Man City 4-0 Liverpool: Haaland thrashes Reds with hat-trick & City into semis

A total destruction to the Reds, and an impeccable win for the Citizens. Haaland completes hat-trick, and Salah, pitifully, missed a penalty in his last game against Man City as a Liverpool player.

Match Report:

Erling Haaland scored a hat trick as Manchester City thrashed Liverpool 4-0 to power into the FA Cup semifinals for a record-extending eighth successive season.

Antoine Semenyo was also on target as City maintained their bid for a second domestic treble with a commanding display at the Etihad Stadium.

It was another dismal afternoon in an underwhelming season for Liverpool, and their frustration was compounded when Mohamed Salah was denied from the penalty spot by James Trafford.

Salah was making his first appearance since announcing he would leave the Reds at the end of the season. This was not the way he wanted to begin his final stretch of games.

The result increased the pressure on Liverpool boss Arne Slot ahead of a daunting Champions League trip to Paris Saint-Germain.

It was always likely to be a tough task against a City team that had already beaten them twice this season and had never lost a home FA Cup tie under Pep Guardiola.

The sides appeared evenly matched early on but once City went ahead there was no looking back, with Haaland the standout as he grabbed his 12th hat trick for the club.

Watched by an unlikely visitor in Sir Alex Ferguson, both teams threatened early with Jérémy Doku and Hugo Ekitike driving wide at either end.

Matheus Nunes fired a shot at Giorgi Mamardashvili, who then launched a quick counter-attack which put Salah through on goal.

The Egyptian looked certain to score but -- perhaps rushed as Abdukodir Khusanov slid in -- screwed his attempt well wide. Ekitike also missed the target.

City had a penalty appeal rejected after Rayan Cherki went down following a challenge from Milos Kerkez.

Guardiola, watching a replay in the stand as he completed a touchline ban, appeared perplexed, but VAR backed the decision.

Michael Oliver did point to the spot, however, when Nico O'Reilly was tripped after turning Virgil van Dijk.

There was little debate and Haaland rammed home from 12 yards for only his second goal in seven outings but his 31st for the campaign.

He doubled his tally for the day in first-half stoppage time after Cherki released Semenyo with a cleverly disguised pass and the Norwegian headed the Ghana international's cross past Mamardashvili.

City upped the tempo further after the break, increasing their lead as Semenyo raced onto another fine pass from Cherki and clipped over Mamardashvili.

With confidence soaring, Semenyo attempted to lob the keeper from the centre circle and his effort only just dipped over.

A fourth goal came before the hour as Haaland completed his treble by crashing in a shot off the crossbar from an O'Reilly cutback.

The City fans lapped it up, breaking out into a Poznan celebration and Cherki attempted some flicks in his own box.

The atmosphere was punctured as Nunes felled Ekitike but lifted again as Trafford punched away Salah's spot-kick.

The game then meandered to its conclusion but not before the odd sight of Cherki, sitting on the bench after being substituted, wearing international teammate Ekitike's shirt.

Match Events

0' The match is about to start!

0' Sir Alex Fergurson is coming to Etihad stadium

0' Pep Guardiola on watching ManCity vs Liverpool from the stands

2' Doku's shot wide out

5' Konate flicks a header at Trafford from Szoboszlai free-kick delivery

8' Match Event for Man City vs Liverpool

11' Nice link-up between Ekitike and Wirtz ends with a shot wide from the striker

14' Nunez's shot too straight

14' Salah blazes wide after a great ball from Mamardashvili

16' Cherki is tripped by Milos Kerkez inside the penalty area

18' Boos around the Etihad, they want a penalty. Kerkez on Cherki

24' Yellow Card! Gravenberch booked

27' Chance for Hugo Ekitike but he puts it wide

28' Handball from Semenyo but no card

31' A confident start from Mamardashvili on a big afternoon for him

34' Yellow Card! Rodri booked

38' Haaland scores from the spot after Van Dijk's foul! Man City 1-0 Liverpool

44' Pep Guardiola left the seat after penalty

46' Ekitike cannot control the ball well

47' Cherki to Antoine Semenyo to Erling Haaland! Man City 2-0 Liverpool

47' LFC would like a couple of decisions to go their way at start of the second half

49' Cherki's pass finds Semenyo who dinks it! Man City 3-0 Liverpool

51' Salah misses a good chance to pull one back

53' Semenyo's shot over the bar

54' Highlight from Man City vs Liverpool

57' Erling Haaland HAT-TRICK! ! Man City 4-0 Liverpool

58' The oles have come out from the home fans with a third of the game left

64' Penalty Missed!  (Mohamed Salah)

66' Silva's shot too straight

67' Mac Allister, Gakpo and Ngumoha all on.   Wirtz, Ekitike and Gravenberch off

71' Subs: Phil Foden and Tijjani Reijnders replace Antoine Semenyo and Rayan Cherki

73' Cherki just started putting on Ekitike's shirt whilst sat on the ManCity bench

76' Mac Allister shots saved

77' Sub: Omar Marmoush replaces Erling Haaland (hat-trick)

87' Highlight from Man City vs Liverpool

Line-ups

Man City XI: Bernardo Silva, Rodri, Haaland, Guehi, Antoine Semenyo, Matheus Nunes, James Trafford, Cherki, Doku, Nico O'Reilly, Abdukodir Khusanov

Subs: Kovacic, Ake, Donnarumma, Foden, Omar Marmoush, Reijnders, Rayan Aït-Nouri, Nico González, Savinho

Liverpool XI: Salah, Van Dijk, Joe Gomez, Konate, Szoboszlai, Curtis Jones, Giorgi Mamardashvili, Gravenberch, Hugo Ekitiké, Milos Kerkez, Wirtz

Subs: Robertson, Freddie Woodman, Gakpo, Chiesa, Mac Allister, Jeremie Frimpong, Trey Nyoni, Kieran Morrison, Rio Ngumoha