Manchester City showed no mercy to Liverpool, thrashing them 4-0 at home to advance to the semi-finals of the FA Cup. As reported by the Argentine News Agency, the team of Spanish manager Josep Guardiola arrived at this match after a 2-0 victory over Arsenal in the English League Cup final and winning this trophy. In turn, the team of Dutch manager Arne Slot arrived at this match after a 2-1 loss to Brighton & Hove Albion in the 31st round of the English Premier League, a competition in which they are in fifth place with 49 points. Regarding the FA Cup, Manchester City came into this match having beaten Newcastle United 3-1 at St James Park, while Liverpool had done the same, with the same result, against Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux stadium. The Manchester-based team opened the scoring in the 39th minute of the game. Referee Michael Oliver awarded a penalty after observing a foul by Dutchman Virgil van Dijk on Nico O'Reilly inside the area. The penalty was converted into a goal by Norwegian Erling Haaland with a cross-shot to the left after the Georgian goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili slid to the right. In the 47th minute, Haaland again scored for Manchester City and extended the lead with a precise cross-header inside the small area, following a precise cross from Ghanaian Antoine Semenyo. In the second half, 5 minutes into it, Semenyo made it 3-0 with a subtle cross-shot as the Georgian Mamardashvili came out of his goal, following a great through-ball from Frenchman Rayan Cherki. Just 7 minutes later, Semenyo played a cut-back pass to O'Reilly, who, with Mamardashvili rushing out to his right post, touched the ball to the middle for the solo run of Haaland, who pushed it in to make it 4-0.
With this result, Manchester City advance to the FA Cup semi-finals where they await their opponent, which will be decided by draw on Sunday after the match between West Ham United and Leeds United. The Saturday football schedule in England will be completed by Chelsea hosting Port Vale and Southampton facing Arsenal.
