Manchester City beat Liverpool 4-0, with Erling Haaland scoring a hat-trick as they reached the FA Cup semi-finals for a record-extending eighth consecutive season.
Liverpool collapse after a bright start
Antoine Semenyo also scored as City maintained their bid for a domestic double with a dominant performance at the Etihad Stadium.
It was another dismal afternoon in a poor season for Liverpool, whose frustration was compounded when Mohamed Salah was denied a penalty by James Trafford.
It was Salah’s first appearance since announcing he would be leaving the Reds at the end of the season, but this was not the way he had hoped to start his final game.
It was always likely to be a difficult task against City, who they had already won twice this season and had never lost in the FA Cup at home under Josep Guardiola.
Both teams looked evenly matched in the early stages, but once City took the lead there was no looking back, with Haaland being outstanding as he scored his 12th hat-trick for the club.
Watched by an unexpected visitor in Sir Alex Ferguson, both teams threatened from the start with Jeremy Doku and Ugo Ekitike driving wide at either end.
Mateus Nunez fired a shot at Giorgi Mamadashvili, who launched a quick counter-attack that found Salah on goal.
The Egyptian looked certain to score, but his shot missed the target in a hurry, perhaps as Abdukkodir Kusanov slipped in. Ekitike was also out of bounds.
City had their penalty appeal rejected after Rayan Cherki went down following a challenge from Milos Kerkes.
Guardiola appeared perplexed as he watched the replay from the stands as he completed his touchline ban, but the decision was upheld by VAR.
But when Nico O’Reilly stumbled after Virgil van Dijk’s turn, Michael Oliver pointed out the spot.
With little debate, Haaland smashed home from 12 yards out for his second goal in seven games, but his 31st of the season.
They doubled the day’s tally in first-half stoppage time after Cherki played a cleverly disguised pass to Semenyo, who then headed the Ghanaian’s cross past Mamadashvili and the Norwegian.
City increased their tempo after the break, extending their lead after a great pass from Cherki found Semenyo who raced past Mamadashvili.
With his confidence growing, Semenyo tried to lob the keeper from the center circle, but his effort fell just short.
The fourth goal came earlier, when Haaland hit the crossbar from an O’Reilly cutback to make it three.
The City fans responded and Pozna went into a celebration, with Cerki attempting a flick inside his own box.
The atmosphere cracked when Nunez brought down Ekitike, but it was restored when Trafford beat Salah’s spot-kick.
Better than Alonso: FSG can hire their own Guardiola at Liverpool
Liverpool could undergo a managerial change this summer.
The match then meandered towards a conclusion, but not before the bizarre sight of Cherki sitting on the bench after being substituted, wearing the uniform of his national teammate Ekitike.
After the match, The Athletic’s James Pearce told X his first-hand verdict from his coverage of the match at the Etihad, revealing that the pressure on Slott was “intensifying”.
Reports that week suggested FSG were prepared to protect the Dutchman this summer to avoid a total collapse in the final week of the season.
But the way they slumped to defeat on Saturday, ahead of Wednesday’s equally daunting trip to Paris, casts serious doubts over the manager’s future.
The Reds have been linked with a move for former fan favorite Xabi Alonso, who has been unemployed since leaving Real Madrid.
