Mr Haaland’s opus
Norwegian striker scores five goals to send holders City flying into FA Cup last eight
Luton, England - Erling Haaland scored five as holders Manchester City coasted into the quarter-finals of the Emirates FA Cup with a 6-2 victory over Luton Town.
Haaland became the first player to score five or more goals in an FA Cup match for a topflight club since George Best in 1970, with the first four laid on by Kevin de Bruyne.
Elsewhere, Leicester City required extra time to beat Bournemouth, while Newcastle United knocked out Blackburn Rovers in a dramatic penalty shoot-out.
A trademark City goal opened up an early lead City would never relinquish at Kenilworth Road.
Matheus Nunes found De Bruyne with an incisive reverse pass and the Belgian’s cutback was swept home on the stretch by Haaland.
City’s dynamic duo combined again on 18 minutes, as Haaland brought down Stefan Ortega’s pinpoint pass, laid off to De Bruyne and raced onto a quick return pass from his super sidekick to lash the ball under Tim Krul.
City were rampant and Haaland had two bites at the cherry for a third before the half hour
mark but was twice denied by veteran Krul. The treble finally arrived on 40 minutes via another De Bruyne assist, this time finished off with a crisp chip over the onrushing Krul.
Luton pulled one back on the stroke of half time and it was un
doubtedly the goal of the night, Jordan Clark curling a jaw-dropping effort into the top corner from 25 yards out.
From nowhere, the deficit was back to just one shortly after half time. Clark was again on target, rifling past Ortega after a dinked
pass from Ross Barkley.
But six minutes later the tie was settled – Haaland scoring his fourth and fifth goals of the night just three minutes apart and Mateo Kovacic added a sixth before Pep Guadriola rang the changes late on.
Leicester City upset Premier League Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium, snatching victory in extra time to progress to the last eight. Leicester started with a swagger befitting the Championship leaders but it was Bournemouth who fashioned the best chances in the first half hour.
January signing Enes Unal went first close on two occasions. He first saw a shot cleared off the line by Hamza Choudhury and then stabbed just wide from a Milos Kerkez cross either side of a skied close-range effort from Alex Scott.
But it was the 2021 winners who came closest to breaking the deadlock before the break. After a loose touch from Scott in midfield, Marc Albrighton raced towards goal and drilled into the post from the edge of the area. Choudhury kept the attack alive and forced a brilliant diving stop from Cup ‘keeper Marc Travers as it finished all square at the break.
The Cherries then found the woodwork at the start of the second half when Marcos Senesi’s swinging ball cannoned off the upright.
Chances kept coming at both ends but neither side could find their composure in front of goal – Yunus Akgun and Ricardo spurned golden chances to send the Foxes through late on.
The moment of quality which separated the sides arrived in the 105th minute, Abdul Fatawu bending a brilliant strike past Travers to see the Foxes into the quarter-finals.