FA Cup
Klopp salutes Liverpool as ‘best ever’ display seals FA Cup final place
Jurgen Klopp hailed one of Liverpool’s “best ever” performances as the quadruple chasers reached the FA Cup final with a “special” 3-2 win against Manchester City on Saturday (April 16).
Klopp’s side kept alive their bid to win all four major trophies in a single seasons thanks to Ibrahima Konate’s opener and Sadio Mane’s double at Wembley.
Liverpool were three goals up by half-time as they tore City apart with a scintillating display that Klopp rated among the very finest of his reign.
City hit back with second half goals from Jack Grealish and Bernardo Silva, but it wasn’t enough to stop the Reds reaching their first FA Cup final since 2012.
“Absolutely proud, incredible. The first half was one of the best we ever played. We did all the right stuff, we scored in the right moments. We were outstanding. I loved each second of it,” Klopp said.
“The second half started with the goal for Man City and then it opens up. The quality of City is insane.
“We respect City so much and it’s so difficult to win against them. But because we have these boys in our dressing room we have a chance.”
Liverpool are embroiled in a fierce title fight with City, who are one point clear of Klopp’s men at the top of the Premier League with seven games left.
They shared a pulsating 2-2 draw in Manchester in the league last weekend, and could still meet in the Champions League final.
Asked if their FA Cup semi-final success could be the springboard to pip City in both the Premier League and Champions League, Klopp said: “It’s not a statement, we are just in the final.
“I think City knew beforehand that it could be difficult against us, that’s how it has been between us most of the time.”
While Liverpool are a step closer to football immortality, Klopp insists the fixture congestion caused by their progress to another final will make the quadruple harder to achieve.
‘Special moment’
“The quadruple talk I can’t believe it. Qualifying for this final makes the quadruple even more difficult,” he said.
“I don’t think we have a full free week before the last matchday. But we beat the strongest team in the world and that’s a pretty special moment.”
There is no rest for Liverpool in their trophy chase as they host Manchester United on Tuesday.
“In three days, we play against United, who are fighting for a Champions League place. Historically, it is not a friendly game,” he said.
“Then we play Everton, with the situation they are in it will not be a friendly game. It (the quadruple) is just incredibly unlikely but let’s go for it.”
Pep Guardiola’s decision to field a weakened team will be second-guessed, but City’s manager is adamant he was right to leave Kevin De Bruyne on the bench after the Belgian needed stitches in a foot injury.
With City’s treble bid over, Guardiola has to revive his fatigued players quickly if they are to hold off Liverpool in the Premier League and beat Real Madrid in the Champions League semi-finals.
“I have a lot of confidence in my players and the selection. We had a terrible time in terms of fixtures and travel. That’s why we need the fresh legs,” he said.
“The first half we were so passive. We were scared to support our team-mates. In the second half we showed incredible pride when you talk about being tired. We had chances for extra-time.
“We tried to put energy in the players, but sometimes it happens. It is Liverpool.”
Guardiola refused to blame Zack Steffen for City’s defeat as the American keeper’s mistake led to Mane scoring Liverpool’s second goal.
“It was an accident. Ederson was close (to doing it) in the other game. The way we use our keepers, the way we move them around, I would say the averages, it can happen,” he said.
“We have four days until the next game (against Brighton). We have to recover well for the two competitions we are in.”
-AFP
Manchester City F.C. completed a domestic cup double on Saturday after a late strike from Antoine Semenyo secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Chelsea F.C. in the FA Cup Final.
The decisive moment arrived in the 72nd minute when the Ghana international produced a clever finish from close range, turning sharply before back-heeling the ball beyond Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sánchez after an inviting cross from Erling Haaland.
Semenyo’s goal transformed what had been a tense and cautious contest into an entertaining finale as both sides pushed aggressively in search of goals during the closing stages.
City nearly doubled their advantage when Rayan Cherki forced an excellent save from Sánchez, while Matheus Nunes struck the post as Pep Guardiola’s side intensified the pressure.
Chelsea also searched desperately for an equaliser but were unable to break through City’s disciplined defence.
The triumph handed Manchester City their eighth FA Cup title and completed an impressive domestic cup double following their League Cup success earlier in March.
For Semenyo, the winning goal marked one of the biggest moments of his career, with the forward delivering when it mattered most on English football’s grandest domestic stage.
Visit Sports Village Channel for more news:
Erling Haaland scored a hat-trick as Manchester City crushed Liverpool 4-0 at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday to cruise into the FA Cup semi-finals.
