Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne Fire Warning Towards Rivals After 6-2 Shellacking Against Luton
Erling Haaland, with Kevin De Bruyne and crew, made a statement in today’s FA Cup fifth-round tie as the Norwegian striker returned to his prime goalscoring form with Kevin De Bruyne at his service whenever he wanted. Despite scoring 17 goals in 21 appearances for Manchester City in the Premier League this season, many have criticised Erling Haaland for not reaching the heights he set last season, with some even preferring Rasmus Højlund leading their frontline. Obviously, the fans meant it as a joke, but Erling Haaland may have taken it too seriously with his five goals against Luton and the potential for more against United this weekend.
Also Read: Elijah Adebayo Fires Luton Out of the Relegation Zone as His First Hattrick Downs Brighton 4-0
Erling Haaland Scored Five, While Kevin De Bruyne Assisted Four
Prior to the opening whistle, Luton fans were already fearing the worst as they were coming off a disheartening 4-1 loss to Liverpool. Unfortunately for the home squad, their next opponents were Manchester City and a City squad who were part of their annual unbeaten run, as they could only watch on helplessly as Erling Haaland and De Bruyne tore them out from all angles.
The citizens were electrifying from the get-go as they scored just three minutes in when De Bruyne got on the end of a lovely through ball from Matheus Nunes before setting up Erling Haaland for a routine tap-in. The combination struck again 15 minutes later when Erling Haaland held off his marker from Ortega’s long ball and laid it off for De Bruyne before receiving it without breaking strides as he smashed it through Krul for his second. The Norwegian striker then got his hattrick before halftime, as he got on the end of another brilliant pass from the Belgium playmaker and dinked it over Krul with the cheekiest of finishes.
It was Erling Haaland’s eighth hattrick for Manchester City, and the Citizens look poised for an easy path to the next round. However, after two sublime strikes from Jordan Clark after being set up by former Chelsea midfielder Ross Barkley, City had to rely on the Haaland-De Bruyne combo again to dig them out of trouble. Firstly, Erling Haaland got his fourth with another simple tap-in from De Bruyne’s hard work and his fifth three minutes later with a low drill strike-through Tim Krul. While it was not the party ender as Mateo Kovačić scored City’s six, Erling Haaland became the first player to score five in a game twice for the club.
Erling Haaland Paid Massive Tribute to Partner in Crime
After striking five times in a relentless display, Erling Haaland gave credit to his partner in crime, Kevin De Bruyne, instead of singing the praises of himself. In his interview with ITV, the Norwegian striker mentioned: “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. It clicks well. He is a smart player, and I like to play with him.”
As for his personal performance, Erling Haaland sends a warning shot towards Premier League, FA Cup and UEFA Champions League rivals as he stated: ” I am getting back to my best,” he said. “Finally, I am feeling good. It’s an amazing feeling. It’s coming, we’re coming. Exciting times ahead. We are ready to attack.”
Pep Guardiola was also equally delighted with the performance of his general and mastermind as he praised the two as meant for each other. “What can I say, really really good. Erling Haaland was on fire. Kevin De Bruyne, the connection was perfect. A lot of space in behind, and it is a tough game to come, but today was a good game. Yeah, we’re in the quarter-finals. Erling needs a player like Kevin, and Kevin needs the movement from Erling. Not just that, everyone else was really good.”
Is A Smoky Derby Day Incoming at the Etihad?
With the firepower displayed in this 6-2 trashing, one could only hope for more from the Citizens as they welcome their Manchester rivals United to the Etihad on Sunday. City won the initial meeting in October, where Erling Haaland put on a masterclass at Old Trafford with two goals and an assist.
Incidentally, Haaland has recorded five goals and three assists against United in three appearances as the Red Devils are rapidly becoming his favourite team to torment. With 79 goals in 83 games under his belt since his move from Borussia Dortmund and the promise of three or more goals in the Manchester Derby since he joined, the upcoming match at the Etihad promises to be another drama-filled encounter.
To catch the latest buildups of the match or any match in Europe’s top five leagues, follow AsiaSport for daily coverage and high-definition highlights of the fixtures you have missed on your busy weekends.