By Sachit Subba • Football • Apr 05, 2026 05:39 AM • 39 views
This weekend’s FA Cup quarter-finals underscored football’s unpredictability. Manchester City and Chelsea secured dominant wins to book Wembley spots. However, the tradition of upsets persisted, as Arsenal suffered a late shock defeat. With standout feats—including record hat-tricks and a seven-goal match—the semi-finals now include three top teams, and one determined underdog.
Haaland’s Record-Breaking Treble Sinks Liverpool
Manchester City dominated Liverpool at the Etihad, winning 4-0 with a standout performance from Erling Haaland. The match began cautiously: Salah’s shot was blocked by Khusanov, and Cherki missed an early chance for City. The breakthrough came in the 39th minute when Van Dijk fouled O’Reilly in the box, and Haaland calmly converted the penalty past Mamardashvili.
Haaland made it 2-0 just before halftime with a strong header from Semenyo’s cross. Early in the second half, Semenyo scored by chipping the keeper. Haaland finished his hat-trick in the 57th minute after an O’Reilly assist. Liverpool had a late penalty. Trafford saved Salah’s shot to keep a clean sheet. This was Haaland’s 12th hat-trick for City. He now leads Harry Kane for the most hat-tricks in Europe’s top five leagues since 2022.
Chelsea Hit Seven in Historic Port Vale Rout
Chelsea dominated at Stamford Bridge, routing Port Vale 7-0 to become the first team since Liverpool in 2006 to score seven in an FA Cup quarter-final. Jorel Hato struck after 64 seconds, João Pedro added another in the 25th minute, and an own goal by Lawrence-Gabriel off a Palmer rebound made it 3-0 by halftime.
Chelsea kept up the pressure in the second half. Adarabioyo and Santos added headers, making it 5-0, while Port Vale struggled to defend. After hitting the post twice, Estêvão finally scored in the 82nd minute, capitalising on Garnacho’s rebounded shot. To finish the night, Garnacho won and converted a stoppage-time penalty, sending Chelsea to the semi-finals in style.
Southampton Stun Arsenal in Late Thriller
The weekend’s biggest surprise came at St Mary’s: Southampton edged out Arsenal 2-1. Arsenal, featuring key players like Ødegaard and Havertz, looked tired after their League Cup final loss. Southampton led in the 35th minute when Ross Stewart exploited Ben White’s error to beat Kepa Arrizabalaga.
Mikel Arteta brought on Gyökeres and Madueke to spark a comeback. The move worked when Gyökeres equalised in the 68th minute after a slick exchange with Magalhães and Havertz. As the match neared extra time, Shea Charles scored in the 85th minute from a Fellows pass. Southampton reach their first FA Cup semi-final since 2021, ending Arsenal’s hopes of a domestic double.
