The FA Cup quarter-finals delivered a spectacular evening of football on April 4, 2026, headlined by Erling Haaland's ruthless hat-trick that powered Manchester City to a commanding 4-0 victory over Liverpool at the Etihad Stadium. The Norwegian striker opened the scoring from the penalty spot after Virgil van Dijk fouled O'Reilly inside the box, then rose highest to head home a pinpoint Antoine Semenyo cross deep into first-half injury time, giving City a comfortable two-goal cushion at the break.
Haaland completed his 28th career hat-trick before the hour mark, latching onto a clever cutback from O'Reilly and firing a shot that cannoned in off the underside of the crossbar. Liverpool had a golden chance to get back into the contest when Matheus Nunes fouled Ekitike inside the area, but Mohamed Salah's penalty was brilliantly saved by James Trafford, who dived to his left to keep the Egyptian forward at bay. Antoine Semenyo added a fourth in the 50th minute, racing onto a sublime Cherki pass to slot home and seal a comprehensive triumph for City.
The victory extended Manchester City's remarkable run of 18 consecutive home wins in the FA Cup and confirmed their place in an eighth successive semi-final. Pep Guardiola's side looked imperious throughout, dominating possession and creating chances at will against a Liverpool team that never found its rhythm on the night.
The biggest shock of the evening came at St Mary's Stadium, where Championship side Southampton produced a sensational 2-1 upset to eliminate Premier League leaders Arsenal from the competition. Ross Stewart gave the Saints the lead in the 34th minute with a composed finish, and the home side defended resolutely for long stretches of the second half. Viktor Gyökeres appeared to have rescued Arsenal with an equalizer midway through the second period, but substitute Shea Charles had other ideas.
Charles, introduced from the bench with fresh legs and determination, delivered the decisive blow with just five minutes remaining, placing a precise shot into the bottom corner to send St Mary's into raptures. Southampton, managed by Tonda Eckert, are now on a remarkable 14-game unbeaten run that has carried them deep into the cup. For Arsenal, the defeat compounds the misery of their recent Carabao Cup final loss to Manchester City, leaving Mikel Arteta's squad searching for answers once again.
At Stamford Bridge, Chelsea produced a breathtaking display of attacking football to demolish League One side Port Vale 7-0 in front of 38,375 supporters. Jorrel Hato set the tone with a goal after just 64 seconds, and João Pedro doubled the lead in the 25th minute, heading home from a Neto cross. A Lawrence-Gabriel own goal further padded Chelsea's advantage before half-time, and the second half brought no respite for the visitors.
Tosin Adarabioyo powered in a header, Andrey Santos nodded home from an Estêvão corner, and Estêvão himself got on the scoresheet before Alejandro Garnacho completed the rout from the penalty spot in the second minute of stoppage time. The seven-goal haul saw Chelsea break a 100-year-old FA Cup record at Stamford Bridge. The final quarter-final between West Ham and Leeds is scheduled for April 5, completing what has been one of the most memorable rounds in recent FA Cup history.
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