FA Cup: Haaland scores five as Manchester City move into QFs
Feb 28, 2024
Bedfordshire [UK], February 28 : Star striker Erling Haaland netted five goals, sending the champions Manchester City into the quarterfinals of the FA Cup with a 6-2 win over Luton on Tuesday night.
Four of Haaland's first five goals received assistance from Kevin de Bruyne and he scored two goals in the second half. Previously, Haaland had scored five goals against RP Leipzig during the UEFA Champions League last season.
City started out with a bang, with Haaland putting his team into the lead in the third minute. The star striker doubled the lead in the 18th minute. City raced to a 3-0 lead, with Haaland completing his hat-trick as he picked a through-ball from Bruyne and chipped it over goalkeeper Timothy Michael Krul.
Despite City being in a commanding position at 3-0, Luton threatened to deliver an incredible comeback as Jordan Clark scored a brace to make it 3-2 by 52nd minute. This included a stunning goal from outside the box, which was a key highlight of the match.
But Haaland ended any chances of Luton's comeback, scoring his fourth and fifth goals in the 55th and 58th minute to make it 5-2 before Mateo Kovacic fired the sixth goal in the 72nd minute.
Following the game, City manager Pep Guardiola said as quoted by Sky Sports, "The connection of Kevin with Erling was great but everyone contributed. Happy to be in the quarter-finals, one game away from Wembley."
"Erling needs a guy with the vision, the quality, the generosity. Kevin is the less selfish player in front of goal. Kevin needs the movement from Erling. We know how aggressive they are."
"Every pass was good. The finishing from Erling was good. We could have scored more, we had two or three more chances, one against one with Krul. But the players read (the game) really well. They did it perfectly."
"My only concern was that Erling had been two months stopped, he could not walk, could not make anything. When you lose two months, that rhythm is not easy to get back."
"Every game he is getting better. Kevin as well. Step by step, they are coming back," concluded the City boss.
City's next game will be the Manchester derby against Manchester United on Sunday.
