Erling Haaland hat trick drives Manchester City over Liverpool and into eighth straight FA Cup semifinals

Manchester City 4-0 Liverpool Etihad Stadium, Manchester

Manchester City’s relentless march through the FA Cup continued as Erling Haaland’s first hat-trick since December 2025 fired Pep Guardiola’s side into a record-extending eighth consecutive semifinal. The 4-0 dismissal of Liverpool at the Etihad maintained City’s perfect home run in the competition—18 straight victories dating back to February 2017—and kept the treble-chasing giants on course for a second piece of silverware this season.

Haaland struck three times without reply, ending a personal drought that had coincided with City’s search for a consistent secondary scoring threat. The Norwegian’s resurgence arrives at a critical moment: City are already out of the Champions League but trail Premier League leaders Arsenal by nine points with a match in hand and a pivotal head-to-head looming on 19 April.

City’s domestic-cup pedigree is unmatched in the modern era; they have reached the last three FA Cup finals, lifting the trophy once against Manchester United. Their current 18-match winning streak on home soil in the tournament eclipses the 17 set by Victorian pioneers Clapham Rovers between 1873 and 1881.

Guardiola’s immediate focus turns to a daunting league slate—Chelsea, Arsenal and Burnley await before the month is out—but the comprehensive dismantling of Jürgen Klopp’s visitors served notice that the champions’ ceiling remains sky-high. With Haaland again finding the form that has made him the spearhead of City’s attack, the manager will hope the timing proves decisive in a season that still hangs in the balance.

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