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.”

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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.”

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City beat Arsenal to win the League Cup before the international break, and Guardiola is hoping his team maintain the momentum as they fight to add the ​FA Cup and Premier League to this season’s trophy haul.

“Once you finish one, ​it is the next one,” Guardiola told reporters on Friday.

“Tomorrow we have ⁠the chance to reach an incredible milestone, to make eight semi-finals in a row. ​It’s never happened… it is a prestigious competition, and one of the toughest, special opponents ​for all of us, Liverpool.”

City have dominated English football with six Premier League titles, two FA Cups and five League Cups since Guardiola joined in 2016, but Liverpool have been a constant thorn in his ​side throughout his coaching career.

As a coach, Guardiola has only nine victories and seven ​draws in 26 matches against Liverpool, his worst win rate against a Premier League club.

City have beaten ‌Liverpool twice ⁠in the Premier League this season, but had to dig deep for a late comeback when they won 2-1 at Anfield in February.

“So many times they have been the rival, the biggest, biggest one… top contender, top class players, all of them. Hopefully we have to ​perform in the ​level we did against ⁠Arsenal to reach the next step,” Guardiola said.

The manager also praised Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah, who has announced his departure in the summer.

“Absolutely. ​One of the greatest. The numbers, the consistency. What a player… ​absolute legend, ⁠of course for Liverpool, but (also) for the Premier League,” Guardiola said.

Guardiola, however, avoided commenting on his own midfielder Rodri, who said he was open to a move to Real Madrid when his ⁠contract with ​City runs out at the end of this season.

“No ​clue, no opinion… because I know the intention of the club, I know the intention, I think, of him, ​but I don’t know,” Guardiola said.’

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Salah, who has scored 255 goals for Liverpool and helped them win two Premier League titles, ​one FA Cup, two League Cups and one Champions League trophy, announced last week he would ​depart at the end of the season.

Slot said Salah was available for Saturday’s ⁠FA Cup quarter-final clash at Manchester City.

“He trained with us yesterday and today, and he’s ​available for the game tomorrow,” he told reporters on Friday, heaping praise on the club’s third-highest goalscorer ​of all time.

“It’s been unbelievable what he did for this club, for so many years, every three days, scoring the goals he did, having the assists, having the impact that he had on this club, winning the trophies… ​I can only hope that he can add two extra trophies to it towards the end ​of the season.”

Liverpool are fifth in the Premier League, 21 points below leaders Arsenal, but have reached the Champions ‌League ⁠quarter-finals and face Paris St Germain away on Wednesday.

ALISSON OUT WITH LONG-TERM INJURY

Slot’s side are without first-choice keeper Alisson Becker as they enter the final two months of the season, with the Brazilian sidelined due to injury.

“Towards the end of the season we expect him to be fit,” Slot said.

Striker Alexander ​Isak has rejoined the team ​after missing over three ⁠months due to a broken leg.

“It would definitely be too fast to expect him in the starting line-up. He’s trained with us yesterday for the ​first time… after exactly 101 days,” the manager added.

Liverpool have lost both Premier ​League games ⁠against City this season, but Slot said their improved performance in February’s 2-1 home defeat showed his team can be competitive against Pep Guardiola’s side.

“First half at Anfield, City dominated possession… how impressive was it that ⁠we dominated ​possession in the second half? Because how many teams ​can dominate possession against City?” Slot asked.

“Now we have to show this as well in their stadium, which is more difficult ​than having 60,000 people at Anfield helping you.”

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Noni Madueke gave Arsenal the lead going ‌into halftime at Field Mill, but Will Evans equalised for Nigel Clough’s Mansfield before Eze scored in the 66th minute to ensure the top-flight side progressed to the last eight.

“Happy to score. I had the space and ​the opportunity to shoot. So I took it,” Eze told TNT Sports.

“It was a difficult ​environment to play in. But we did what we had to do and ⁠we are through to the next round, which is the important thing.”

Mikel Arteta named a much-changed ​side, starting teenagers Max Dowman and Marli Salmon, as Arsenal became the first Premier League side to ​start a competitive game with two players aged 16 or under in any competition.

However, Arteta’s changes nearly backfired as the hosts, feeding off a raucous home crowd, gave Arsenal a genuine fright with aggressive pressing and infectious ​energy that clearly unsettled the visitors.

