The FA Cup Fifth Round saw four fixtures being played yesterday, with last season’s winners Manchester City visiting Luton Town being the only tie in the oldest football competition in the world that had two English Premier League teams in it last night. Pep Guardiola’s continental treble-winning squad showed no mercy against their fellow English top-flight football outfit on enemy territory in the FA Cup Fifth Round, scoring six times versus the opponents thanks to a five-star performance by fit-again scoring machine from Norway Erling Haaland and assist king Kevin De Bruyne, who delivered Haaland four assists in the 6-2 thrashing.
De Bruyne Connected with Haaland Four Times as the Norwegian Scoring Machine Found the Net Five Times
The eight-goal thriller between Luton Town and Manchester City in the FA Cup Fifth Round had only three different goal scorers, that were, Haaland, Mateo Kovačić and Jordan Clark. The incredible striker Haaland netted his eighth Manchester City hattrick in less than 40 minutes into the opening half, with the first of the treble coming in less than 180 seconds. Manuel Akanji charged forward to the frontline at the left flank, before he gave the ball to the overlapping De Bruyne inside the penalty box, who then fed Haaland at the six-yard box for the opening goal of this FA Cup Fifth Round clash.
Not long after the opener, Haaland doubled City’s lead at Kenilworth Road. A long ball by the City goalkeeper Stefan Ortega was immediately given to the Belgian De Bruyne by Haaland, and the midfielder returned the favour to the 23-year-old forward with a through ball. Via his incredible burst of speed, the European Golden Shoe winner of the previous season beat his defender and squeezed the ball into the back of the net. Haaland’s treble in the FA Cup Fifth Round was completed due to a poor defensive presence by the home side that allowed De Bruyne to replicate his previous through ball to Haaland, who chose to chip the poor goalie Tim Krul this time around.
Clark did pull two back for Luton Town in this FA Cup Fifth Round tie via an emphatic long-ranged bomb that ended in the top right corner of the goal before half time as well as a close-ranged half-volley seven minutes after the break, but his efforts did not stop the stream of bullets netted by Manchester City, who went on to score three more goals in the second 45 minutes. City captain Kyle Walker delivered an inch-perfect through ball to De Bruyne with the outside of his right boot, and the Belgium megastar once again showed his unselfishness in play, enabling City’s no. 9 Haaland to bag his fourth goal of this FA Cup Fifth Round fixture.
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Luton Stood No Chance Against the Mighty Cityzens in the FA Cup Fifth Round
Despite being up 4-2, the Manchester City players were lining up to score more. Portuguese midfield maestro Bernardo Silva found Haaland just inside the dangerous zone, and the Norway forward lashed a shot at the Luton Town goal. The loose shot was savable for Krul, but due to the firing power Pep’s men that has broken down his confidence, the Dutchman failed to hold onto the ball, forcing himself to pick the ball from the net for the fifth time in this FA Cup Fifth Round game.
Krul’s nightmare for Luton Town in the FA Cup Fifth Round finally ended with City’s sixth and final goal of the game, this time they managed to do so without Haaland. John Stones was given enough space to charge forward, followed by the Englishman leaving the ball to the ex-Chelsea man Kovačić, who hit a wonderful long-ranged effort outside the penalty box. The FA Cup Fifth Round encounter between Luton Town and Manchester City would end with the latter came out on top via a 6-2 score line, meaning the defending champions are safely through to the quarterfinals as a result.
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Pep Hailed Perfect Duo Over City’s FA Cup Fifth Round Thrashing
Guardiola could not be more pleased with his perfect duo of Haaland and De Bruyne, who seemed to click since Day 1. He said: “The players read the game perfectly. 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.”
The Spaniard spoke about the difficulty to revive the connection between two of his best players in the Cityzens, as they were sidelined for separate periods. “My only concern was that Erling had been two months stopped, he couldn’t walk, couldn’t make anything. When you lose two months, that rhythm is not easy to get back. Every game he’s getting better. Kevin as well. Step by step, they are coming back. I didn’t speak to the doctor but I think he was complaining a bit about his groin. He felt really good but unfortunately was injured again. It’s been a tough season for him.”
Striker sensation Haaland echoed his manager’s words, citing that he is back to his best form in terms of hunting for goals. “I am getting back to my best. Finally I am feeling good. It’s an amazing feeling. It’s coming, we’re coming. Exciting times ahead. We are ready to attack. We made a plan here and everyone stuck to it perfectly. Kevin De Bruyne is massive. He is doing what he is best at. It’s a pleasure playing with him. We know what we both want from each other and it clicks well. He is a smart player,” said the 23-year-old forward from Norway.
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Jack Grealish was visibly upset after being forced off with a repeat of the groin injury which has seen him ruled out for the last few weeks 🥺
Frustration for the England man after Pep Guardiola’s comments about his performances this season ahead of the game 😬 pic.twitter.com/yDUPuFs7Ys
— SPORTbible (@sportbible) February 27, 2024
Manchester Derby at Etihad Next for Cityzens
Manchester City will next have the 192nd Manchester Derby at Etihad Stadium on the cards for them next, and they certainly could not ask for a better time to face their archrivals Manchester United than now, as both Haaland and De Bruyne are back to their very best in front of goal.
With their 6-2 demolition over Luton Town in the FA Cup Fifth Round, Pep’s men are currently unbeaten in 18 matches in all competitions since the 1-0 loss to Aston Villa at Villa Park at the start of December 2023, winning 16 times and drawing only twice during the process. These statistics only mean the Cityzens will be heading to the home game this weekend as the clear favourites in their endeavours to return to the top of the Premier League table. Nevertheless, the only concern to Pep’s side is the injury Jack Grealish suffered during the FA Cup Fifth Round fixture against Luton, which is likely to keep him out for a lengthy timeframe.
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