Pep Guardiola looks to have found his best attack as Manchester City swept Liverpool aside
Pep Guardiola looks to have found his best attack as Manchester City swept Liverpool aside It was hard to pick out a Manchester City player that didn’t perform as City swept Liverpool aside 4-0 in their FA Cup quarter-final tie at the Etihad on Saturday. After a tough opening half-hour, Pep Guardiola’s side put their foot down to end the match by the 60th minute. Looking at the lineup that Pep Guardiola selected against Liverpool and in Manchester City’s Carabao Cup final win over Arsenal, it is becoming apparent that the City manager has found his best attacking lineup.
Erling Haaland, Antoine Semenyo, Jeremy Doku, and Rayan Cherki, with Nico O’Reilly bombing forward, is City’s most lethal attacking setup, and it could carry Manchester City through the final stages of this season. The Manchester City attack tore Liverpool to shreds at the Etihad on Saturday. Once Manchester City took the lead in the 39th minute against Liverpool, courtesy of an Erling Haaland penalty, on Saturday, there was only one winner.
City put their foot down and Arne Slot’s side couldn’t live with them. Erling Haaland added his second goal of the match right on the stroke of halftime, after some superb combination play from Rayan Cherki and Antoine Semenyo and that goal effectively ended the match. City would score two more goals just after halftime and both goals showed how devastating this City attack now is.
Manchester City’s third goal came after Nico O’Reilly won possession from a Liverpool throw-in. O’Reilly found Rayan Cherki in acres of space, and the French international played a beautiful ball to Semenyo, who chipped Giorgi Mamardashvili brilliantly to make it 3-0 in the 50th minute. Seven minutes later, Manchester City’s move of the match made it 4-0.
City played out from the back, and eventually, Jeremy Doku was found on the left. He cut inside and slipped a through ball to Nico O’Reilly, and the England international squared the ball to Erling Haaland, who completed his hat trick with a simple finish. It was a beautiful move, and all four of Manchester City’s goals included a contribution from every player in City’s front line.