“Before the game, the gaffer said, ‘Have a go. We were ​not expected to win the game, so have a go and enjoy it,” Mansfield forward Rhys Oates said.

“We created ‌more ⁠chances than we thought we could, and we have given them a game.”

Dowman, Arsenal’s youngest-ever FA Cup player at 16, emerged as a lively attacking threat as the top-flight side gradually found their rhythm before Madueke broke the deadlock in the 41st minute.

Madueke, who had an initial shot saved, ​curled a powerful finish into ​the far corner ⁠to give Arsenal their 100th goal of the season in all competitions.

Clough brought on Evans for the second half, and the Welsh striker made an ​immediate impact, netting five minutes after coming on.

The 28-year-old wrong-footed a second-guessing ​Cristhian Mosquera ⁠before finishing past Kepa Arrizabalaga in Arsenal’s goal.

“It’s typical, isn’t it? For me to have a league goal drought and then come on for a half against Arsenal and have a goal against them,” ⁠Evans said.

Arsenal ​were rattled but recovered and found the winner when substitute ​Eze made space for himself and fired a powerful shot from the edge of the box to silence the crowd at ​Field Mill and keep Arsenal’s quadruple bid on track.

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Garnacho volleyed home from close range in ​the 97th minute with such force that the ⁠ball ricocheted off the back stanchion to give Chelsea ​the lead for the first time on the night.

Wrexham — who ​lost George Dobson to a 93rd-minute red card — thought they had equalised deep into added time in the extra period when Lewis ​Brunt headed home, but he was offside. Pedro then ​sealed Chelsea’s win with a fine goal in the 125th minute.

Sam Smith ‌had ⁠put the Championship side ahead in the 18th when he sprinted onto Callum Doyle’s long pass, took a touch and fired past Robert Sanchez. Chelsea equalised with a huge ​slice of ​luck when George ⁠Thomason’s attempt to clear Garnacho’s shot struck goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo and rolled in.

Wrexham went ​back in front after 78 minutes when ​Doyle diverted ⁠the ball past Sanchez after Ryan Longman fired it back into the area from a corner. But Josh Acheampong equalised ⁠soon ​after with a blistering shot into ​the roof of the net after Dobson slipped to send the game ​into extra time.

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Third-tier Mansfield stunned top-flight strugglers Burnley 2-1 at Turf Moor on Saturday and have been rewarded with a clash against 14-time winners and Premier League leaders Arsenal.

Pep Guardiola’s City face Newcastle in a repeat of one of this season’s League Cup semi-finals, while Premier League bottom side Wolverhampton Wanderers host Liverpool.

Brentford head to West Ham United after an own goal away to sixth-tier Macclesfield, who stunned holders Crystal Palace in the last round, giving them a 1-0 win on Monday.

Championship side Wrexham welcome eight-time winners Chelsea, while Fulham entertain Southampton and Leeds United host another second-tier side in Norwich City.

Sunderland face a second successive away trip after being drawn against Port Vale or Bristol City, whose fourth-round tie has been postponed until March 3 due to a waterlogged pitch.

FA Cup fifth round draw

• Fulham v Southampton
• Port Vale or Bristol City v Sunderland
• Newcastle United v Manchester City
• Leeds United v Norwich City
• Mansfield Town v Arsenal
• Wolverhampton Wanderers v Liverpool
• Wrexham v Chelsea
• West Ham United v Brentford

Matches to be played over the weekend of March 7–8

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Trailing 1-0 to Eberechi Eze’s goal, City were awarded a penalty in the first half when Palace defender Tyrick Mitchell tripped Bernardo Silva who had burst into the area.

Haaland, who had failed to score in his first five Wembley appearances for City, looked poised to break that duck, but handed the ball to Marmoush whose first-ever penalty for City was superbly saved by Dean Henderson.

“I thought he would want to take it but they didn’t speak,” said Guardiola. “That moment for the penalty, it’s the feeling and how they feel. They decided Omar was ready to take it.

“Omar took a lot of time when the ball was stopped, so it put more pressure on him, and Henderson made a good save.”

Former Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney, working as a TV pundit for the BBC, said he felt the occasion might have got to Haaland.

“He’s a world-class forward, but when we are talking about Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, there is no way they are giving that ball away,” Rooney said.

