Haaland's Hat-Trick Havoc: City Shred Liverpool 4-0 to Storm into FA Cup Semis

Picture Pep Guardiola kicking back in the Etihad stands, daughter Maria by his side, as his Manchester City lads dismantled Liverpool 4-0 in the FA Cup quarter-final. Last month, Pep cheekily crowned Jurgen Klopp's Reds as his true rivals, not Real Madrid. Well, Arne Slot's version barely raised a pulse, letting City waltz into the semis for the ninth time in Pep's decade at the helm.

Pep was all energy in a tight first half, but once Erling Haaland smashed home his opener – the first of a ruthless hat-trick – it was cruise control. Slot, meanwhile, endured a proper nightmare, his side leaking four in 19 second-half minutes. With PSG lurking in the Champions League quarters midweek, Liverpool's board might be eyeing the exit door for the Dutchman already.

Haaland the Destroyer, Salah the Shadow

Erling Haaland was pure terror. Quiet before the spot-kick, the Norwegian buried it past James Trafford's opposite number with ice in his veins – unlike Mo Salah's feeble penalty later, which Trafford parried away. Haaland then outjumped Ibrahima Konate for a header in stoppage time, before volleying in Nico O'Reilly's lay-off post-interval, the ball pinging off the bar.

He's now the first player to bag five goals against Liverpool in a single season since Matt Le Tissier in 1993-94 – six years pre-Haaland's birth! Across recent clashes with City's 'rivals of the decade', he's been a scoring machine: netting in the 3-0 November rout and his Anfield debut goal. Blimey, the lad's on fire.

Mohamed Salah, though? A ghost of his old self. The Egyptian king, with 13 goals and 8 assists lifetime vs City, fluffed early chances and that pen. Pundits reckon Slot kept him on post-miss to spare the boos, subbing him 10 minutes later. A sad curtain-call for Salah's derby dominance – and whispers he's off this summer anyway.

Recruitment Gems Shine, Van Dijk Vanishes

Shoutout to City's scouting boffins. Rayan Cherki, nabbed for £34m last June as Kevin De Bruyne's heir (after missing Florian Wirtz to Liverpool), linked brilliantly with Antoine Semenyo (£60m-ish, seven months later). Cherki's pass set Semenyo for the Haaland header assist, then fed the Ghanaian for a cheeky chip – City's third.

Semenyo's got 8 goals, 2 assists in under three months; Cherki boasts 10 goals, 11 assists this term. Bargain duo outshining Wirtz's measly 6 goals, 5 assists at Anfield. Genius from new director Hugo Viana.

Virgil van Dijk? Oof. The 34-year-old captain, fresh off last season's title charge, gift-wrapped the pen by tripping O'Reilly – his fourth this campaign, matching eight prior years at Liverpool. Caught flat-footed by Cherki's ball, Semenyo's pace, and Haaland's run for goal four. New deal to 2027? Fans might nudge him towards an early exit, like Salah.

Trafford's Heroics and Slot's Woes

Spare a thought for James Trafford, City's keeper who denied Salah's pen and kept a clean sheet. Solid as they come.

For Slot, April Fools' jibes earlier in the week aged poorly. Salah and Van Dijk among the flops, this 4-0 drubbing piles pressure amid a Champions League clash with PSG. Liverpool out – City march on. As Goal.com noted, it's a tale of glory and gloom at the Etihad.