Salah's Swan Song Turns Sour as Liverpool Crumble in Humiliating Defeat to Man City

Liverpool were knocked out of the FA Cup on Saturday following a humiliating 4–0 thrashing away at Manchester City.

Erling Haaland struck twice in the closing stages of the first half and, after Antoine Semenyo's composed finish, wrapped up his hat-trick before the hour mark on a day that rapidly turned into a disaster for Arne Slot's squad.

To make matters worse, Mohamed Salah squandered a penalty on his first outing since confirming he would leave the club at the end of the campaign. It was about as bad as it could get.

The Moment That Defined the Match

For the opening 37 minutes, Liverpool appeared in decent shape. There were a few underperformers, but Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitiké both looked sharp and were genuinely threatening to create chances.

Then, out of nowhere, Virgil van Dijk brought down Nico O'Reilly inside the box late in the first half. Just eleven minutes later, the scoreline read 3–0.

Liverpool's defensive structure completely disintegrated, with all composure evaporating after the penalty as a revitalized City surged forward with total freedom. The sudden collapse in performance was deeply concerning, and supporters—at least those who hadn't already headed for the exits—began to wonder whether their defenders were putting in any effort at all.

Van Dijk's frustration spilled over as he continued shouting instructions to no avail, chasing the ball across the pitch and losing all sense of calm at the very moment his teammates needed his leadership most.

Liverpool Player Ratings vs. Man City (4-2-3-1)

*Ratings provided by FotMob*

GK: Giorgi Mamardashvili—5.7: Had little chance of stopping any of City's goals. Should have set up an early assist for Salah.

RB: Joe Gomez—6.0: Was given an immediate scare by Jérémy Doku in the opening moments that set the tone for the afternoon. Clearly unable to match the Belgian's pace and was tormented throughout the match.

CB: Ibrahima Konaté—5.8: Completely lost track of Haaland for City's second goal. Will be bitterly disappointed not to have picked up the run.

CB: Virgil van Dijk—5.4: Outpaced by O'Reilly and had no grounds to argue with the referee's call. Was left chasing shadows as City's confidence soared, with his temper visibly fraying.

LB: Milos Kerkez—6.1: Showed plenty of energy in a first half that rarely tested him against Antoine Semenyo, but failed to cut out the cross for City's second goal. Like the rest of the team, his performance fell apart rapidly.

DM: Ryan Gravenberch—6.6: Failed to impose himself sufficiently at the base of midfield. Looked uneasy when required to drive play forward with the ball.

DM: Curtis Jones—6.6: His energy and work rate were commendable, but Jones's influence in possession was minimal. Failing to clear the ball led to the throw-in from which City scored their second, and the hosts soon began passing him into circles.

RM: Mohamed Salah—6.0: Should have done much better with an early opportunity but took far too long in possession. Had two good chances at the start of the second half and was even awarded a penalty, yet couldn't beat James Trafford.

AM: Dominik Szoboszlai—7.2: Liverpool's standout performer of the season was largely anonymous throughout. Worked hard off the ball but the Reds needed considerably more from him in possession.

LM: Florian Wirtz—6.9: Looked a real threat in the early stages, constantly finding pockets of space, drifting across Liverpool's attack and causing problems. Faded out of the game once things began to unravel.

ST: Hugo Ekitiké—7.2: Lively and fluid in the first half as his combination with Wirtz showed real promise, but found it difficult to get clear-cut opportunities in front of goal. Clever movement to earn the penalty.

SUB: Jeremie Frimpong (62' for Gomez)—6.4

SUB: Alexis Mac Allister (67' for Gravenberch)—6.4

SUB: Cody Gakpo (67' for Ekitiké)—6.5

SUB: Rio Ngumoha (67' for Wirtz)—5.9

SUB: Federico Chiesa (77' for Salah)—6.1

Subs not used: Freddie Woodman (GK), Andy Robertson, Trey Nyoni, Kieran Morrison.

What the Ratings Tell Us

The Numbers That Explain Liverpool's Abysmal Defeat