- Erling Haaland scored five goals as Man City beat Luton 6-2 at Kenilworth Road
- The win saw Pep Guardiola’s book their place in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup
- Manchester United’s Sir Jim Ratcliffe can rebuild the stadium, build a museum… but they should pay for it – It’s All Kicking Off podcast
It was as if Erling Haaland had heard the story of how Denis Law scored seven for Manchester City the last time they visited Luton Town in the FA Cup in 1961 and accepted the challenge.
What followed was an absurd display of Haaland’s dominance – an ‘I was there’ game in which he scored a quintuple of strikes that can only leave Manchester United quaking ahead of this Sunday’s showdown in the Premier League.
Haaland got five of City’s six goals with Kevin De Bruyne assisting four of those. This was as cold, calculated and robotic-like as a striker could be, dismantling Luton in such a routine way at Kenilworth Road that one of his celebrations involving him shrugging sheepishly.
There were even some Luton supporters who afforded him a standing ovation upon his substitution in the 77th minute. Partly because they knew the torture was finally over, but mainly because of his brilliance. Sometimes, you simply have to applaud the artistry.
Back in 1961, Law scored all six goals when City led 6-2 here, only for the game to be abandoned after 69 minutes because of a biblical downpour. It was replayed four days later with Law scoring his seventh of the tie, though it was Luton who won 3-1 to progress.
Luton received no help from the heavens this time. Not when the ‘Norse God’ – as he was described in a recent interview with British GQ Magazine – is showing his omnipotent side as ruthlessly as this.
Haaland’s five-goal haul was supplemented by a Mateo Kovacic strike to send City into the quarter-finals of the FA Cup, yet such is the perfectionist in Pep Guardiola, he was not completely satisfied. ‘No, it is not perfect,’ he said. ‘It never is.’
Guardiola may have been thinking of the injury to Jack Grealish, who was substituted midway through this match.
Grealish sat on the bench with head in hands, coat covering his face, clearly distraught. ‘Groin,’ confirmed Guardiola, the injury which has already troubled him this season.
Rob Edwards had no complaints. His Luton team were merely mauled by a marvellous team as he said: ‘The combination of Haaland and De Bruyne was sensational, and the supporting cast around them wasn’t bad either.’
It took Haaland and De Bruyne all of three minutes to combine in gifting City the lead after good work by Manuel Akanji and Matheus Nunes in the build-up.
Nunes found De Bruyne, whose burst in behind went untracked as Jordan Clark fell on his backside.
Haaland lost Teden Mengi by feigning to go one way then going the other, tapping in the squared ball for 1-0.
Luton looked for a fast response and, were it not for a brilliant block by Nathan Ake, Carlton Morris would have scored his own tap-in from Alfie Doughty’s pass.
Instead, City made it 2-0 when goalkeeper Stefan Ortega launched a long ball into Haaland. He held it up, gave it to De Bruyne, turned and sprinted away from Mengi. Haaland did not need to look back. He knew exactly what was coming – a ball in behind for him to bury beyond Tim Krul.
The mood was dampened in the 38th minute when the substitutes’ board was held up. Grealish’s day was done, his groin too painful to play on. He watched from the bench as Haaland and De Bruyne completed their hat-trick of goals and assists in the 40th minute. How simple it was, too – De Bruyne’s ball in behind and Haaland sending it over Krul for 3-0.
Luton got a goal back as the first half came to a close. Clark’s shimmy to his right earned him space to shoot from 20 yards and he unleashed a curler into the top corner for 3-1.
Kenilworth Road’s away changing room is no bigger than an Etihad Stadium broom cupboard but at the break, you could imagine Guardiola energetically using its limited space to demand more goals.
He got them, but only after Luton made it 3-2 when Ross Barkley lifted a cute ball in behind for Clark. He buried it for his second strike of the game with Kenilworth Road now at its most rumbustious, sensing they could secure a famous comeback.
Yet City soon made sure of the win. In the 55th minute, Haaland tapped in yet another assist from De Bruyne after a beautiful ball in behind from Kyle Walker. In the 58th, Haaland turned to power in order to squeeze a shot underneath Krul, this time being assisted by Bernardo Silva.
It got better in the 72nd minute in Mateo Kovacic secured their sixth of the night with a sweet strike and Haaland was substituted in the 77th. His devouring was done. Next on his plate: Manchester United.
Olivia Martin is a dedicated sports journalist based in the UK. With a passion for various athletic disciplines, she covers everything from major league championships to local sports events, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis.
