Erling Haaland scored twice in the second half of the match against Luton at Kenilworth Road (Luton, Bedfordshire) after netting a hat-trick in the first forty minutes of play. The Norwegian striker scored five goals in all throughout this game. Man City ultimately defeated Luton 6-2 to progress.
De Bruyne assisted on 4/5 of Haaland’s first goals at Kenilworth Road. Bernardo Silva has the final assist on Haaland’s goal. In anticipation of this weekend’s derby against Manchester United, Man City’s tandem has found its form again.
Coach Pep Guardiola lauded Haaland and De Bruyne’s outstanding chemistry after the game, saying, “Well, what can I say? The players had a flawless game together. Erling Haaland was at his best, and he had the ideal rapport with Kevin de Bruyne.
We took full advantage of the open space behind the opposition’s defence. For Man City, this was a great match. We are in the quarterfinals after winning on a challenging pitch.”
In response to a question about whether Man City will advance farther with Haaland and De Bruyne playing that way, Pep Guardiola firmly said, “Definitely.” They have the ideal relationship. Haaland requires the movements of players like De Bruyne, and De Bruyne needs Haaland.”
In addition, Jack Grealish’s injury status was updated by coach Pep Guardiola following the victory over Luton Town. Against Luton Town, Man City’s all-time record signing got things going right away. But for Grealish, this was just another frustrating game. He was only on the pitch for 38 minutes when Jeremy Doku took his place.
Grealish, who had just been pulled off the pitch due to an injury, looked quite sad. Guardiola stated the following regarding Grealish’s condition: “Yeah, it appears he has a groyne injury. It is depressing. Grealish has sustained an injury twice already this season. I’m hoping that this time he’ll heal quickly and get back to us.”