Szoboszlai Condemns Liverpool's Lack of Fight in Devastating FA Cup Defeat
Liverpool midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai has delivered a scathing assessment of his team's performance, slamming their lack of fighting spirit and mentality after a humiliating 4-0 thrashing by Manchester City in the FA Cup quarter-final. The champions were comprehensively outplayed at the Etihad Stadium, with Erling Haaland scoring a clinical hat-trick and Antoine Semenyo adding another goal to secure City's victory.
A Dispiriting Exit for Away Fans
The match saw a large majority of the 7,600 travelling Liverpool supporters head for an early exit, as home fans taunted under-pressure manager Arne Slot with chants of 'you're getting sacked in the morning'. This result marks the third time this season that City have beaten Liverpool, booking another trip to Wembley for the semi-finals and extending their record to eight consecutive FA Cup semi-final appearances.
Szoboszlai's Frank Post-Match Comments
In a candid post-match interview, Szoboszlai did not hold back in his criticism. 'The fighting spirit wasn't there enough, the mentality wasn't there enough,' he stated. 'None of us were there to be honest as much as we could. It's a hard time but we have to stick together. On Wednesday there is another chance but we have to get it in our head this is not the season we would like to end.'
He expressed confusion over the team's inconsistent performances, adding, 'I don't know (why it happens). It's hard to find words to be honest. We wanted this one so much. You lose 4-0 at City and it's not the best.' Szoboszlai emphasised the correlation between effort and results, noting, 'I always say when we do it (fight) we are winning, when we don't do it we are losing. You have to fight, work hard, be there for each other and that's what we are missing sometimes.'
Manager Slot's Disappointment and Upcoming Challenge
Manager Arne Slot, who now faces a crucial Champions League quarter-final against Paris Saint-Germain this week, echoed the disappointment. 'I don’t think you have to ask me about the result because that speaks for itself, that is an unbelievable disappointment,' he said. 'Losing is already a disappointment and then losing 4-0 is a big disappointment. The 20 minutes where we conceded four goals were not of our standard.'
Praise for Haaland from City's Camp
Meanwhile, Pep Guardiola's assistant Pep Lijnders was left astounded by Erling Haaland's performance, particularly highlighting his second goal. 'The second goal was insane. He weighed up the attack, he flies, the way he puts the ball into the corner. I love these old-school striker goals. Cross, wait, commit, chip. I love it,' Lijnders remarked.
He also defended Haaland's recent dip in form, suggesting the striker has been overburdened. 'It is a crazy what we are asking. I am not saying he carries Norway but we all know how important he is for Norway, he feels that responsibility. Then (here) feeling the responsibility to play and press and to set and to run in behind and to be available in the box and to keep the ball when the opposition defends man to man, there are a lot of things we ask and to do that every three days.'
Lijnders praised Haaland's resilience, adding, 'It is clear then that not everything throughout a long season will go your way but it shows character again and mentality that he comes back in this fashion. He is not only lovely but he is a machine to work with. I like the guys who train like that.'
This defeat leaves Liverpool reflecting on a season that has fallen short of expectations, with Szoboszlai's comments underscoring the urgent need for a mentality shift as they prepare for their next European challenge.
