MAN CITY 4, LIVERPOOL 0
Erling Haaland netted an 18-minute hat-trick – his 12th for Manchester City – as they breezed past arch-rivals Liverpool in the quarter finals of the Emirates FA Cup.
The Norwegian was back to his brilliant best as he made in 33 goals for City for the season and 46 for club and country.
Antoine Semenyo was also on target as City reached the semi-finals for an eighth successive season.
It was also another record-breaking afternoon for City who recorded an 18th consecutive home win in the FA Cup to better Clapham Rovers’ 17 between 1873/81.
While City celebrated another Wembley appearance, it was an altogether different story for Liverpool whose season continues to unravel – it has been quite some fall for the reigning Premier League champions.
And most of their 8,000 fans had long departed the Etihad before the final whistle sounded as they voted with their feet.
City assistant manager Pep Lijnders – Pep Guardiola was banned from the touchline – described Haaland as a ‘machine’ to work with.
Linjders added Haaland’s second goal was ‘insane’.
“Wow what a goal. Unbelievable. The header for me was insane. I love when a striker flies and attacks the ball and the fans love that as well,” he said.
On the game, Linjders said: “Pep [Guardiola] is really pleased, that is the most important. It’s not easy to please him. We played a good game.
“The first 25 minutes we were too open. Then we started to control the game and created more chances. We deserved [the win].”
On what Guardiola said after the game, Linjders added: “He complimented the guys who played the last weeks and didn’t play today.
“He was really happy because it’s special if you go eight times to Wembley in eight years in a row. It’s finals now. It’s the part of the season where the business has to be done. The boys feel that.”
The Dutchman added winning the Carabao Cup was hugely important.
He said: “The Carabao Cup has always been an important competition for the structure of the club in giving young players minutes.
“It is unbelievable if you play a final in March and, when you beat a team like Arsenal, it creates more hunger for us.”
Liverpool manager Arne Slot said: “The result speaks for itself – we are unbelievably disappointed losing 4-0 to a team we have played so many great games against.
“The 20 minutes in which we conceded four goals was not of our standard. And we need to defend better.
“For the first 35 minutes there was a lot to like from my team – it would be nice if we scored a goal for the amount of chances we created.
“If we generate chances, we have got to take them and also defend better while we played a team who outperformed their xG by a mile.”
Guardiola made one change to their triumphant Carabao Cup final side that beat Arsenal at Wembley last time out.
Embed from Getty ImagesEngland centre-back Marc Guehi, who could well have been lining up for the opposition this lunchtime, was cup-tied for that game and came back in for Nathan Ake.
Neither Ruben Dias nor John Stones were involved, but there is a place on the bench for Mateo Kovacic who has missed most of the season with an ankle injury.
Slot made three changes to the side beaten by Brighton before the international break.
Mohamed Salah returned to the starting line-up for the first time since announcing he will be leaving the Reds at the end of the season with Joe Gomez and Curtis Jones also coming in.
Cody Gakpo, Alexis Mac Allister and Jeremie Frimpong made way.
British record signing Alexander Isak was not involved as he makes his way back to fitness following a broken leg.
The pace was electrifying from kick off and little over one minute into the action Jeremy Doku fired narrowly wide.
Liverpool created openings without troubling keeper James Trafford as they were either blocked or in Hugo Ekitike’s case he fired wide.
Matheus Nunes fired straight at keeper Giorgi Mamardashvili and at the other end Salah shrugged off Abdukodir Khusanov to find himself through on goal.
Salah pulled his shot so far wide that the ball went for a throw-in which typified the season he has experienced.
City had a loud shout for a penalty for Milos Kerkez’s challenge on Rayan Cherki with the players continuing their protests as referee Michael Oliver was unswayed.
Ekitike had another glorious chance from a Curtis Jones lay-off but fired over when he ought to have hit the target.
The breakthrough came in the 37th minute when City won a penalty for Virgil van Dijk’s challenge on Nico O’Reilly – replays showed it was a clear foul.
Haaland stepped forward to send Mamardashvili the wrong way from the spot.
City took a firm stranglehold on the game when Haaland doubled the lead in first half stoppage time.
Antoine Semenyo crossed the ball from the right and Haaland, at the near post, glanced a header high into the far top corner, his 32nd goal of the season for City and 45th for club and country.
The contest was over within five minutes of the restart when Semenyo made it 3-0.
Liverpool gave the ball away from their own throw in and Cherki released Semenyo with a slide-rule pass and he lifted the ball over the advancing Liverpool keeper.
Salah had a chance to get Liverpool on the scoresheet, but he was denied by a smart stop by Trafford.
Semenyo, oozing confidence, tried a shot from his own half after seeing the keeper off his line only to see it land on the roof of the net, an audacious attempt at goal.
And it got even better when Haaland completed his hat-trick in the 57th minute to make it 4-0.
O’Reilly was pivotal in the build up playing a return pass with Doku before cutting the ball back from the left for Haaland to crash a left-foot shot from eight yards in off the underside of the bar.
City made their first two changes just after the hour as Doku and Rodri made way for Savinho and Nico Gonzales.
Liverpool had something to cheer when they won a penalty after Nunes chopped down Ekitike.
But Salah’s spot kick was saved by Trafford diving low to his left which summed up the Egyptiana dn Liverpool’s miserable afternoon.
City made two further chances with 20 minutes left as Cherki and Semenyo were replaced by Tijjani Reijnders and Phil Foden.
Liverpool substitute Alexis Mac Allister’s rive from 30 yards brought a decent diving save from Trafford.
City made their final change with 13 minutes left as Haaland was replaced by Omar Marmoush as the latter stages fizzled out with the result already assured.