At dawn, striker Erling Haaland shined helping Man City sink Luton 6-2 in the round of 16 of the FA Cup.
Haaland missed 2 months due to injury but still has 27 goals in all competitions for Man City this season. |
At Luton’s Kenilworth Road, 4 of Haaland’s 5 goals were assisted by Kevin De Bruyne. The Belgian star helped his teammate born in 2000 score 3 goals in the first half (3′, 18′, 40′) after sharp passes. Veteran Tim Krul did everything he could but still gave up on the Norwegian striker’s exquisite finishing ability.
In the 55th minute, De Bruyne broke through on the right wing and then passed across just right for Haaland to comfortably finish from close range, completing the “poker” (4 goals). Just 3 minutes later, it was Bernardo Silva’s turn to “pump” the ball for Haaland. The former Dortmund star confidently shot a powerful shot from close to the 16.5 meter line. Tim Krul touched the ball but still couldn’t save host Luton.
This is the second time since joining Man City that Erling Haaland scored 5 goals in a match. Previously, the Norwegian striker did this when facing Leipzig in the Champions League.
In the rest of the match, Man City also had a sixth goal, after a beautiful long-range shot by Mateo Kovacic in the 72nd minute. What Luton did was only 2 honorable goals scored by midfielder Jordan Clark.
Not only did they win big, Man City also preserved their forces to prepare for the Manchester derby taking place at Etihad Stadium on March 3. Key stars such as Haaland, John Stones, Bernardo Silva, Nathan Ake were all released early by coach Pep Guardiola.