Southampton stun Arsenal in FA Cup quarters, Haaland hat trick sinks Liverpool

By  STEVE DOUGLASSunday April 5, 2026

Saturday delivered a pair of FA Cup shocks and a statement from Manchester City, as second-tier Southampton knocked out Premier League leaders Arsenal while Erling Haaland powered City past Liverpool with a ruthless 4-0 rout.

Arsenal, coming off a League Cup final loss to City before the international break, watched another trophy opportunity vanish in the closing stages when Southampton struck in the 85th minute to secure a 2-1 victory at St. Mary’s Stadium. Southampton entered the match sitting seventh in the Championship, making the result one of the competition’s biggest surprises.

For City, the victory strengthened the case that they remain the team to beat in the race for silverware this season. The win sent them into the FA Cup semifinals for a record eighth straight year and kept alive their bid for a cup double.

Liverpool’s afternoon went from bad to worse when Mohamed Salah missed from the penalty spot, deepening the concerns around manager Arne Slot after a lopsided defeat at Etihad Stadium.

Chelsea also moved on in convincing fashion, overwhelming third-tier Port Vale 7-0. The semifinal field will be completed Sunday when West Ham hosts Leeds, after which the draw for the last four will be held.

Arsenal cup hopes disappearing

Arsenal’s ambitions of a quadruple are now gone, leaving only the Premier League and Champions League as realistic targets.

Manager Mikel Arteta’s decision to rotate his side backfired at St. Mary’s, where Southampton took the lead through Ross Stewart in the 35th minute before Arsenal responded after the break.

Arteta introduced Viktor Gyokeres, who had just scored the goal that sent Sweden to the World Cup on Tuesday, and the striker levelled in the 68th minute.

But Southampton kept threatening on the break, and Shea Charles, once part of Manchester City’s academy, finished from inside the area to deliver a memorable upset.

“To go and beat arguably the best team in Europe at the minute is an incredible feeling,” Stewart said.

Arsenal’s disappointment was compounded by an injury to Brazil center back Gabriel Magalhaes, who was forced off in the second half with a left knee problem ahead of the club’s Champions League quarterfinal against Sporting Lisbon. He was later seen with ice on the knee.

“This is the first moment that we have (this season) with a certain level of difficulty,” Arteta said, with his team still holding a nine-point lead in the Premier League.

Haaland’s 12th hat trick for City

Haaland’s 18-minute burst began with a 39th-minute penalty after Virgil van Dijk brought down Nico O’Reilly. The Norway striker then headed in Antoine Semenyo’s cross in first-half stoppage time before adding a third in the 57th minute by sweeping home after the ball came back off the crossbar.

It was Haaland’s first hat trick of the season for City and the 12th of his club career since joining in 2022.

Semenyo also got on the scoresheet in the 50th minute as City sealed a return to Wembley Stadium two weeks after defeating Arsenal there in the League Cup final.

“This club has to win trophies,” said Haaland, who was called a “machine” after the game by City assistant coach Pep Lijnders, the former Liverpool No. 2 filling in while Pep Guardiola served a touchline suspension.

Salah, who revealed during the international break that he will leave Liverpool after nine trophy-filled seasons, was unable to mark what amounts to a long farewell with a goal. His best chance came from the penalty spot, but City goalkeeper James Trafford kept it out in the 64th minute.

City’s victory extended its record home FA Cup winning streak to 18 matches, a run dating back to 2017. Guardiola’s side had already shared the record for reaching seven straight FA Cup finals with Clapham Rovers; now it owns the mark outright.

As the goals piled up, many Liverpool supporters were seen heading for the exits before the final whistle.

“The fighting spirit wasn’t there enough, the mentality wasn’t there enough,” Liverpool midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai said. “None of us were there to be honest as much as we could.

“It’s a hard time but we have to stick together.”

Chelsea overwhelms Port Vale

Chelsea matched City’s authority, though its one-sided win was far more predictable.

Even without Argentina midfielder Enzo Fernandez, who was absent for disciplinary reasons, Chelsea had little trouble brushing aside Port Vale at Stamford Bridge. Jorrel Hato, Joao Pedro, Tosin Adarabioyo, Andrey Santos, Estevao and Alejandro Garnacho all scored, while an own-goal added to the damage.

Chelsea has won the FA Cup eight times, most recently in 2018.