Szoboszlai's Stark Admission: Liverpool Lacked Guts in FA Cup Humbling at City

Picture this: a packed Etihad Stadium, the FA Cup quarter-final buzz in the air, and Manchester City ready to devour Liverpool. What unfolded was a proper thrashing, with City marching to the semis after a 4-0 demolition. Erling Haaland bagged a hat-trick, Antoine Semenyo chipped in, and poor Mo Salah blazed a penalty over the bar. Ouch.

As reported by Hannah Pinnock at OneFootball, kick-off sparked immediate fireworks. City's line-up – Trafford in goal, Nunes, Khusanov, Guéhi, O’Reilly at the back, midfield engine room of Rodri, Bernardo Silva, and Semenyo, plus the flair of Cherki, Doku, and Haaland – looked primed for chaos. Liverpool countered with Mamardashvili guarding the posts, Gomez, Van Dijk, Konate, Kerkez defending, and Wirtz, Szoboszlai, Gravenberch pulling strings for Jones, Ekitike, and Salah.

City Feast, Reds Starve

From the off, it was one-way traffic. Haaland's treble turned the screw, with Semenyo adding gloss. Liverpool had glimpses but fluffed them – that Salah spot-kick miss stung like a bee. Dominik Szoboszlai later called it straight on TNT Sports: they conceded soft goals, trailed 1-0 at the break after a late sucker punch, then crumbled with a third early doors.

"We had chances and missed them, we conceded an easy penalty," the Hungarian midfielder sighed. At 2-0, belief flickered; at 3-0, it was game over. No comeback fairy tale here – just a stark reminder that Etihad trips are brutal.

It's like turning up to a pub quiz sober while your mate's three pints deep and acing it. City were ruthless, Liverpool ragged. Szoboszlai didn't sugarcoat: "The fighting spirit wasn’t there enough, the mentality wasn’t there enough. None of us were there as much as we could."

Mentality Monster? Reds Need Reset

Pressed on the why, Szoboszlai was lost for words: "That’s a good question. I don’t know." Harsh, but fair – this was a side that wanted it bad, yet folded like a cheap suit. Liverpool's season now hinges on the Champions League quarters against PSG next week, their last shot at silverware.

"It’s a hard time but we have to stick together," he urged. "Forget as much as we can and keep fighting." Spot on – when the Reds grind and graft, they win; slack off, and it's losses like this. Meanwhile, the FA Cup rolls on: Chelsea face Port Vale amid their circus (Enzo Fernandez drama included), and Arsenal host Southampton.

Other whispers? Pep Guardiola reckons Rodri will pen fresh terms but won't block a Real Madrid swoop. And Newcastle confirmed Kieran Trippier's summer exit after his Atletico days. Never a quiet day in the circus that is football.

For Liverpool, it's back to the drawing board. Bounce back or bust – the Anfield faithful demand more than shrugs and sighs. City? Semis-bound and purring. What a difference a mentality makes.