If ever there were any doubts that Manchester City’s Erling Haaland could reach the stratospheric heights of last season, they were smashed into smithereens at Kenilworth Road on Tuesday night in an FA Cup fifth round destruction of Luton Town.
The Norwegian scoring sensation plundered five goals for the Sky Blues as Pep Guardiola’s side reminded everyone what they can do, winning 6-2; and even more frightening for their rivals, not only did Haaland bag five, but the recently returned Kevin de Bruyne made four assists. Manchester City coasted along quite nicely in the first half of the season but, now that Haaland and De Bruyne are re-united we could see an incredible close to the campaign.
The FA Cup 2024 betting odds rate the Sky Blues as favourites, as does the Premier League and the Champions League; and the manner of this win, against Rob Edwards’ never-say-die Hatters spoke volumes. There were just three minutes on the clock when Haaland scored his first with a brilliant poachers’ goal and then De Bruyne set to his task of feeding the striker with a series of killer balls. Guardiola said, after the game, that a goal scorer like Haaland needs someone with the quality of De Bruyne on the pitch.
And then there’s the brilliant Phil Foden, the mercurial Jack Grealish, the effervescent Bernardo Silva to name just three more. Where I live, in the Northwest of England there are plenty of Manchester United fans, not to mention my SBOTOP buddy James, and they are all starting to look worried, with the Manchester Derby up next!
Maidstone’s Cup adventure is over
Championship side Coventry emphatically ended sixth tier Maidstone’s incredible journey in the 2023/24 FA Cup as striker Ellis Simms scored a first half hat-trick to blow the Stones away. The Kent minnows had some spectacular FA Cup 2024 results along the way and the 5,000 fans who followed them up to the East Midlands left the stadium with their heads held high.
They beat EFL clubs Barrow and Stevenage before shocking high flying Championship side Ipswich Town in the fourth round, but Maidstone’s dream was bound to end some time. Simms was superbly clinical, with two smart finishes from Kasey Palmer assists, and then the striker clamed the match ball when he tapped in a rebound after Palmer’s shot was parried.
Maidstone fought to the last but two late goals from Fabio Tavares rounded off a perfect night for Coventry.
Leicester are back in the big time
Relegated last season, Leicester City are on course for a rapid return to the Premier League, six points clear at the top of the Championship table and now in the quarter finals of the FA Cup, thanks to a 1-0 win away to Bournemouth. Abdul Fatawu climbed off the bench to his a screamer in injury time, which booked the Foxes a quarter final spot for the fourth time in the last seven seasons. FA Cup winners in 2021, Leicester had to withstand an avalanche of shots from the hosts but only four of the 27 were on target and the Cherries were made to pay when Fatawu hit his beauty into the top left corner.
The Cherries have had a tough week so far, they hosted Manchester City in the league last weekend and lost 1-0, and top striker Dominic Solanke wasn’t even in the match day squad for the visit of Leicester. The former Liverpool man is apparently suffering a knee injury and was feeling unwell before the game, so Bournemouth fans may be anxious before they head to Burnley on Sunday.
Magpies squeeze through on penalties
Newcastle United needed a penalty shootout to book their place in the last eight after going head to head with Championship strugglers Blackburn Rovers for over 120 minutes. The East Lancashire club has won only one of the last seven and sit just four points above the drop zone, but they put on a spirited show against the billionaires of Newcastle.
Magpies winger Anthony Gordon broke the deadlock on 71 minutes but Blackburn replied through the lively Sammie Szmodics to take the game to extra time. And then the Premier League club won the shootout 4-3 as Martin Dubravka saved from Szmodics and Rovers captain Dom Hyam.
Newcastle made terribly hard work of it and, while their cup run continues, this performance gives little cause for optimism; and it was heartbreak for Blackburn who must turn their attention back to the task of survival in the Championship relegation fight.
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