Haaland's Hat-Trick Powers Man City to 4-0 FA Cup Rout Over Liverpool

Erling Haaland delivered a masterclass, scoring three goals to lead Manchester City to a convincing 4-0 victory against Liverpool in the FA Cup quarter-final at the Etihad Stadium. The win propels City into the semi-finals.

Liverpool started brightly, with Mohamed Salah squandering an early opportunity. But the game shifted in the 37th minute when Virgil van Dijk fouled Nico O’Reilly, conceding a penalty that Haaland converted confidently.

Haaland struck again just before halftime, heading in a precise cross from Antoine Semenyo. Five minutes into the second half, Semenyo added City’s third with a deft chip over goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili after a clever pass from Rayan Cherki.

The Norwegian forward sealed his treble in the 57th minute, rifling a shot off the crossbar’s underside. Liverpool’s faint comeback hopes faded when Salah, reportedly departing at season’s end, saw his penalty saved by James Trafford.

With the match resembling a procession, many Liverpool supporters headed for the exits. Pep Guardiola substituted Haaland, who earned a standing ovation. Haaland reflected post-match: ‘First half, we struggled a bit, but then we kept going… Another Wembley trip for us is amazing.’

Other quarter-finals feature Chelsea vs Port Vale, Southampton vs Arsenal, and Leeds United at West Ham.

Source: Daily Monitor (Uganda)