Manchester City booked their ticket to Wembley again after beating Liverpool in the FA Cup quarter-finals at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
After the international match day, GuardiolaThe team returns to the Etihad Stadium after winning the Carabao Cup final arsenal two weeks ago – although Manchester City The manager was only allowed in the stands as he served the second of two touchline bans.
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City were once again ready for the cup, with the team flying out of the box under early pressure. After about 35 minutes it finally paid off Virgil van Dijk foul Nico O’Reilly Inside the penalty area, the home team wins a penalty kick.
Erling Haaland send goalie George Mamardashvili An errant error from 12 yards gave the team the lead, causing the Etihad Stadium to erupt. The Norwegian then doubled City’s lead with a header Antoine SemenhoSeconds before the half-time whistle.
Match reports and player ratings: Manchester City 4-0 Liverpool (FA Cup quarter-finals)
things are getting worse liverpool Their opponents got the third point in the second half through Semenho’s brilliant finish past Mamardashvili. The hosts didn’t have to wait long as Haaland scored a well-deserved hat-trick, his 12th since joining City in 2023.
Matthews Nunes then foul Hugo Ekitic in the box, presented Mohamed Salah A chance to put his name on the scoresheet. James Trafford He stepped up and dived to prevent the Egyptian winger from giving his side a consolation.
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Here are five things we learned from Manchester City’s Easter weekend win over Liverpool!
1. Harland’s confidence is back
Haaland had a great start to the season, and the next few months were filled with uncertainty, with goals and assists dwindling as we moved into 2026. This has of course had a negative impact on the team and resulted in some less than ideal results since Christmas.
However, the 25-year-old made a strong comeback on Saturday afternoon after showing some good link-up play and defending in the Carabao Cup final. His three goals were decisive in City’s progress to the semi-finals, but his overall performance exuded confidence, which was great.
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Haaland’s timing couldn’t be better to get into the right frame of mind, with the Premier League title race entering its final stages and the FA Cup trophy just two games away.
2. City adjustments and full firepower before the championship battle
As mentioned above, under Haaland, Manchester City has seen some fluctuations in form since the beginning of the year. After a dismal performance away to Real Madrid and a disappointing draw with West Ham United, things are really starting to look up for the Citizens.
The ten-man side won the Carabao Cup after a superb performance at Wembley Stadium after hosting Real Madrid in Manchester. That energy and hunger carries over into Saturday’s game at the Etihad Stadium, with City looking like a different animal in recent games.
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With the Premier League title race against Arsenal entering a do-or-die phase, Guardiola’s side must harness the momentum and get back into the fight before May.
Abdelkodil Kusanov’s form for Real Madrid represents his development at Manchester City
3. Kusanov’s raw pace and power
Despite being under constant media scrutiny, Abdukodir Kusanov once again excelled in Manchester City’s FA Cup win.
As a fan and a writer, it’s frustrating to hear pundits constantly mention his debut against Chelsea in 2025 as a poor five minutes at the start of his England career.
Since that game, Kusanov has been the club’s best defender, displaying raw speed and power to catch the fastest attackers and tackle them with force.
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Saturday was no exception, with the young Uzbekistan international once again showing why he is one of the first and most important names on Manchester City’s roster today.
4. Trafford clean sheet
After a difficult first season at Manchester City, James Trafford returned to the club in the summer with the aim of establishing himself as first-choice goalkeeper. Shortly after his arrival, Champions League winner Gianluigi Donnarumma was signed – with the young England goalkeeper finding himself on the bench most weeks.
When Trafford gets the chance to play, he looks cool, composed and sometimes even great. Starting at Wembley last month, he made three saves to ensure the trophy was brought back to Manchester and made his England debut in the international break.
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He once again showed confidence against Liverpool, even saving a penalty from the greatest player in Premier League history, Mohamed Salah. After years of being close to the backup goalkeeper position, City are finally lucky enough to have two quality goalkeepers in their lineup.
5. “Wembley is here again…!”
There’s a reason the Sky Blue faithful affectionately refer to Wembley as “Etihad South”. Since Guardiola’s arrival in 2016, Manchester City has visited England’s home ground a record 23 times.
While not always leaving Wembley with a trophy, the sheer number of appearances at the Etihad South over the past decade is an incredible feat. Manchester City have booked their place in the FA Cup semi-finals as Liverpool were comfortably eliminated on Saturday afternoon.
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Pep Guardiola’s side will be looking to avenge their past two seasons, both of which ended in final defeats, following 2023 when City last won the competition and achieved a historic treble.