Manchester City comfortably advanced to the FA Cup quarter-finals on Tuesday night, securing a 6-2 victory over Luton Town at Kenilworth Road, courtesy of an exceptional five-goal performance by striker Erling Haaland.
The Cityzens took control of the game with a dominant first-half performance, where Haaland completed a remarkable 41-minute hat-trick, benefiting from three outstanding assists by Kevin De Bruyne.
Although Jordan Clark managed to pull two goals back for Luton, offering a glimpse of hope, Haaland swiftly extinguished it by adding another double shortly after the break. Mateo Kovacic then added the finishing touch with a powerful long-range strike, extending Man City’s lead to six goals with 20 minutes left to play.
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The game unfolded with Luton facing the daunting task of confronting the sheer quality in the Man City side, featuring players like John Stones, De Bruyne, and the prolific Haaland.
Within three minutes, Haaland wasted no time in giving Man City the lead, with De Bruyne providing the assist for the 23-year-old to score from close range. The same duo doubled the lead just before the 20-minute mark, showcasing Pep Guardiola’s side’s proficiency in slicing open the opposition defense.
Despite Haaland missing an opportunity to complete his hat-trick, the Norwegian striker eventually secured his third goal with De Bruyne once again as the provider. Luton’s Clark reduced the deficit before half-time with a stunning long-range effort, but Haaland’s scoring spree continued after the break.
Clark added a surprise second for Luton shortly after halftime, but any hopes of a historic comeback were dashed when De Bruyne set up Haaland for an easy tap-in. Remarkably, Haaland scored his fifth just two minutes later, unleashing a fierce shot that found the back of the net.
Despite Luton’s efforts, including solid saves by goalkeeper Stefan Ortega, and missed opportunities at the other end, Kovacic sealed the victory for Man City with a powerful long-range shot. The match at Kenilworth Road was a truly astonishing FA Cup classic.