Champions Liverpool played well in the opening half-hour with Mohamed Salah wasting an early chance, but once Haaland had scored from the spot in the 37th minute after a foul on Nico O’Reilly, their resistance crumbled.
Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk conceded the penalty with a rash challenge, and there was little the Dutch defender could do as City played scintillating attacking football for the remainder of the game.
His blond hair swinging behind him in a ponytail, Haaland netted his second two minutes into first-half stoppage time with a well-placed header from an excellent Antoine Semenyo cross.
Semenyo got on the scoresheet himself five minutes after the break, latching on to a ball in behind from Rayan Cherki and chipping it beautifully past Giorgi Mamardashvili, and Haaland completed his treble with a shot off the underside of the crossbar in the 57th minute.
Liverpool’s woes continued when Mohamed Salah, who is set to leave the club at the end of the season, capped off a poor performance by having his penalty saved by James Trafford, snuffing out any faint hopes Liverpool might have had of a comeback
As the game turned into a victory parade, many Liverpool fans started heading for the exits, and City manager Pep Guardiola rang the changes, replacing Haaland with Omar Marmoush, the Norwegian striker receiving a standing ovation as he left the field.
In the other quarter-finals, Chelsea take on Port Vale and Southampton host Arsenal later on Saturday, with Leeds United travelling to West Ham United on Sunday.
The semi-finals will take place at Wembley, and Haaland is relishing a return to the stadium.
“First half, we struggled a bit, but then we after around 30 minutes we kept going and in the end it’s an amazing game. Another Wembley trip for us is amazing and important,” he told broadcaster TNT.
“I think (my form this season) has been a bit too much up and down, which is not good enough. I cannot keep on thinking about what I could have done differently or what didn’t happen, or what happened. I have to think about the next game.”
-Reuters
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
Arsenal will be without injured England attacker Noni Madueke when they face Southampton in Saturday’s FA Cup quarter-final, but Martin Odegaard and Jurrien Timber may return from injury, manager Mikel Arteta said.
Madueke was among the 11 Arsenal players who withdrew from international duty last month over injuries and fitness management, as the club eye their first Premier League title since 2004.
“When you have to communicate the state of every player, we are always honest and a medical decision had to be made. That was clear what the conclusion was,” Arteta told reporters on Friday.
“It makes us so proud that we had that many players in the national team. Players are desperate to play for their nation. I know how important it is to them. We are fully supportive of that and when we can do it, we do it.”
Madueke picked up a knee injury during England’s friendly with Uruguay, missing the game against Japan. But Arteta said his condition was not as bad as a knee injury that kept him out for six weeks.
Martin Zubimendi, William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes, Timber, Leandro Trossard, Eberechi Eze, Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice were unavailable for their countries.
Arteta did not disclose how many of them will be available for Saturday’s game, as Arsenal look to shake off last month’s League Cup final loss to Manchester City with a return to Wembley in the FA Cup semi-finals.
“We’re in a position right now where we need to make the strongest line-up we possibly can to win every competition,” he said. ” We are two or three games away from the FA Cup and we know how important that competition is for us.”
-Reuters
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
Back in Canada After 39 Years: A Return to Where the Journey Began
Doku Faces World Cup-or-Fatherhood Dilemma as Belgium Star Awaits First Child
U.S. Health Experts Say Ebola Risk During World Cup Is Low but Preparedness Remains High
Breaking! Uzoho suspended from Super Eagles’ next match with Sierra Leone
No longer Super League as CAF changes name of its new clubs competition
NIGERIAN FOOTBALL CHIEF EXECUTIVE, SANUSI CHARGES NIGERIAN COACHES TO BE UPRIGHT, DILIGENT
- International Football1 week ago
Eriksen Suffers Fresh Collapse During Denmark Friendly, Reviving Memories of Euro 2020 Ordeal
- World Cup1 week ago
Pelé’s 1970 World Cup Hideaway Becomes Tourist Attraction as Mexico Hosts Tournament for Record Third Time
- Uncategorized1 week ago
Iran World Cup squad still in visa limbo 10 days before first match, ambassador says
- World Cup1 week ago
Strike Threat Looms Over USA-Paraguay World Cup Match at SoFi Stadium
- World Cup1 week ago
Iran’s World Cup team arrive in Tijuana with US tensions high
- International Football7 days ago
Iwobi Salutes Nigerians Ahead of Landmark 100th Super Eagles Appearance
- World Cup1 week ago
Nine injured in shooting near England’s World Cup base camp
- WAFCON1 week ago
Falcons Truly Super in 3-0 Defeat of Senegal in Ikenne