Manchester City beat Liverpool 4-0 in the FA Cup quarter-finals at the Etihad Stadium, with Erling Haaland scoring a hat-trick. Liverpool manager Arne Slot called on his players to react in their upcoming Champions League tie against Paris Saint-Germain. The defeat has intensified scrutiny on Slot amid Liverpool's poor form this season.
Manchester City overwhelmed Liverpool 4-0 in the FA Cup quarter-finals, scoring four goals in 18 minutes either side of half-time. Erling Haaland netted a hat-trick, while James Trafford saved a penalty from Mohamed Salah, who also missed several chances. The result marked one of Liverpool's worst performances in Slot's second season, following a 2-1 league loss at Brighton & Hove Albion that left them one point inside the Champions League qualification spots in the Premier League. Fans were seen leaving the Etihad early during the rout. Liverpool sit one win in five matches across all competitions, with their only recent victory at home against Galatasaray. Slot addressed the media post-match on Talksport, saying, “We go to Paris and we have to react to this defeat, we have to react to this season.” He added, “We owe it to ourselves and our fans, and that is what we are going to do. That is achievable – we’ve shown that before.” Slot noted last season's competitiveness against PSG, including a 1-0 first-leg win, but stressed the need to improve defensively. He praised fans' support despite the season's struggles. Former Manchester City player Stuart Pearce observed tensions among Liverpool players, suggesting captain Virgil van Dijk and Dominik Szoboszlai argued over pressing responsibilities late in the game. Pearce said players appeared to blame each other and possibly the management, adding, “Too many players were just looking at each other and saying ‘it’s not my fault’.” He advised showing the squad footage of Liverpool's famous 4-0 comeback against Barcelona in 2019 to rally them for the PSG match. Liverpool were without goalkeeper Alisson Becker, defenders Conor Bradley and Giovanni Leoni, and midfielder Wataru Endo. Salah returned from injury, but striker Alexander Isak remains sidelined with a broken leg.
