Manchester City defeated Luton Town 6-2 to advance to the FA Cup quarterfinals thanks to an outstanding five-goal performance by Erling Haaland.
The Norwegian striker scored his ninth hat-trick for the team and made history by becoming the first player to score five goals in a game twice for City. His precision finishing and devastating pace was too much for the Hatters to handle.
Kevin De Bruyne, who assisted on Haaland’s first four goals, was a major contributor to City’s annihilation.
The Belgian midfielder easily dismantled Luton’s defence, showcasing his vision and accuracy. The fourth minute saw his first assist.
Fifteen minutes later, De Bruyne provided assistance once more, this time with a through pass to Haaland, who finished with ease to score his second goal of the game.
Just before halftime, the two linked up once more, with Haaland completing his hat-trick by dunking the ball over Luton keeper Tim Krul.
After halftime, Jordan Clark gave Luton hope for a memorable comeback with a curling shot into the top corner from 25 yards, and seven minutes into the second half, he gave Luton another goal to draw two back.
Haaland – 5 goals
De Bruyne – 4 assistsMan City plays Man United on Sunday
Man United fans: pic.twitter.com/ISlnOkJfJi
— Troll Football (@TrollFootball) February 27, 2024
But any chances of a comeback were immediately dashed early in the second half when Kyle Walker’s superb move resulted in De Bruyne setting up Haaland for his fourth goal by tapping into an empty net.
Haaland’s fifth goal was a low shot that slipped under Krul’s reach, matching his effort from the Champions League against RB Leipzig the previous season.
Mateo Kovacic’s long-range strike then sailed past the Dutch custodian, effectively ending City’s win.
The one negative aspect of an otherwise flawless evening for Pep Guardiola’s team was Jack Grealish’s injury, which forced him off the pitch late in the first half.
However, City’s dominance in this matchup keeps their quest for a second straight treble alive and extends their unbeaten streak to 18 games.
