Erling Haaland scores hat-trick as impressive Man City knock Liverpool out of FA Cup

[p]After lifting the Carabao Cup two weeks ago, a swift return to cup action seemed likely to suit [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/manchester-city/Wtn9Stg0/"]City[/a], but it was [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/liverpool/lId4TMwf/"]Liverpool[/a] who settled quickest in this quarter-final.[/p][p]The Reds created the first big chance of the game in usual circumstances, as [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mamardashvili-giorgi/lxnsUkIc/"]Giorgi Mamardashvili[/a]’s 80-yard punt forward freed [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/salah-mohamed/08FBycgB/"]Mohamed Salah[/a] in behind, only for a last-ditch [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/khusanov-abdukodir/00ElbXx5/"]Abdukodir Khusanov[/a] challenge to prevent the Egyptian from getting a clear strike on goal.[/p][image alt="Key stats" id="0e5a82a0-c646-41cd-955c-7d014e3b2a95" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="fc20d8e6-0d04-46df-b5b4-647d91d16506" original-width="1200" original-height="1200" /][p]An equally good chance presented itself to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/ekitike-hugo/ltVXPlJU/"]Hugo Ekitike[/a] when [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/rodri/K0G8DB00/"]Rodri[/a]’s loose touch on the edge of the area fell kindly for him, but once again, it came and went as he blazed over the bar. [/p][p]Yet for all the chances they’d created in the opening half, it was City who nosed ahead. Liverpool gave them a huge helping hand in the process, particularly [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/van-dijk-virgil/U59RNqOr/"]Virgil van Dijk[/a], whose clumsy challenge inside the area saw Nico O’Reilly hit the deck.[/p][p][b]Referee Michael Oliver didn’t hesitate in pointing to the spot, and there was similarly little hesitation from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/haaland-erling/UmV9iQmE/"]Haaland[/a] from 12 yards as he sent Mamardashvili the wrong way.[/b][/p][embed guid="4ba948ad-36fe-4a46-9162-e1f966b96570" url="https://x.com/ManCity/status/2040422878013755806?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet" social-type="twitter" /][p][b]That proved to be the first of a quick-fire double for Haaland, who wriggled free inside the area to head home [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/semenyo-antoine/r1Gz1yPk/"]Antoine Semenyo[/a]’s teasing delivery, sending City into the break with a two-goal lead.[/b][/p][p]A seething [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/slot-arne/lnG1OUjk/"]Arne Slot[/a] sent his Liverpool side out for the second half well before City, and his mood won't have been helped when the hosts added a third within five minutes of the restart.[/p][p][b]Semenyo turned goalscorer this time, racing clear on goal after [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/cherki-mathis/vm0eu2V3/"]Rayan Cherki[/a] played him through, and dinking over the on-rushing Mamardashvili to complete a trio of City goals in 14 minutes and 9 seconds.[/b][/p][embed guid="a2d4edce-33f3-4dee-b36b-660a846f887b" url="https://x.com/EmiratesFACup/status/2040415728298267117?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet" social-type="twitter" /][p][b]Things got even better for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/guardiola-pep/hxNijWrJ/"]Pep Guardiola[/a]’s men before the hour mark as they continued in the ascendancy, with Haaland completing his 28th career hat-trick when he swept in O’Reilly’s cut back. [/b][/p][p]Just as Liverpool thought their afternoon couldn’t get any worse, Salah saw a spot-kick saved by [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/trafford-james/ET616yZQ/"]James Trafford[/a] after Matheus Nunes felled Ekitike in the area. The game was done as a contest from then on, with the pair merely playing out the final 20 minutes of a foregone conclusion.[/p][p]City can now plan a swift return to Wembley, as they stand just one step away from reaching a fourth successive FA Cup final. Meanwhile, Liverpool only have a few days to lick their wounds, as they have a UEFA Champions League quarter-final against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/psg/CjhkPw0k/"]Paris Saint-Germain[/a] to prepare for on Wednesday.[/p][p][b]Flashscore Man of the Match: [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/haaland-erling/UmV9iQmE/"]Erling Haaland[/a] ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/manchester-city/Wtn9Stg0/"]Manchester City[/a])[/b][/p][image alt="Player ratings" id="e1092682-dc2c-4a53-a6c7-58723fad0af2" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="e4d4492b-d97b-4432-8f2e-cbb672423bf2" original-width="1920" original-height="1280" /][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/liverpool-lId4TMwf/manchester-city-Wtn9Stg0/?mid=rmHHwXNs"]Catch up on all the match stats with Flashscore by clicking here[/a].[/b][/p]