Erling Haaland of Manchester City found the net five times as the FA Cup champions dominated Luton in a 6-2 victory during the fifth round on Tuesday. This marked Haaland’s second instance of scoring five goals in a single game for City, following his exceptional performance in the Champions League last 16 second leg match against RB Leipzig in March 2023. Assisted by Kevin De Bruyne, Haaland completed his hat-trick within the first 40 minutes at Kenilworth Road.
Despite Jordan Clark scoring twice for Luton to momentarily narrow the deficit to 3-2, any hopes of a miraculous comeback were swiftly extinguished by Haaland, who added two more goals after halftime to secure City’s spot in the quarter-finals.
Mateo Kovacic also found the net, contributing to City’s second six-goal haul of the season after their 6-1 victory over Bournemouth in the Premier League in November. With 27 goals across all competitions this season, Haaland has silenced his critics following a less impressive performance in a recent draw against Chelsea.
City’s impressive form includes winning 14 of their last 15 matches in all competitions, as they aim to replicate last season’s success of securing the Premier League, Champions League, and FA Cup titles. Haaland and De Bruyne are hitting top form just in time for a crucial Premier League clash against Manchester United at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday.
However, City’s frustration was compounded by Jack Grealish’s injury in the first half, adding to the disappointments of his underwhelming season.
