Digging Deeper Into Liverpool’s 4-0 Defeat to Manchester City in the FA Cup Quarterfinals

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - APRIL 04: Mohamed Salah and Dominik Szoboszlai of Liverpool react after conceding the third goal, scored by Antoine Semenyo of Manchester City during the Emirates FA Cup Quarter Final match between Manchester City and Liverpool at Etihad Stadium on April 04, 2026 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images) | Getty Images Liverpool’s first week back after the International Break was always going to be the most stern of tests as the two competitions the Reds remain alive in are set to resume with fixtures where the they won’t be favored: mid-week in the Champions League against Paris St. Germain and today in the FA Cup against Manchester City.

Liverpool’s hopes to bring home silverware hinged on the outcome of this week, with progression in the FA Cup – even against City – looked like the most realistic path. Unfortunately, Arne Slot’s Liverpool were thoroughly outclassed on the day, mounting even more pressure on the Champions League tie. Let’s take a closer look at what happened and what it means for Liverpool.

Talking Tactics One of the emerging talking points in the wake of Mohamed Salah’s announcement that he intends to leave the club at the end of the season is what to make of the Egyptian King’s poor – relative to his impossible standards – form this season. Among the things I’d heard is shifting the winger more centrally, perhaps in a partnership with Hugo Ekitike or Alexander Isak when the Swede makes his return. Slot’s tactical set up was interesting and, for at least the first 35-40 minutes of this match, looked to work quite well: 4-2-2-2 base, with Ekitike and Salah up top, Florian Wirtz and Dominik Szoboszlai behind, then Ryan Gravenberch and Curtis Jones providing a defensive screen in front of the backline.

Manchester City found the set up a bit challenging with the numbers in the middle providing a successful block to build-up in City’s preferred way and forcing them to try and make up the ground on the wings. While no one would ever count Wirtz as a defensive stalwart, the system ensured that there was support on the left with Jones so far back, essentially carrying the defensive work on the wing with Milos Kerkez. Going forward, it looked a lot more fluid, with Mo more or less central and Hugo Ekitike pulling slightly to the left to make room for Florian Wirtz to fill in the box.