“That is what separates them two players from Erling Haaland or Kylian Mbappe and these players. They are selfish and they want to score every game.

“When (Haaland) misses chances I think you can see it gets to him and it does affect him. Maybe the thought of taking a penalty at Wembley might have been too much for him. You never know, he is a human being.”

Haaland has scored 30 goals for City this season in all competitions but has missed three of his seven penalties.

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The semi-finals and final(s) that year were arguably the most dramatic in the competition’s long and storied history and remain the emotional high and low point of every Palace fan who watched them.

Palace were struggling in the top flight after promotion and had been humiliated 9-0 by Liverpool early in the season.

In the Cup they were hardly pulling up trees either, beating lower league Portsmouth, Huddersfield Town, Rochdale and Cambridge United to reach the semi-finals for the first time since they lost to Southampton as a third division team in 1976.

Facing runaway champions-elect and FA Cup holders Liverpool again in the semis look an insurmountable barrier and an Ian Rush goal had the Reds ahead at halftime at Villa Park.

Things then went crazy as Mark Bright and Gary O’Reilly gave Palace a shock lead. Two goals in two minutes put Liverpool back in front, only for Andy Gray to stun the odds-on favourites in the 88th minute to force extra time.

Amazingly, it was Palace who snatched victory in the 109th minute via Alan Pardew, who would later manage the club.

It was the first year that both semi-finals were live on TV and barely had the excitement abated when similarly unfancied Oldham ran out to face Manchester United at Maine Road.

The second division team had not beaten top-flight opposition in 66 years but accounted for four that season in a double cup run that caught the nation’s imagination.

Playing vibrant, attacking football under Joe Royle, Oldham twice came from behind to draw 3-3 after extra time – meaning a remarkable 13 goals had been scored on a day of unimaginable drama. United ended Oldham’s dream when they snatched a 2-1 victory six minutes from the end of extra time in the replay.

ALL-ENGLISH TEAM

The Palace side who lined up at Wembley were the last all-English team to play in the final while United’s were the last all-UK lineup to win it.

United manager Alex Ferguson was under huge pressure to deliver a trophy four years after arriving at Old Trafford, but Palace struck first through O’Reilly.

Bryan Robson and Mark Hughes turned it round and United seemed on course for victory, only for Ian Wright to come off the bench for the most wonderful 20 minutes of his life.

The former non-league striker had been sidelined for much of the season with a twice-broken leg, but exploded into action to equalise with virtually his first touch and then put the Londoners ahead early in extra time.

“It’s still the greatest moment I’ve had in my career – easily – simply because of everything that it had entailed up to that point,” Wright told the Palace website on Friday.

“My emergence at Palace, and to reach the biggest stage in English football, and all of a sudden I’m on the Wembley pitch.

“And then what happened after that was the stuff of fairytales. It really, really was.”

However, as the Palace fans sang in dreamland, Hughes broke their hearts with a late equaliser.

The replay five days later could not live up to everything that had gone before and though Palace battled gamely, United won it 1-0 with a goal by Lee Martin.

It was a victory that launched Ferguson and United on their dizzying journey of success – that included another extra-time FA Cup final win over Palace in 2016 after the Scot had retired – but one that left a gaping hole in the hearts of the losers.

“I would have loved to have won that FA Cup, and we were only seven minutes away,” said Wright, who went on to win multiple trophies, including two FA Cups with Arsenal. “Seven minutes. Honestly, I still can’t take it.”

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Bournemouth, who eventually beat Premier League rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers on penalties in the FA Cup fifth round after a 1-1 draw, thought they had doubled their lead when defender Milos Kerkez scored in the 35th-minute goal.

However, new technology could not be used because the six-yard area was too crowded and VAR officials had to revert to manually drawing lines before disallowing the goal.

Fellow defender Dean Huijsen was adjudged to have been in an offside position as Kerkez’s effort brushed his shoulder before going in to the net.

The VAR check was further complicated as VAR officials Timothy Wood and Darren England also had to also examine the possibility of hand balls prior to the tight offside call.

Both sets of fans voiced their disapproval at the interminable wait, chanting “it’s not football any more” and “this is embarrassing”.

Referee Sam Barrott, who eventually announced the decision to the crowd via a microphone, had to explain to the respective managers and players what was happening during the delay.

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