Haaland hat-trick sends Manchester City past Liverpool and into FA Cup semi-finals
Erling Haaland scored three goals in 18 minutes as Manchester City demolished Liverpool 4-0 at the Etihad Stadium to reach the FA Cup semi-finals for an eighth consecutive season.
Haaland breaks the deadlock from the spot
The opening half hour was cagey, with Liverpool doing enough to keep City at arm's length. That changed in the 39th minute when Nico O'Reilly drove into the box and was brought down by Virgil van Dijk. Haaland stepped up and buried the penalty to give City the lead.
Before Liverpool could regroup, Haaland doubled the advantage in first-half stoppage time. Antoine Semenyo whipped in a cross from the right and the Norwegian rose unmarked to head past Giorgi Mamardashvili. Liverpool went into the break two goals down and looking rattled.
Semenyo and Haaland put the tie to bed after the break
Five minutes into the second half, Semenyo got on the scoresheet himself. Rayan Cherki slid a through ball behind Van Dijk and Semenyo timed his run perfectly, chipping the ball over Mamardashvili to make it 3-0.
Haaland completed his hat-trick in the 57th minute, sweeping home off the crossbar after O'Reilly cut the ball back from the byline. It was his 12th treble in City colours across all competitions, and his first of the season.
City's cup run rolls on
The result extends City's record run of consecutive FA Cup semi-final appearances to eight, stretching back to 2018-19. For Liverpool, still reeling from Mohamed Salah's announcement during the international break that he will leave the club at the end of the season, this was a bruising afternoon that laid bare the gaps in their squad — and Salah himself could do little to lift the mood, seeing a late penalty saved by James Trafford to cap a miserable day.
O'Reilly was outstanding throughout, winning the penalty and setting up the fourth goal while also shutting down Liverpool's midfield runners. Guardiola's side will head to Wembley on April 25 or 26 for the semi-finals with genuine belief that another trophy is within reach.
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