Further disappointment was added to an already poor season, raising questions as to what happens next as Liverpool exit another tournament after a chastening 4-0 defeat at Man City.
Man City 4-0 Liverpool
FA Cup Quarter Final | Etihad Stadium
April 4, 2026
Goals: Haaland 39′ pen, 45’+2′, 57′, Semenyo 50′
More than defeat – an embarrassing afternoon for Arne Slot and Liverpool
There was at least some hope going into this game. Despite Liverpool’s clear struggles so far this season, and their complete failure to defend the Premier League title they won last year, there were always the cups to play for.
The FA Cup and the Champions League offered the chance to salvage something from the campaign, and there was the hope that in one-off cup matches, Liverpool could do enough to get the wins required.
That soon evaporated in the opening 45 minutes against Man City, as the home side scored two goals and completely outclassed Liverpool in the areas of the pitch where it mattered.
This was a long way from the City vs. Liverpool battles of old, in which Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp’s sides served up peak football at a level we may never reach again.
But Liverpool were so far from that level in this particular game against City that it is difficult to make any excuses for this team or their manager.
The margin of the defeat and the gulf in quality between the two teams ended up being more than a defeat for Liverpool, and turned into an embarrassing afternoon in Manchester.
Mo Salah’s farewell tour begins badly
Mohamed Salah deserves a better ending to his Liverpool career than a limp title defence and unconvincing performances in other competitions.
There is still the Champions League to play for, but on the evidence of this game, Liverpool will need to improve drastically if they are in with a chance of winning the big trophy.
Salah himself has been part of this slump, and this was epitomised by his failure to take a first-half chance following a great long ball from Giorgi Mamardashvili to put him through on goal.
A poor touch sent him into an unfavourable position, and allowed Abdukodir Khusanov the opportunity to get in and make a last-minute block, and the resulting shot went out for a throw-in.
Salah is probably owed some help from elsewhere in the team to make sure his send-off is a happy one, but so far, he is not getting it.
His own recent performances were summed up when his penalty kick was saved by James Trafford. He looked like he wanted the ground to swallow him up, and like a player completely lacking in confidence.
Salt was rubbed into the wound when he was subbed later in the second half.
Liverpool fans makes a statement with early exit
As Man City fans taunted Slot with chants of “you’re getting sacked in the morning,” Liverpool fans voted with their feet. Maybe some of them felt like joining in with the song.
They began the game in full voice and were the one positive for the club on the afternoon. The players and staff cannot have any complaints about the support they received on this early Saturday kickoff down the M62.
The atmosphere provided by those travelling supporters was mentioned several times on the TV commentary, such was its prominence, especially pre-kick off and early on in the game. It should have given the players something to play for.
The FA Cup giving greater allocation to away supporters is a real positive of the competition, and away fans are often the ones who create the atmosphere in the modern game.
But the Liverpool team could not respond to their supporters’ singing, encouragement, and early noise.
Unusually for Liverpool’s away contingent, many had left their seats with 10 minutes to go, which was as big a statement as any as to what they think.
Virgil van Dijk is merely normal now
Like Salah, Virgil van Dijk has not been at his imperious best this season, and his clumsy challenge for the penalty was not like him.
He also epitomises the decline this season, as several players who can genuinely be considered the best in Liverpool’s history are not performing to their usual or previous levels.
Some of this is down to age and natural decline, but the drop is so stark across the board that it must also be down to other factors.
Van Dijk has not been bad this season and has shown glimpses of the play that has made him one of the best central defenders in the history of the game, but that he is having the type of campaign that makes him merely a good defender, rather than an exceptional one, is another sign of Liverpool’s drop-off across the board.
What next for Liverpool?
It’s one of those rare moments for Liverpool FC where the question of what happens next is not just about the upcoming game, but also about the club’s entire approach going forward.
There will be calls for Slot to be sacked, and as Steven Gerrard’s name was sung at the Etihad Stadium, you couldn’t help but think that there is a desire for him to come in and attempt to steady the ship before appointing a new permanent manager next season.
That is just speculation and maybe not the solution, but that these sorts of questions can be posed at this moment in time demonstrates the situation Liverpool are in.
It’s one that evokes memories of the pre-Klopp era, and worries that the club might be heading back in that direction.
With the Champions League still to play for, and all-important qualification for the same tournament for the 2026/27 season still to be achieved, something needs to change.