Arne Slot’s Liverpool have been handed the most daunting of tasks in their pursuit of silverware, with a trip to the Etihad Stadium confirmed for the FA Cup quarter-finals.
The Reds reward for a professional 3-1 dispatching of Wolves on Friday night is a showdown with Manchester City, as the draw for the last eight threw up a heavyweight clash that will define the business end of the season.
After navigating past Barnsley, Brighton, and Wolves, the degree of difficulty has now been cranked up to the maximum for Slot’s side.
The FA Cup quarter-final draw has thrown up the one fixture Arne Slot surely would have preferred to avoid until a spring afternoon in the capital.
A trip to the Etihad Stadium is never a simple assignment, but with the Reds still smarting from two defeats to Pep Guardiola’s side already this term, the stakes have just been raised significantly.
Etihad test awaits
The draw, conducted on Monday evening, confirmed that Liverpool will be the away side for the tie, which is scheduled to take place across the weekend of April 4/5.
It represents a significant hurdle for a side that has already surpassed last season’s disappointing FA Cup exit at the hands of Plymouth Argyle. However, history this season suggests a massive improvement is needed; Liverpool have suffered defeat in both meetings with Pep Guardiola’s side this term, losing 3-0 in Manchester and 2-1 at Anfield.
Supporters will be looking back to the 2022 semi-final at Wembley for inspiration, a day where the Reds blew City away with a three-goal first-half blitz. A repeat of that intensity will be required if they are to book another trip to the capital.
Molineux mission accomplished
The Reds booked their spot in the quarter-finals thanks to a clinical display at Molineux. Andy Robertson proved to be the unlikely hero, opening the scoring with a crisp strike early in the second half before turning provider for Mohamed Salah moments later.
Curtis Jones, continuing his fine form in this competition, added a third to effectively kill the contest. While Hwang Hee-chan grabbed a late consolation for the hosts, the result was never in doubt, ensuring Liverpool’s name was in the hat for Monday’s draw.
Fixture headache looms
The timing of the quarter-final adds an extra layer of intrigue and potential stress to Liverpool’s calendar. The game falls immediately after the March international break, but the real complication lies in the European schedule.
Should Liverpool successfully navigate their Champions League Round of 16 second leg against Galatasaray, the City game will immediately precede a European quarter-final. In that scenario, the FA Cup tie is almost certain to be moved to Saturday, April 4.
Potential Champions League opponents for that following midweek include PSG or Chelsea, with the Reds potentially facing three massive away games in a row.
• Man City (A) – FA Cup Quarter-Final – April 4/5
• Champions League Quarter Final 1st leg (A) – April 7/8
• Fulham (H) – Premier League – Sat, April 11
• Champions League Quarter Final Leg 2nd leg (H) – April 14/15
• Everton (A) – Premier League – Sun, April 19
• Crystal Palace (H) – Premier League – Sat, April 25
The full Quarter-Final draw
While the headlines will be dominated by the clash at the Etihad, the rest of the draw has offered some intriguing matchups for the remaining hopefuls:
- Southampton v Arsenal
- Chelsea v Port Vale
- Manchester City v Liverpool
- West Ham United or Brentford v Leeds United
Confirmed fixture dates and ticket allocations for the trip to Manchester are expected to be announced on the club’s official website in due course.
