By. Shamoon Hafez. Journalist covering Manchester City at Etihad Stadium. Aprilie 211 din 212. Vingt-cinq commentaires Erling Haaland’s return to top form has issued a bold challenge to Manchester City’s rivals as Pep Guardiola’s team pursues a domestic treble. City defeated Arsenal in a cup final and then demolished Liverpool, with these back-to-back triumphs demonstrating a firm commitment to end the season strongly. A stunning win over Arsenal in last month’s Carabao Cup final dealt a severe setback to the Premier League frontrunners. City followed up by sending another warning to north London with Saturday’s merciless 4-0 thrashing of Arne Slot’s Liverpool in the FA Cup quarter-finals. Having already secured a trophy at Wembley this season, City will head back to the national stadium later this month for a semi-final clash. Saturday’s victory notably saw them accomplish: An eighth straight FA Cup semi-final appearance, extending the record. A 18th consecutive home win in the competition, surpassing a mark from the 1880s. They’re targeting a fourth FA Cup final in a row, and Saturday’s display proves City and their star player are eager to get there. Norwegian forward Haaland did most of the harm to Liverpool with a superb hat-trick—his 12th since arriving at City in 2022, topping the charts among players in Europe’s top five leagues over that span. “This club needs to win trophies on the grandest stage,” Haaland said to TNT Sports. “It’s been a while since I last did it [scored a hat-trick] for City.” It’s unique, so I’m thrilled. With Guardiola sidelined for the second match of his touchline ban, assistant Pep Lijnders managed the team and handled post-match media responsibilities. “He’s not only lovely but a machine to work with,” Lijnders said of Haaland.
