That FA Cup quarter-final couldn’t have gone much worse, with Liverpool humiliated 4-0 against Man City at the Etihad.
Liverpool’s prospects of silverware this season have been sliced in half by our modern rivals, who took Arne Slot’s side apart to book a place in the semi-final.
Erling Haaland’s first-half brace made it a bleak task, and the game was settled with two more shortly after the interval. A missed Mo Salah penalty added insult to injury. 4-0, absolutely embarrassing.
Who was Liverpool’s worst player during the abysmal defeat against Man City?
Some PATHETIC displays 😡
Manchester City v Liverpool - Emirates FA Cup Quarter Final
Photo by Shaun Brooks – CameraSport via Getty Images
Here are some rather angry player ratings from Rousing The Kop.
Liverpool player ratings vs Man City
Giorgi Mamardashvili – 5
Mamardashvili should have had an assist after finding Salah bounding through on goal, but the Egyptian couldn’t sort his feet. Haaland’s two first-half goals left the Georgian with little chance. He could have maybe been out earlier for Semenyo’s lob. Not the main culprit.
Joe Gomez – 6
The only Liverpool defender who can hold his head high after that humiliating result. Gomez kept Jeremy Doku quiet — no easy feat — and showed a composure sorely lacking from his teammates. He wasn’t faultless, but the best of a bad bunch.
Virgil van Dijk – 3
On that note, the Liverpool captain embodied that lack of composure, clumsily conceding a penalty to send City on their way to Wembley. Van Dijk’s consistency has been so key for us over the years, but not for a lot of this season.
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Is it time for Van Dijk to join Salah this summer and leave Liverpool?
The errors are beginning to pile up…
Manchester City v Liverpool - Emirates FA Cup Quarter Final
Photo by Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images
Ibrahima Konate – 3
As bad as his centre-back partner, Konate looked hapless at times. For the fourth goal especially, he looked like he was playing on an ice rink.
Milos Kerkez – 5
Kerkez was aggressive, but Semenyo too often got the better of him.
Curtis Jones – 5
Jones was at least pressing well, but he took too much time on the ball. Not a new criticism. You could argue that Alexis Mac Allister should have started despite his long travels back to Merseyside.
Ryan Gravenberch – 5
Some good moves and intent in the first half, but not so much after the break. Not as bad as many of the others.
Dominik Szoboszlai – 4
Szoboszlai provided his usual work rate and pressing, but he was doing nothing in the final third. A rare off-day.
Florian Wirtz – 4
Another nothing performance from Wirtz. A couple of quality moments, but far too little for a game of this magnitude. He should be at the centre of Liverpool’s play.
Mohamed Salah – 3
Salah’s Liverpool farewell tour got off to a torrid start. He could have had a hat-trick, but the end product just isn’t there. Missed penalty summed up his season.
Which players should Liverpool target to replace Mohamed Salah this summer? 🤔
A seven-man shortlist has already been reported:
Desire Doue
Bradley Barcola
Nico Williams
Yan Diomande
Anthony Gordon
Jarrod Bowen
Michael Olise
Mohamed Salah warms up ahead of Liverpool's Premier League match against West Ham United at the London Stadium
Credit: Izzy Poles/AMA/Getty Images
Hugo Ekitike – 4
Another big game where Ekitike hasn’t shown up. No Liverpool players did, but it’s becoming a pattern with the Frenchman that could be a concern.
Substitutions
Alexis Mac Allister
All subs were made with the game out of reach. Mac Allister, like others, played decent but with nothing at stake.
Rio Ngumoha – 5
Played on the right, had no real chances around the box.
Cody Gakpo – 5
Played out on the left when he came on, with little success.
Federico Chiesa – 5
Typical high-energy display, but didn’t get much service.
Jeremie Frimpong – 5
Not quite sure why Slot brought him on 4-0 down. Frimpong picked up an injury on duty — shouldn’t have been risked.
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