City Player Ratings and More Updates

Manchester City 4 (Erling Haaland 38′ (P), 45+2, 57′, Antoine Semenyo 50′)

Liverpool 0

Manchester City defeated Liverpool 4-0 in their FA Cup quarter-final match at the Etihad Stadium today. Erling Haaland scored three goals, and Antoine Semenyo added one for City.

In the starting lineups, Pep Guardiola made one change from the team that won the Carabao Cup final against Arsenal two weeks ago. Marc Guehi came in for Nathan Ake, while Ruben Dias and John Stones were sidelined due to injury.

First Half

The match started brightly for both teams. Jeremy Doku shot wide in the second minute after Nico O’Reilly set him up with some clever footwork. Liverpool responded with combinations from Florian Wirtz, Dominik Szoboszlai, and Hugo Ekitike, threatening City’s defense early on.

Matheus Nunes had the first shot on target in the 13th minute, but Giorgi Mamardashvili saved his effort from 25 yards. Mamardashvili then launched a long ball to Mo Salah, who couldn’t convert a good opportunity as Abdukodir Khusanov blocked his shot.

In the 15th minute, Bernardo Silva’s pass found Rayan Cherki, whose heavy first touch led to a shot that Mamardashvili smothered.

City’s Penalty Appeal

In the 18th minute, Erling Haaland made a strong run and delivered a pass to Rayan Cherki, who was challenged by Milos Kerkez. Cherki went down and appealed for a penalty, but referee Michael Oliver waved it off, causing frustration among City fans.

Hugo Ekitike missed a chance by firing just over the bar in the 27th minute after a good spell of possession from Liverpool.

Haaland Opens the Scoring!

City was awarded a penalty in the 37th minute when Matheus Nunes was fouled by Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk. Erling Haaland converted the penalty, sending Mamardashvili the wrong way to make it 1-0.

City Doubles the Lead Before Halftime

Just before halftime, City made it 2-0. Matheus Nunes passed to Rayan Cherki, who skillfully set up Haaland for a header into the net. City deserved their lead as they stepped up their performance.

Second Half

City quickly extended their lead to 3-0 in the 50th minute. After intercepting a throw-in, Nico O’Reilly found Rayan Cherki, who assisted Antoine Semenyo for a clever chip over Mamardashvili.

James Trafford made his first save two minutes later, stopping a low shot from Mo Salah.

Haaland Completes His Hat Trick

In the 57th minute, Haaland scored his third goal by tapping in a cross from Nico O’Reilly, showcasing City’s strong passing play.

Trafford Saves Salah’s Penalty

In the 63rd minute, Liverpool earned a penalty after Matheus Nunes fouled Hugo Ekitike. Mo Salah took the penalty, but Trafford made a brilliant save.

With 15 minutes to go, the atmosphere was celebratory for City as Liverpool’s fans began to leave. Trafford made another save from Alexis MacAllister’s long-range shot.

As the match neared its end, both teams seemed to play out time. The final whistle confirmed City’s place in the FA Cup semi-finals, with their strong performance highlighted by Haaland’s scoring prowess.

City Player Ratings

James Trafford-8.5/10: Made key saves, including a penalty stop.

Matheus Nunes-6.5/10: Struggled at right-back.

Abdukodir Khusanov-7.5/10: Solid defensively.

Marc Guehi-7.5/10: Strong performance.

Nico O’Reilly-8.5/10: Excellent game with an assist.

Rodri-8.5/10: Controlled midfield well.

Bernardo Silva-8.5/10: Good leadership on the pitch.

Antoine Semenyo-9/10: Scored and assisted, impressive outing.

Rayan Cherki-8.5/10: Contributed to both second-half goals.

Jeremy Doku-7.5/10: Improved as the match went on.

Erling Haaland-10/10: Outstanding hat trick and overall performance.

Substitutes

Nico-6/10: Did his job but not much more.

Savinho-6/10: Made some strong runs off the bench.

Tijjani Reijnders-N/A: Came on for too little time to rate.

Phil Foden-N/A: Came on for too little time to rate.

Omar Marmoush-N/A: Came on for too little time to rate.