It was a game when it felt appropriate to have all-time records in mind from an early juncture, an awareness of history. Because Erling Haaland was in that kind of mood. Luton, meanwhile, appeared intent on seeing whether their defenders could hold him off in one-on-one last-man battles. That and their high line was a recipe for carnage.
A couple of minutes before the hour, Haaland scored his fifth to ease City clear of a Luton mini-revival that felt like a mirage. The double hat-trick was on, which is a thing in park football at under-10 level but really should not be in the FA Cup fifth round.
The last player to score six in the competition for a top-flight club was George Best in Manchester United’s 8-2 win over Northampton in 1970 and Pep Guardiola left Haaland on for another 19 minutes to see whether he could emulate the great man.
Putting Haaland straight into cold storage before Sunday’s Premier League derby with United was not a part of Guardiola’s thinking. Haaland, though, would call it a day at five. It was a performance of breathtaking power and pace, electric movement and the kind of ruthlessness we have come to associate with him.
Kevin De Bruyne teed him up for the first four while Mateo Kovacic slammed home the sixth as City eased into the quarter-finals. Luton were game, Jordan Clark scoring their goals – the first a belter from distance – but the night was about one man.
Haaland had scored five inside 57 minutes against RB Leipzig in last season’s Champions League last 16 second leg and he hesitated a little when his number went up on the substitute’s board here.
Obviously, he wanted to stay on. His appetite is insatiable. He now has 27 goals in 30 City appearances in all competitions this season after the 52 in 53 last time out.
The numbers are the biggest thing. But it is also the tremors that run through the hearts of opposing players and supporters when he runs through, the palpable fear that he induces.
There was applause from some Luton fans when he went off and if it was not exactly the Juventus support after Cristiano Ronaldo had scored his famous overhead kick for Real Madrid against them, it did reflect an awareness of their time and place during a special night.
It was one when shows of strength from City were everywhere – De Bruyne was also unplayable, his connection with Haaland from a higher plane.
Guardiola had started Rúben Dias, Rodri and Phil Foden among the substitutes, although it helps when you can recall Kyle Walker, De Bruyne and Jack Grealish. The only disappointment was that Grealish lasted 38 minutes before feeling his groin again. City were straight into their groove. There was an audible intake of breath when De Bruyne surged on to a Matheus Nunes pass and Clark slipped. Haaland had gone for the six-yard box and then melted back into space. De Bruyne crossed. Haaland banged home.
Luton were bold. Rob Edwards gave Tahith Chong and Ross Barkley plenty of licence in central midfield. The home team carried the physical fight and Teden Mengi certainly did at the start. Yet in doing so, he only seemed to stir the beast in Haaland. Not that it needs much stirring.
Haaland had already roughed up Mengi once when he backed into him, pinning him before laying off to De Bruyne and spinning away for the return ball which, predictably, was made to measure.
Mengi raced back but Haaland never offered the slightest impression that he would allow a challenge to be even contemplated.
Haaland was denied twice by Tim Krul, the first after a John Stones through-ball; the second after De Bruyne had been thwarted by Luton’s goalkeeper. And the hat-trick arrived moments after the 18-year-old defender, Joe Johnson, had come on for the injured Amari’i Bell.
It was Johnson who was left with the task of trying to stop Haaland as he blasted on to another De Bruyne pass and it was not a fair fight. The Norwegian slowed at the very last to produce the featherlight dink over Krul.
The only surprise was the Luton goal before half-time and what a goal it was, Clark taking a prod back from Barkley, cutting away from Bernardo Silva and shaping a beautiful curler into the top corner from outside the box. Luton were in dreamworld early in the second half when Stefan Ortega erred with a clearance and Barkley chipped through for Clark, who lashed home.
City did not blink. It was the old one-two for the fourth time when De Bruyne ran on to an outside-of-the-boot Walker pass to cross, Haaland doing the rest. And Luton did not need Krul to make a handling error on a Haaland shot for No 5. There were other chances, including one for Luton when Ortega denied Carlton Morris and then Barkley. Edwards could be proud of his players. And awed by one on the other side.
