Erling Haaland scored a hat-trick as Manchester City thrashed Liverpool 4-0 in the FA Cup quarterfinals on Saturday, securing a place in the semifinals and intensifying pressure on Reds manager Arne Slot. The match at Etihad Stadium saw City dominate, with Haaland netting twice late in the first half and completing his treble after halftime following an Antoine Semenyo strike.

With Liverpool trailing by four goals, Mohamed Salah missed a penalty saved by City goalkeeper James Trafford, compounding a miserable afternoon for Slot, who faced chants from gloating City fans. Liverpool's tame surrender was a bitter blow to Slot, whose team has only two wins in their last seven matches across all competitions and sits fifth in the Premier League, jeopardizing Champions League qualification for next season.

City's ruthless performance marked their eighth consecutive FA Cup semifinal appearance. Haaland, who had scored just once in his previous six games, returned to form with clinical finishing, highlighting his pivotal role in City's success. Key contributions came from Nico O'Reilly and Rayan Cherki, who assisted in breaking down Liverpool's defense.

Post-match, Haaland praised his teammates for overcoming a challenging start, stating, "Between 30 and 60 minutes, it was one of the better ones" this season. Meanwhile, Liverpool heads to Paris Saint-Germain for the Champions League quarterfinal first leg on Wednesday, with Slot desperately needing a victory to alleviate criticism and revive the team's faltering campaign.

In other FA Cup action, Chelsea hosted Port Vale and Arsenal visited Southampton, with West Ham set to face Leeds on Sunday, as the competition continues to unfold with high stakes for all involved clubs.

Source: www.aljazeera.com