Thanks to five goals from Erling Haaland, Manchester City defeated Luton Town 6-2 to book their spot in the FA Cup’s sixth round. Haaland’s teammate Kevin De Bruyne assisted in each of his first four goals, as City did the hard work on Kenilworth Road.
In Short
With his first hat-trick at the Etihad Stadium, Haaland tied the club record for most goals in a single FA Cup game and increased his tally to 27 goals this season. Mateo Kovacic added a magnificent sixth goal to cap off the evening in front of a thrilled and ecstatic group of fans.
What Happened
For the second time this season, Manchester City was back at Kenilworth Road, and this was their first FA Cup chance since that legendary match in 1961, when they lost despite scoring seven runs.
The abandoned game also ended 6-2, and Haaland quickly began to chase Law’s record this time around, fortunately with no signs of the game stopping. The Norwegian needed just three minutes to put Manchester City ahead. Mathias Nuns created space under the left flank before pulling back the ball for Haaland to finish.
Five Goals for Haaland (watch video)
5️⃣ goals in the fifth round for @ErlingHaaland! 💪 pic.twitter.com/2TI1FjPg3I
— Manchester City (@ManCity) February 28, 2024
Manchester City’s Duo
Hatters tried to respond, but Nathan Ake and Manuel Akanji stood firm in the box against dangerous crosses, while Manchester City looked threatening with every attack. And it was De Bruyne and Haaland who doubled our advantage again. It started with a long pass from Stefan Ortega Moreno, which the City striker intercepted before exchanging passes with De Bruyne and firing past Tim Krul’s legs.
He had nearly completed his hat-trick half an hour earlier, but Krul denied him. Initially, it was John Stones who ventured forward into midfield, freeing up space for the Manchester City forward, whose powerful strike was expertly blocked by the Luton goalkeeper. Then a delightful pass from Jack Grealish found De Bruyne, whose volley Krul saved well, but he was fortunate as Haaland followed up to tap in from close range while still on his knees.
Grealish returned to the team for the first time since the Champions League victory in Copenhagen but his comeback was less celebrated as he was substituted in the 39th minute.
Although it was a sad moment, it did not dampen the city’s danger. Haaland completed his first-half hat-trick, De Bruyne again provided the right pass, stopping onside before curling the ball over Krul.
Shortly thereafter, he netted his fifth goal, unleashing a thunderous shot that left Krul clutching his legs in pain, with Bernardo Silva orchestrating the play that led to the goal. Before Kovacic’s sixth strike from 20 yards away, Nuns and De Bruyne both came close from the distance.
Marvellous @mateokovacic8! 😮💨👌 pic.twitter.com/KbMIikrfm5
— Manchester City (@ManCity) February 28, 2024
The sight of the quadruple substitution would have been a relief to the home team, but Manchester City continued to press, and Krul immediately denied Julian Alvarez from scoring the seventh.
Man of the Match
Haaland matched the record for most goals scored by a Manchester City player in an FA Cup game with another remarkable performance. When Luton attacked, he played a tough and ingenious defense and once again shown his deadly accuracy in front of goal. The home team was constantly under pressure from City’s striker movements, and his second and third goals showed that he was composed in front of goal in face-to-face encounters.
His hold-up play allowed Ortega Moreno and the defense to have extended periods without needing to rush, while his fifth was a powerful strike assisted by De Bruyne’s quick thinking.
Pep Guardiola’s Reaction
“What can I say? Really, really good. Erling is on fire, and the Kevin connection was spot on. We made it to the quarterfinals after an extremely entertaining game.
“Kevin is needed for players like Erling, and Erling is needed for players like Kevin. We are not here without others. Credit to everyone.
“We won our last two games 1-0, and we played well in the second half against Chelsea but couldn’t win. [This] is a game at a time. The FA Cup is a good competition. We are one game away from going back to Wembley.”
What’s Next
With the end of February’s last match in Luton, a big month begins with the Manchester Derby at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday, March 3rd, at 15:30 (UK).
Eric Ten Hag will take his second trip as Manchester United manager.
Then another home game on Wednesday when we play FC Copenhagen at 20:00 (UK) in the second leg of the Champions League round of 16.
