Master striker Erling Haaland’s qualities are many and varied and it was Luton Town’s misfortune to encounter them all on an FA Cup evening.
Of course, the Manchester City striker can score any goal. He can run in behind the defense or sniff out space in the static penalty area. He can also project himself into a game to the extent that someone in the opponent does something stupid and gifts him a gift.
All of this happened in the 77 minutes he played at Kenilworth Road, scoring five goals before the 60-minute mark.
The Luton defense can at least look back fondly on his final 17 minutes on the pitch; They finally silenced him. Although Mateo Kovacic then struck a sixth strike sweetly past Tim Krul, who had previously stopped a couple of Haaland efforts.
But this was undoubtedly the work of a man operating on a plain where only the best strikers can rise. The first four goals were scored by Kevin De Bruyne, the ultimate accomplice of English football’s most ruthless chance-seeker.
This was the most goals scored by a player for a top-flight club in the FA Cup since George Best scored six times past Northampton Town for Manchester United in 1970. Two very different creatures, of course. For Luton’s centre-backs, who had to play one-on-one against Haaland as he raced towards goal, it must have sometimes felt like wrestling a train back to the station.
There was no doubt that Luton’s high-risk approach played a part in this night of FA Cup fifth round history. Pep Guardiola said it took “courage” to play against Haaland with such a high line against his team in a formation that did not double, and that was certainly the case.
“Bold and daring,” Rob Edwards said of the approach in which defenders are allowed to single-handedly mark Haaland or De Bruyne. Although it does ensure that at least one game is allowed to develop. The alternative would have been for City to attack 10 deep-sitting, tightly packed outfield players with no ambition beyond the midfield line. In the gap between Haaland’s goals, Jordan Clark scored two excellent goals for Luton and there were opportunities for more.
When it comes to Haaland goals, he’s down by two points. He positioned himself for the cut on the first and fourth. In the fifth he fired a shot straight at Krul and the Luton goalkeeper tackled him.
This isn’t the first time Haaland has scored five goals in a match for City; The previous meeting against RB Leipzig in the Champions League was less than a year ago. Haaland, who has already scored 27 goals this season, will try it against United in the derby at the Etihad on Sunday.
Jack Grealish’s availability for this game must be in doubt as the City winger suffered his second injury in two weeks after Copenhagen in the first half.
At times it might have felt like an act of self-sabotage, but whatever it was that Luton were trying to do in the first half was at least interesting. Haaland was up against 21-year-old former United academy boy Teden Mengi in the first half and an injury to Amari’i Bell before the break meant Edwards had to send on 18-year-old academy graduate Joe Johnson.
Luton’s manager then chuckled at the scale of the task he had set the youngster, and that was really the only way to look at it. A learning experience for everyone involved.
There are many ways to lose to the great City teams of the Abu Dhabi era and we have seen them all so far. This was one of the most watchable ever.
The first goal was unlucky. Clark’s slide let De Bruyne in and Haaland let loose in the area to grab a first-time finish. Mengi then had to tackle Haaland alone in pursuit of De Bruyne’s ball. It was a strike so perfect that it curled onto Haaland’s left foot, while Mengi came in on his right and the defender could never get close to him before the finish came.
The third Haaland goal came from another De Bruyne pass – followed by a low pass to Krul in pursuit of Johnson. Kyle Walker’s ball to De Bruyne created the opportunity to cut again for Haaland’s fourth. The fifth was a shot that hit Krul directly and somehow found its way.
Clark, an elegant player who once played for Accrington Stanley and Shrewsbury Town, is playing his first season in the Premier League at the age of 30. This FA Cup goal was scored with his right foot and slotted into the top corner. Stefan Ortega had no hope of reaching it. The second was made by Ross Barkley with a great pass.
Edwards later said of Haaland and De Bruyne: “The best No. 9 and 10 combination I’ve ever seen live.”
He was generous with City and positive about his own players. Everyone seemed to be enjoying a bit of FA Cup magic in their own way.
When Haaland left the field in the 77th minute, he did not receive a standing ovation from the fans, but there were still many who could not resist the applause.