positional flexibility are distinguishing attributes, O’Reilly’s technical ability and composure were also on display here. Minutes after calmly dissolving Liverpool’s attack in his own box, O’Reilly drew a foul from Van Dijk and won a penalty.
With City running riot, he drifted into space and pulled the ball back for Haaland’s third goal, adding another feather to his cap.
Nico O’Reilly wins penalty for Manchester City (Image: Michael Regan/Getty Images)
3. Haaland is back in business
Haaland had scored just one goal in his last six games against City. He probably felt he had something to prove when he returned from an international holiday. And while his first goal came from the penalty spot, his second showed that the Norwegian goal machine is still alive and well.
Cherki and Semenyo’s build-up down the right side unlocked Liverpool’s defense, but it was Haaland’s subtle movement that fooled Ibrahima Konate and allowed Giorgi Mamadashvili a perfectly placed header. These were his 31st and 32nd goals of the season in 44 appearances for City, underscoring how ridiculous the talk of a slump in form is. He added a 33rd point and just scraped it for a hat trick.
Erling Haaland scored twice before half-time (Image: Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images)
4. Salah is a “shadow” of his best
His announcement of his departure at the end of the season may have had the effect of sparking a heated sing-along for one of Liverpool’s greatest ever players. However, based on this evidence, Salah’s departure announcement could have long-lasting and sad consequences.
He took advantage of several gaps before getting a chance for a penalty. There was inevitability in Trafford’s save, which was followed by the biggest cheer of the afternoon.
“I didn’t like him. I didn’t like him at all,” Ally McCoist said on TNT Sports co-commentary. “It’s a shame because he seems like a shadow of the man who brightened up this league and brightened up this country. It’s a shame to see him go in this way.”
Mohamed Salah had an unforgettable day for Liverpool (Image: Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images)
5. Slot is under pressure
As City moved toward victory in the second half, cries of “I’m fired this morning” rang out at Eisad Stadium. The classic chant isn’t always accurate and isn’t the case this time either, but it highlighted the problem facing Liverpool’s slot.
Slott has overseen Liverpool’s turbulent campaign that saw their Premier League title defense evaporate long ago. As he has always pointed out, he has been weakened by injuries, especially Alexander Isak, who was sidelined again today. But I can’t keep hiding my excuses. Paris Saint-Germain await the Champions League quarter-final first leg on Wednesday. Slot cannot afford to repeat what PSG did against Chelsea in the previous match.
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