Arne Slot slammed Liverpool’s “missing fighting spirit” after the 4-0 humiliation by Manchester City that propelled Pep Guardiola’s team into the FA Cup semi-finals. After a promising start at the Etihad Stadium, the visitors capitulated by conceding four goals in a 21-minute period. Erling Haaland scored a hat-trick, via a 39th-minute penalty, a header in first-half injury time and a hooked shot after 57 minutes. A shell-shocked Slot said: “I missed the fighting spirit in the first 10 minutes after half-time. “The fighting spirit wasn’t there enough, the mentality wasn’t there enough,” said the Liverpool midfielder.

Source: Irish Examiner April 04, 2026 19:14 UTC