Slot admits Liverpool lacked 'fighting spirit'

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Updated / Saturday, 4 Apr 2026 16:36 Arne Slot (far left) with Cody Gakpo, Rio Ngumoha and Alexis Mac Allister Arne Slot admitted his Liverpool side lacked "fighting spirit" during key moments of their 4-0 FA Cup quarter-final loss to Manchester City which has piled more pressure on the Reds boss. All the goals came in an 18-minute period either side of the break as Erling Haaland scored a hat-trick and Antoine Semenyo added the other for City, who made it to an eighth consecutive FA Cup semi-final.

Losing is already disappointing but 4-0 in a quarter-final of the FA Cup against a team Liverpool played so many times against, of course it's a big disappointment. "I missed the fighting spirit in the first 10 minutes after half-time," Slot said.

"That is something we definitively have to do better on Wednesday." Erling Haaland bagged a hat-trick Pep Guardiola has never lost an FA Cup home tie and the Catalan, serving a touchline ban, will have enjoyed the view from the stand as City booked yet another trip to Wembley two weeks after lifting the Carabao Cup. "It's a special place, Wembley, and you should not take for granted every time a final or semi-final and for sure we don't do that." Haaland had scored only once since the 3-0 win over Fulham on 11 February, but was in deadly form here, sending Giorgi Mamardashvili the wrong way from the spot after Nico O'Reilly was fouled, then heading in Semenyo's cross for a second and crashing in a shot off the crossbar for his hat-trick.