43 min Liverpool need half-time. They’ve played well for the most part but it’s been all City since the goal.

40 min Oh to have a difficult season like Erling Haaland: that’s his 31st goal for City in all competitions.

38 min Nico O’Reilly’s goal threat in open play is remarkable for a young full-back. For any full-back.

36 min There haven’t been many clear chances but this has been a really enjoyable first half. Both teams are full of intent and playing as if they’re allergic to extra-time, never mind penalties.

34 min Rodri is booked for a tactical foul on Ekitike.

31 min A really dangerous cross from Semenyo, hitherto quiet, is pawed away by the diving Mamardashvili.

27 min: Just over from Ekitike! Salah clips a pass into the area for Jones, back to goal near the penalty spot. He’s challenged by Rodri but the ball breaks for Ekitike, who spanks it just over the bar from 15 yards. For a player of his ability, that’s a pretty good chance.

25 min Liverpool were dreadful at the Etihad in November, so meek, but you can’t accuse them of that today. They’ve played some purposeful stuff and have had fractionally more of the ball than City.

24 min After a quiet few minutes, Gravenberch pulls back the raiding Doku and is booked.

19 min Pep Guardiola criss-crosses his hands, the universal signal for ‘it’s a joke’, after seeing a replay. I suspect it would have been referee’s call either way, so if it had been given on the field it wouldn’t have been overturned by VAR either.

18 min: Penalty appeal! Haaland rumbles into the area and is challenged well by Konate I think. Cherki collects the loose ball just inside the area and goes over after a challenge from Kerkez. He’s convinced it should be a penalty, but Michael Oliver doesn’t agree and it’s cleared by VAR.

17 min: Chance for City! Bernardo Silva angles a superb through pass to Cherki, whose first touch on the run is unusually poor. He still manages to beat Kerkez to the loose ball and screw a shot that is blocked by the outrushing Mamardashvili.

14 min: Chance for Salah! Now it’s City’s turn to keep the ball for a spell. Eventually Nunes shoots straight at Mamardashvili from 20 yards. His instant goalkick finds its way through to Salah in the area, but he shoots well wide from the left edge of the six-yard box.

In fact, replays show that Khusanov – who originally ran past the ball and fell over - made a brilliant recovery tackle a split-second before Salah was about to shoot. Peak Salah might have got the shot away quicker, I’m not sure.

10 min Ekitike combines nicely with Wirtz before shooting wide from 20 yards. He looks really sharp and keeps pulling out to the left, Thierry Henry-style.

8 min Guehi’s clearance only goes as far as Szoboszlai, who pings an instant left-foot shot from 20 yards that is blocked. Liverpool have started very positively.

7 min He curls it under the crossbar and Mamardashvili claims with authority.

7 min It’s been a lively start to the game. Cherki wins the first corner for City, which Bernardo Silva will take…

5 min Free-kick to Liverpool on the left. Szoboszlai clips it in, Konate helps it on and Trafford claims.

3 min At the other end, Khusanov takes the sting off Wirtz’s shot from the edge of the area after a sharp pass – possibly too sharp by Ekitike.

2 min Doku has an early pop from 22 yards. Mamardashvili watches it go wide of his right-hand post.

1 min Peep peep! Liverpool kick off from right to left and kick straight for touch.

Pre-match optimism

“You may not be entirely surprised to learn that I’m not confident about this game,” writes proud Welshman and Liverpool fan Matt Dony. “But, having not terribly enjoyed the international break, it would be nice to have something to cheer about. So I’m trying to be rational! The Liverpool XI is strong. City aren’t the force they used to be. The unpredictability of knock-out competition. Szoboszlai has been unplayable at times this season. There are reasons to be cheerful! (City are still going to win, aren’t they? I hate football…)”

“It’s 20 years since Liverpool last won an away FA Cup quarter-final against a Premier League side, when they won 7-0 at Birmingham City in 2006,” writes Andrew Goudie. “I don’t think a repeat of that scoreline is on the cards today, but you never know!”

In this case, I think you do kno- actually I’ve just remembered this, so you’re right.

Arne Slot’s pre-match thoughts

[On Mo Salah’s long goodbye] It’s such a vital part of the season and to have all your players in form is important. But it’s not so much about the individual – the team has to play well and then the individual can shine. Mo worked really hard to be back today and that’s why we can start him.

I haven’t picked my team [for PSG]. We go game by game. We have some players coming back from injury like Mo – can he play 90 minutes or 120 minutes if we go to extra-time? Joe Gomez and Jeremie Frimpong are the same. It’s a good problem because to play so many games means we are in a lot of competitions.

It’s a big boost [to have Hugo Ekitike back], even more so because the other unbelievable No9 we’ve signed isn’t available.

Pep Guardiola’s pre-match thoughts

It always helps [winning a trophy]. But when you finish one chapter you open another one, and we have a chance to reach a semi-final.

Liverpool have always been an extraordinary team. The players are there, they have a top-class manager. But the game we played against them here in the Premier League was really good. At Anfield it was tight and I’m sure this will be a tight game.

[On James Trafford’s inclusion] Since I started as a manager I have always played the second keeper in the cups. James has always performed pretty well.

[On watching the game from the stands] The view is much, much better. It’s better to be in the stands because [on the touchline] I’ll get another yellow card!

Pep Guardiola will not stand in Rodri’s way if the midfielder wishes to leave Manchester City for Real Madrid, though the manager believes he will stay at the club beyond this summer.

During the international break Rodri, whose contract expires in June 2027, was asked about reports that Real’s president, Florentino Pérez, wished to sign him. When answering, the 29-year-old referenced how being a former Atlético Madrid player would be no obstacle.

“There are other players who’ve taken that path,” he said. “Not directly, but over time. For me, you can’t turn down the best clubs in the world.”

Reminded of his stance that no footballer would ever be prevented from leaving City should they wish to, Guardiola said this would apply to Rodri. “Absolutely. The organisation of the club is above all of us – if one player is not happy, they have to leave.”

The small print

No replays in the FA Cup quarter-finals. If it needs to go extra-time and penalties, then it needs to go extra-time and penalties.

Arne Slot has no regrets over his treatment of Mohamed Salah and claimed it was entirely the forward’s decision to leave Liverpool at the end of the season.

The Liverpool head coach declined to divulge why or when Salah decided to leave the club as he faced the media on Friday for the first time since the Egypt international’s announcement. Slot believes it should be left to Salah to explain the reasons for exiting 12 months before his contract is due to expire.

There were more important reasons for Jürgen Klopp’s return to Liverpool last Saturday, but it was apposite his presence reminded Anfield of the unshakable bond and belief they once shared, the joy his football brought. Those pillars of Klopp’s reign are weakening under Arne Slot and April may determine whether they are left standing at all.

Two cup quarter-finals in succession should signal a season on the right track for Liverpool; showpiece occasions such as Manchester City in the FA Cup on Saturday and Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League on Wednesday whetting the appetite for what May could have in store.