Manchester City's Haaland hits hat-trick in FA Cup rout of Liverpool
Erling Haaland scored a hat-trick as Manchester City advanced to the FA Cup semi-finals with a commanding 4-0 victory over Liverpool at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday. The Norwegian striker opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the 37th minute, added a second with a header just before half-time, and completed his treble in the 57th minute to seal the win. Antoine Semenyo scored City's other goal early in the second half, while Liverpool's Mohamed Salah had a late penalty saved by James Trafford.
The performance took Haaland's remarkable goal tally to 46 in 50 appearances across all competitions for club and country this season. His dominance underscored a difficult afternoon for Liverpool, who suffered their 15th defeat of the campaign and now have only the Champions League left to play for, having been eliminated from domestic cup competitions. Pep Guardiola watched from the stands due to a touchline ban as his team controlled proceedings from start to finish.
In other quarter-final action, Arsenal suffered a shock 2-1 defeat away to Championship side Southampton, a result that ends their hopes of a domestic double. Viktor Gyokeres equalised for the Gunners in the 68th minute after Ross Stewart's opener, but Shea Charles struck a late winner for the hosts. Chelsea had no such trouble, thrashing third-tier Port Vale 7-0 at Stamford Bridge with goals from seven different scorers to book their place in the last four.
The focus, however, remains firmly on Haaland and Manchester City's relentless pursuit of trophies. The striker's physical and clinical display against a key rival highlights his central role in City's ambitions. For Liverpool, the heavy defeat adds to a growing sense of a season unravelling, with significant pressure now on their European campaign. The FA Cup semi-final draw will be made following the conclusion of the remaining fixtures, with City and Chelsea joining Southampton in the pot.
