Virgil van Dijk: I can only apologise to them for what we have shown

Liverpool's Virgil van Dijk after the Emirates FA Cup quarter-final. Pic: Mike Egerton/PA Wire.

FA Cup: Manchester City 4 Liverpool 0 

Virgil van Dijk could only offer an apology for Liverpool's FA Cup surrender at the Etihad after admitting that he has run out of excuses for a season that has so far brought nothing but bitter disappointment.

Van Dijk has faced the media on a weekly basis in his role as Arne Slot's captain. But the Dutchman's natural air of positivity was replaced by a sense of numbing shock in the aftermath of Liverpool's 16th defeat of the campaign.

The pressure is starting to mount on Slot. 

Next up is Paris St Germain in the quarter-finals of the Champions League on Wednesday night - and while it would be harsh if Liverpool's manager paid the price for being eliminated by reigning European champions, failure to qualify for next season's elite competition is likely to prove fatal.

Liverpool are not a sacking club. But the optimism of 'You'll Never Walk Alone' never felt so empty than when City's fourth goal prompted most of their 7,600 fans to head for the Etihad exits with more than a third of the tie still to play. They missed Mohamed Salah having a penalty saved by James Trafford.

Van Dijk knows what's at stake. He said: "The fans were there to support us and I can only apologise to them for what we have shown, especially the second half. We (the players) have already spoken about it in the dressing room and it's all on us.

"It's a 'together' thing, isn't it? Obviously, he (Slot) is responsible as the manager, but we are the ones on the pitch that have to do it. We have a responsibility, not only to ourselves but especially to the fans. If we want to make something out of this season, we have to try to do something special in the next three games.

"But I've been repeating myself too many times. What I say goes out in the media because I'm here all the time (as captain). But we let our fans down today. We let ourselves down and the manager down, but especially the fans.

"I’ve been here many times this season, when I’ve had hope and then we couldn’t build on performances. In the second half against City, we didn’t match their intensity, we didn't win the challenges, and to lose 4-0 is tough.

"Now PSG are waiting for us. I watched them yesterday a little bit, and it will be tough again. So we have to be ready, mentally, as soon as possible.

"The quality is there. But I've been lucky enough to play for Liverpool for so many years and the main thing always was the togetherness. Now, obviously, we are in a little bit of a transition so we have to find it again. But that second half must hurt everyone. It definitely hurts me. The focus is now on Paris away, but it will be tough to digest this."

Van Dijk must shoulder his share of the blame. His foul on Nico O'Reilly enabled Erling Haaland to open the scoring from the penalty spot in the 39th minute. 

Just 18 minutes later, Haaland had completed the 12th hat-trick of his City career by finding the net either side of Antione Semenyo's strike. Liverpool's skipper was also culpable in two of those last three goals.

City, even with Pep Guardiola banished to a private box by a touchline ban, were a blur of pace and movement going forward. 

Haaland now has 33 goals for the season and is thriving in an attack that has Semenyo and Jeremy Doku either side of him and the mercurial Rayan Cherki creating havoc just behind.

Having lifted the Carabao Cup last month, the Blues will now go back to Wembley for the 23rd time in Guardiola's nine-year reign. 

While all the talk in recent months has been of Arsenal winning the Quadruple, City can now repeat the unique domestic Treble they last achieved in 2019.

It hasn't taken Semenyo long since he arrived from Bournemouth in the January transfer window to buy into the belief that Arsenal's nine-point lead at the top of the table can still be bridged. 

"This is the most important part of the season and our aim is to win as many games as we can," he said. "Every game is a final now and when I came here I had the aspiration of trying to win every single trophy. Let's see how it goes."

Man City (4-2-3-1): Trafford 7; Nunes 6, Khusanov 7, Guehi 7, O'Reilly 7; Rodri 7 (Gonzalez 62, 6), Silva 7; Semenyo 7 (Foden 71, 5), Cherki 8 (Reijnders 71, 5), Doku 6 (Savinho 62, 5); Haaland 8 (Marmoush 77, 5).

Liverpool (4-2-2-2): Mamardashvili 5; Gomez 6 (Frimpong 62, 5), Konate 5, Van Dijk 5, Kerkez 6; Gravenberch 6 (Mac Allister 67, 5), Jones 5; Szboszlai 6, Wirtz 6 (Ngumoha 68, 5); Salah 5 (Chiesa 77, 5), Ekitike 6 (Gakpo 68, 5).

Referee: Michael Oliver.