Manchester City Thrashes Liverpool 4-0 to Reach FA Cup Semi-Final as Haaland Hits Hat-trick

Manchester City defeated Liverpool 4-0 in the FA Cup quarter-final at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday, April 4, 2026, eliminating the Reds from the competition and ending their hopes of a domestic double. Erling Haaland scored a hat-trick for the hosts, while Antoine Semenyo added the fourth goal. The result was defined by a devastating 18-to-20-minute spell spanning the half-time break, during which City scored four times and effectively ended the contest. Mohamed Salah had a penalty saved by Manchester City goalkeeper James Trafford during the match, a moment that underlined Liverpool's inability to find a foothold. Around eight thousand Liverpool supporters who had traveled to the Etihad left the stadium well before the final whistle.

Haaland penalty opens the floodgates in first half Erling Haaland's hat-trick was the centerpiece of City's dominant display, with his goals arriving from the penalty spot in the 39th minute, a header in first-half injury time, and a finish in the 57th minute. Antoine Semenyo scored the other goal in the 50th minute, completing the rout. Liverpool's defensive structure, built around a narrow 4-4-2 shape intended to neutralize City's half-space threats from Nico O'Reilly and Rayan Cherki, held for the opening 35 minutes but collapsed once City found the spaces around the block. According to tactical analysis published by The New York Times, half-space exploitation by Matheus Nunes on City's right side proved particularly damaging, as Liverpool's midfield was repeatedly drawn out of position. Virgil van Dijk acknowledged he was personally responsible for the penalty conceded in the first half. The defeat confirmed that Liverpool's hopes of silverware this season now rest entirely on the Champions League.

Van Dijk says team "gave up" and apologizes to fans Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk, 34, issued a public apology to supporters the day after the match, accepting collective responsibility for the performance. „I can only apologise to the fans for what we have shown, especially in the second half. Obviously you come out with the right intentions from the dressing room, to hopefully score for 2-1 as soon as possible to change the game. The opposite happens and to come back from 3-0 is obviously very difficult here — but also you shouldn't give up and that's maybe, at a certain point, what happened.” — Virgil van Dijk via BBC Van Dijk was careful not to place the blame solely on head coach Arne Slot, insisting the players bear equal responsibility. „It's easy to look at the manager, but we are the ones on the pitch. We have to be better. We were second best in every department and that is not acceptable for this club.” — Virgil van Dijk via The Telegraph The Dutch centre-back described the season as mentally draining, noting that the team's lack of consistent togetherness has made it difficult to perform every three days. He also pointed to the concession of goals either side of half-time as a "killer" moment that made recovery impossible.

Slot faces mounting pressure ahead of PSG Champions League tie The defeat was the 15th suffered by Liverpool in all competitions this season under head coach Arne Slot, who replaced Jurgen Klopp in the summer of 2024. Slot acknowledged tactical errors in the game but agreed with Van Dijk that the execution on the pitch fell well short of what was required. „The plan didn't work, but the execution was also not there. When you play a team like City, you have to be at 100 per cent. We were nowhere near that today.” — Arne Slot via The Telegraph The result leaves Manchester City on course for a potential treble, while Liverpool must regroup rapidly ahead of the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final against Paris Saint-Germain, scheduled for Wednesday, April 8, 2026, in France. Van Dijk noted that PSG had beaten Toulouse 3-1 in their most recent match and described the upcoming tie as "so tough." Despite the pressure, the captain called on his teammates to respond, saying the club has a responsibility to its supporters to attempt something special in the remaining European games. Liverpool's ability to qualify for next season's Champions League also adds urgency to their remaining fixtures.

Liverpool's FA Cup campaign ended at the quarter-final stage, leaving the club's entire trophy ambitions dependent on the Champions League. Arne Slot took charge of Liverpool in the summer of 2024, succeeding Jurgen Klopp, who had managed the club since 2015. The Etihad Stadium, home of Manchester City, has historically been a difficult venue for Liverpool in cup competitions. Van Dijk, who has played for Liverpool for several years by his own account, described the current period as a "transition phase" for the club, with togetherness identified as the key quality that has been missing this season.

15 (defeats) — Liverpool losses in all competitions this season under Slot

[{"side1": "Manchester City", "side2": "Liverpool", "score1": 4, "score2": 0, "round": "Quarter-final"}]

Manchester City, Liverpool