Liverpool quadruple hopes alive as City loses out
Liverpool's quadruple hopes remain intact after it beat rival Manchester City 3-2 to secure a spot in the FA Cup final.
The Reds and City are neck-and-neck in the Premier League and could yet contest the UEFA Champions League final, but Sunday's (AEST) win at Wembley made it advantage Liverpool in this 2021-2022 trophies duel.
While City was without Kyle Walker and only had Kevin De Bruyne on the bench because of injury, Liverpool restored several key players to its line-up after a midweek rest and it was evident throughout a first half that the Reds dominated.
Liverpool was 3-0 up by half-time thanks to Ibrahima Konate's early header and a Sadio Mane double, with City goalkeeper Zack Steffen at fault for the Senegal forward's first goal.
Jack Grealish pulled one back early in the second period and Bernardo Silva's late tap-in forced a tense finish, but Liverpool held on.
Jurgen Klopp's men were ahead inside nine minutes, Konate towering above everyone to head home Andrew Robertson's corner.
It was 2-0 soon after. Where Ederson escaped a goalline blunder in their Premier League showdown last weekend, Steffen was punished by Mane as the attacker's tackle saw the ball ricochet into the net.
City was seemingly all but beaten on the stroke of half-time, Mane lashing home on the volley after a sublime Thiago Alcantara pass.
Grealish picked out the top-left corner with a lovely finish of his own just after the restart, and Silva nudged in from close range in second-half stoppage-time to set Liverpool nerves jangling.
But it was too little, too late for City as two fantastic defensive blocks helped Liverpool hold firm to reach a first FA Cup final in 10 years.
