Pep Guardiola threw bouquets at Vincent Kompany, then ordered his Manchester City team to eviscerate his former captain’s, which they did via Erling Haaland’s sixth hat-trick of the season (and second of the week) as Burnley were downed and a place secured in Sunday’s semi-final draw.
City’s manager had lauded Kompany for his drilling of a side that are near dead-certs for promotion to the Premier League, but a team sheet that featured Kevin De Bruyne, Kyle Walker, Rodri and Haaland showed a cold-eyed focus on collecting the second FA Cup of his reign.
The visiting manager was given a hero’s reception that featured high-fives from City staff, a warm hug with Guardiola, and prolonged applause from all present. Then, the serious stuff began that closed with the remarkable Haaland on 42 strikes for the season. The record in the Premier League era is 44, by Mo Salah and Cristiano Ronaldo. Haaland will surely pass that and Guardiola was asked if he might end on 60.
“I don’t know the number,” said Guardiola. “This guy will have a problem in the future, every game he will be expected to score three or four goals and this is not going to happen. He doesn’t care because he is so positive, so optimistic, he never complains. The target numbers, I don’t know. But if we play good, Erling will score goals.”
Haaland, who scored five on Tuesday against Leipzig, said: “It’s been a good couple of games. I’m a striker, I love to score goals, but my focus is not on scoring, it is to get good chances, and then there is a good chance of me scoring.”
Kompany’s greeting was followed with City establishing familiar tempo and dominance, though there was scant sight of Bailey Peacock-Farrell’s goal. A Rodri shot was deflected clear as the Championship leaders scampered about harassing their hosts from Haaland, at the tip, to Stefan Ortega, in goal.
When attacking Rico Lewis, City’s left-back, padded into midfield, and Aymeric Laporte fanned wide from the centre and Rúben Dias the other way, as Guardiola’s team operated a two-man defence. They were caught out when an Ortega pass aimed for Lewis was mis-hit, Vitinho collected, fed Lyle Foster and the striker raced in: Lewis, recovering, saved his keeper from embarrassment. A little later, Nathan Tella was poised to finish and this time City required Dias’s sliding tackle to rescue them.
Burnley’s idea was similar to their hosts: squeeze the space and disrupt and it worked – for a while – before a contest congested enough to resemble a five-a-side conducted in a squash court had its game-breaker in Haaland.
This was a route-one goal of beauty. Ortega spiralled the ball downfield and the Norwegian controlled and tapped it back to Álvarez. The Argentinian, seeing Haaland run through a central channel, fed him, and he, with a sniper’s eye, finished.
The second soon followed. This time, De Bruyne and Phil Foden were co-creators, the former rolling a pass in along the left corridor that split Burnley. Seeing Haaland galloping in, City’s No 47 crossed and the centre-forward gave Peacock-Farrell zero chance.
At the break Kompany’s men were relieved not to be further behind. Burnley needed to nick a goal back. Easier suggested than done as shown when Vitinho found Josh Cullen and he engineered a lob that was read with ease by Dias.
In a second City can slice open a defence as they illustrated when Rodri passed wide to Walker whose first-time ball was met with a Mahrez volley Peacock-Farrell did well to repel. A further scare occurred when Haaland swivelled in the area and let fly, the visiting keeper again able to save.
But he could do nothing as the No 9 enjoyed yet another three-goal haul: Foden blazed against the post and there was Haaland, in poacher-mode, to finish. It had the phenomenon sliding to the turf in jubilation and City’s faithful singing their favourite ‘We are not really here’ ditty.
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The tie now became a rout when De Bruyne weaved through traffic and slid in Álvarez who could not miss. Cole Palmer was one of a clutch of Guardiola changes and he was soon hitting home from close range. City fans took to their feet and enjoyed a “Poznan”, the facing-away-from-the pitch jig, as choruses of “we’re going to Wembley” rang out.
Further delirium ensued after Álvarez sprinted down the right and secured the sixth and his second of an impressive display.
“In the second half we had no chance,” Kompany succinctly summed up.
