Erling Haaland scored as Man City crushed Luton 5-1 in round 33, temporarily leading the Premier League table.
The 3-3 draw at Real Madrid in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-finals last week boosted Man City's morale. Returning to the Etihad Stadium, Pep Guardiola said he did not need his strongest squad to welcome newcomer Luton. Therefore, many key players in the Man City squad such as Rodri, Phil Foden, John Stones, Bernardo Silva and Jack Grealish were given a rest.
Haaland scored a penalty, bringing the score to 3-0 for Man City. Photo: Reuters
However, Guardiola still kept Haaland in the starting lineup. The Norwegian striker has not been in good form recently and failed to score against Real. The Man City coach probably wanted Luton to be a stepping stone for Haaland to relieve his stress as the season enters a crucial stage. Kevin De Bruyne did not play against Real, so he also started.
Having crushed Luton 6-2 in the fifth round of the FA Cup in February, Man City had no reason to fear this opponent. The 18th-placed team's porous defense was seen as easy prey for Man City's attacking stars. The home team quickly aimed for a big win with the opening goal in the second minute. Although he missed the chance to face, luck was with Haaland in the second finishing situation, when his volley hit the face of Japanese defender Daiki Hashioka and hit the net.
Continuing their momentum, Man City put tremendous pressure on Luton's goal. In the first half, they had a total of 19 shots and did not allow their opponents to shoot once. However, Luton's defense in general and goalkeeper Thomas Kaminski in particular played a commendable half. Their dedication in many situations even made Man City fans applaud.
Haaland volleyed straight into Hashioka's face in the opening goal for Man City. Photo: Reuters
But with the lead, Man City were in no hurry. Even though they couldn't score after more than an hour of play, Guardiola's team still played quite leisurely. In the 64th minute, from a corner kick, Julian Alvarez crossed for Mateo Kovacic to volley into the top of the net from 15 meters away. Luton had a densely packed squad in front of the goal in this phase, but forgot to block the opponent's second line.
Luton made their first notable attack after the goal. Fred Onyedinma beat Josko Gvardiol in a power play down the right flank and crossed. Unfortunately for the visitors, new signing Cauley Woodrow's subsequent one-touch shot hit the top of the crossbar.
Ten minutes later, Onyedinma brought down Jeremy Doku in the box. Haaland did not miss this delicious opportunity to put his name on the scoresheet. The Norwegian striker's shot to the left corner of the goal fooled goalkeeper Kaminski. After leading by three goals, Guardiola took De Bruyne off the field. Although the match was over, the Belgian midfielder still showed his dissatisfaction. De Bruyne probably felt incomplete because he had made many passes to create opportunities but his teammates did not take advantage of them.
Gvardiol scored, sealing a 5-1 victory for Man City. Photo: PA
In the 87th minute, Doku once again tormented Onyedinma. He dribbled, twisted his opponent's back and curled the ball into the net, hitting the inside of the post. Six minutes later, the Belgian made his mark again. This time, he passed back to Gvardiol, who fired into the roof of the Luton net. It was the Croatian defender's second goal in two consecutive games after he scored against Real.
With this victory, Man City has 73 points after 32 matches, two points more than Arsenal and Liverpool but having played one more match. Next week, Guardiola's team will play Real again at Etihad before hosting Chelsea in the FA Cup semi-finals.
Quang Huy
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