FA Cup: Haaland hits treble as Man City rout Liverpool to clinch semi-final spot 

Arne Slot's side had no answers for Pep Guardiola's Blues.

Manchester City's Erling Haaland celebrates scoring their side's second goal. Pic: Mike Egerton/PA Wire.

Manchester City 4 Liverpool 0 

Pep Guardiola is going back to Wembley for the 23rd time in nine years after an FA Cup masterclass that means it is now the Champions League or bust for Arne Slot.

Guardiola was forced to watch his team destroy Liverpool from the comfort of an executive box while he served the second game of a touchline ban, but his team remain on course to reach English football's showpiece final for a record fourth successive season thanks to Erling Haaland's hat-trick and a goal from Antoine Semenyo.

Just two weeks ago, the Blues turned the Wembley arch blue after giving Arsenal a lesson in the Carabao Cup Final. This evisceration of the Premier League champions was even more brutal.

While Liverpool now travel to Paris St Germain for the first leg of a Champions League quarter-final with their belief shredded, Guardiola will be turning his attentions to Chelsea next Sunday and how he can close the nine-point gap on Arsenal in the race for the title.

When Mohamed Salah was given the chance to give those members of the 8,000 travelling Liverpool fans who were still inside the Etihad something to cheer with 25 minutes remaining, the Egyptian saw his penalty saved by City keeper James Trafford.

Slot, who spent much of the afternoon raging in his technical area, has much to do as he prepares to meet the reigning European champions in the French capital on Wednesday night.

Guardiola, meanwhile, continues to give the domestic cup competitions his undivided attention. He is looking to add a third FA Cup triumph to his fifth success in the Carabao.

Liverpool started the game in the front foot. Salah was denied a clean strike at goal by Abdukodir Khusanov's challenge after Reds' keeper Giorgi Mamardashvili had caught the home side cold with a quick clearance downfield. Hugo Ekitike later flashed a snap shot just over.

City were furious when referee Michael Oliver refused to give a penalty for Milos Kerkez's challenge on Cherki. Even Guardiola's rage from up on high was unmistakable.

But when Virgil van Dijk caught Nico O'Reilly on the ankle with a rash challenge, this time Oliver this time agreed with City's appeals.

Mamardashvili saved a Haaland penalty when City beat Liverpool 3-0 in November. This time, the Norwegian sent Liverpool's keeper the wrong way and the home side were ahead six minutes before half-time.

Haaland scored again in first-time injury-time, leaving Ibrahima Konate standing with the speed of his movement to guide a header into the top corner after Cherki's wonderfully delayed pass had given Semenyo time and space to pick out the striker from the right.

That was the first of three City goals in the space of 12 minutes either side of the break.

Semenyo lifted home a lovely finish after drifting behind the static Van Dijk to fasten on to another perfect Cherki pass in the 50th minute.

Then Haaland claimed the 12th match-ball in City colours when O'Reilly found him pulling away from Van Dijk after Cherki had once more carved the visitors' open down the left channel.

The final humiliation for Liverpool came when when Ekitike was sent tumbling by Matheus Nunes and Trafford plunged to his left to push away Salah's poor spot-kick with some ease.