The FA Cup quarter-finals delivered a thrilling mix of dominant performances and stunning upsets, with Manchester City, Chelsea, and Southampton securing their places in the semi-finals. These decisive matches set the stage for potentially heavyweight clashes at Wembley, as clubs vie for prestigious silverware.

Manchester City showcased their formidable FA Cup record under Pep Guardiola, sweeping aside an insipid Liverpool with a commanding performance to reach a record eighth successive semi-final. Despite Guardiola serving the second match of a touchline ban, City dismantled a toothless Liverpool side, intensifying pressure on manager Arne Slot. City, fresh from their Carabao Cup triumph, delivered an assured performance. Erling Haaland was the star, converting a penalty in the 38th minute after Nico O’Reilly was tripped by Virgil van Dijk, mirroring an earlier league goal at Anfield. Haaland struck again moments before half-time, guiding a header from Antoine Semenyo’s cross. Liverpool, despite bright patches and Florian Wirtz's influence, were wasteful, with Mohamed Salah missing crucial chances, including a penalty saved by James Trafford. City were ruthlessly clinical, with Semenyo making it 3-0 early in the second half, before Haaland completed his superb hat-trick, taking his tally to 46 goals this season and scoring in four consecutive home matches against Liverpool. This victory marked City’s third win over Liverpool this season, a feat not achieved by any club against the Reds in nearly 100 years. Liverpool's struggles, with only one win in their last five matches, led to many travelling supporters leaving early, leaving them to fight solely for the Champions League.

In a major upset, Southampton stunned Premier League leaders Arsenal with a late strike from substitute Shea Charles, knocking them out of the competition. This match was Arsenal’s first outing since their Carabao Cup final defeat to Manchester City and followed an international break plagued by 11 player withdrawals due to injury. Despite fitness concerns, manager Mikel Arteta fielded a strong side, determined to pursue a league-and-cup double. However, Southampton, unbeaten in their previous 14 matches, executed their game plan effectively. The hosts took the lead in the 35th minute when Ross Stewart capitalized on James Bree's floated delivery, sweeping a clinical finish past Kepa Arrizabalaga. Arteta made a triple substitution in the second half, introducing Viktor Gyokeres, Noni Madueke, and Riccardo Calafiori. Arsenal briefly regained momentum when Gabriel threaded a clever pass to Kai Havertz, who squared for Gyokeres to equalize in the 68th minute. But the Championship promotion contenders refused to back down, with Fellows slipping in Charles, who calmly finished into the bottom-left corner, sparking jubilant scenes. Arsenal’s desperate push for a second equalizer proved futile, as Southampton booked their first FA Cup semi-final appearance since 2021.

Chelsea cruised into the semi-finals with a brutal 7-0 victory over Port Vale at Stamford Bridge, ending the League One side’s storybook FA Cup run. Port Vale, bottom of League One and 15 points from safety, had reached the quarter-finals for the first time in 72 years after eliminating Premier League side Sunderland. However, their impressive journey was rapidly halted by Chelsea’s multi-million-pound squad. Chelsea extinguished any hope of an upset within 64 seconds when Jorrel Hato poked in the opener after a failed clearance from a corner. The contest was effectively over in the 25th minute when Joao Pedro turned Kyle John in the box and fired past goalkeeper Joe Gauci. Chelsea added a third three minutes before the break as Cole Palmer's follow-up deflected in off Jordan Lawrence-Gabriel. In the second half, Tosin Adarabioyo headed in a fourth in the 57th minute, followed by Andrey Santos making it 5-0 with a far-post header. Estevao Willian added his name to the scoresheet eight minutes from time, finishing after Alejandro Garnacho struck the post, a goal awarded after a VAR check. Garnacho completed the rout from the penalty spot in stoppage time. This comprehensive victory was a significant boost for head coach Liam Rosenior, halting a run of four consecutive defeats and preparing his side for a Wembley semi-final. The match also occurred amidst controversy surrounding Enzo Fernandez's two-match suspension for publicly questioning his Chelsea future, a dispute Rosenior refused to be drawn into. Chelsea now focus on the semi-final draw, continuing their pursuit of silverware.