Ruptly
"Manchester City delivered a commanding 4-0 victory over Liverpool in the FA Cup quarter-final at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester on Saturday, with Erling Haaland's hat-trick, powering the hosts into the semi-finals. "It's really a sign of a really, really consistent quality the team reach every year. The FA Cup is so, so special, [...] and you shouldn't take it for granted reaching every time a final or a semi-final, and for sure we don't do that," said Pepijn Lijnders, Pep Guardiola's assistant manager, hailing the result. He went on to praise Haaland's 12th hat-trick. "The second goal was insane, because the way he attacks, he flies, the way he still puts the ball to the corner. I love it when these kinds of old-school striker goals, cross, wait, commit, chip. I love it," Lijinders remarked. Liverpool manager Arne Slot acknowledged his side's defensive shortcomings while pointing to positives in the early stages of the match. "Yes, that's for silverware, but it's also very crucial that we qualify for the Champions League." "If we play against PSG (Paris Saint-Germain) or against Man City, teams of this level, you have to defend better than we did in the 20 minutes when we conceded the four goals," he added. Despite the heavy defeat, Slot noted there were encouraging signs before City's scoring burst. "If you generate a chance, you have to score, and you cannot be so easily beaten with four goals," he declared. Manchester City's win sent them into the FA Cup semi-finals for a record eighth consecutive season, while Liverpool turns its attention to their Champions League quarter-final against PSG on April 8."
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