Luton 2-6 Man City: Erling Haaland delivers FIVE-STAR show as Pep Guardiola's side sweep the Hatters aside to book their place in the FA Cup quarter-finals

It was as if Erling Haaland had heard the story of how Denis Law scored seven for Manchester City the last time they visited Luton Town in the FA Cup in 1961 and accepted the challenge.

What followed was an absurd display of Haaland's dominance – an ‘I was there’ evening in which he scored a quintuple of strikes that can only have Manchester United’s defenders quaking ahead of this Sunday’s showdown in the Premier League.

Haaland got five of City’s six goals, Kevin De Bruyne assisting four of those and Bernardo Silva the other. This was as cold, calculated and robotic-like as a striker could be, dismantling Luton as it was all so routine that one of his celebrations involving him sheepishly shrugging.

Back in 1961, Law scored all six goals when City led 6-2 here, only for the game to be abandoned after 69 minutes because of a biblical downpour. It was replayed four days later with Law scoring his seventh of the tie, only for Luton to win 3-1 to progress.

Luton received no help from the heavens this time. Haaland’s five-goal haul counted with Mateo Kovacic adding a strike of his own to send City into the quarter-finals of this competition.

Rob Edwards was honest when interviewed after the starting line-ups had been announced, saying: ‘We were hoping he wasn’t going to play.’ Luton’s manager could have been referring to any of the supreme talents in the visitors’ surprisingly strong team.

On this occasion he was speaking about John Stones. It does not get better than being compared to Bobby Moore – as Stones was on Saturday’s Match of the Day – yet it was Pep Guardiola’s other two world-beaters that tormented Luton in this first half.

Haaland and De Bruyne. Who else? They took all of three minutes to combine in gifting City the lead after good work by Manuel Akanji and Matheus Nunes in the build-up.

Nunes found De Bruyne, whose burst in behind went untracked as Jordan Clark fell on his backside. Haaland lost Teden Mengi by feigning to go one way then going the other, tapping in the squared ball for 1-0.

Luton looked for a fast response and, were it not for a brilliant block by Nathan Ake, Carlton Morris would have scored his own tap-in from Alfie Doughty’s pass.

Instead, City made it 2-0 when goalkeeper Stefan Ortega launched a long ball into Haaland. He held it up, gave it to De Bruyne, turned and sprinted away from Mengi. Haaland did not need to look back. He knew exactly what was coming – a ball in behind for him to bury beyond Tim Krul in the Luton goal.

Haaland could have completed his hat-trick after 25 minutes when he collected Stones’s pass, though Krul denied him with a trailing leg. Luton's goalkeeper was needed again in the 30th minute to deny De Bruyne’s volley and Haaland's rebound.

The party was slightly spoiled in the 38th minute when the substitutes’ board was held up. Jack Grealish had been speaking to City’s medical staff and his day was now done. He walked towards the bench, where he sat with head in hands, coat covering his face, clearly distraught.

Grealish raised his head in time to see you-know-who complete their hat-trick of goals and assists in the 40th minute. How straightforward it was, too – De Bruyne’s ball in behind, Haaland scoring over Krul, 3-0 and City were well on their way to the quarter-finals.

It was to Luton’s credit that they never showed signs of surrendering and they got a goal back as the first half came to a close. Clark’s shimmy to his right earned him space to shoot from 20 yards and he unleashed a curler into the top corner for 3-1.

Kenilworth Road’s away changing room is no bigger than an Etihad Stadium broom cupboard but at the break, you could imagine Guardiola energetically using its limited space to issue his instructions. Demanding more than the three goals they already had, only Krul stopped Matheus Nunes from making it four.

Instead, Luton scored again. There was a comedy of errors from City’s defence before Ross Barkley lifted a cute ball in behind for Clark. He buried it for his second goal of the game. Having been 3-0 down after 40 minutes, it was now 3-2 after 52, and Kenilworth Road was at its most rumbustious.

Yet City soon made sure of the win. In the 55th minute, Haaland tapped in yet another assist from De Bruyne after a beautiful ball in behind from Kyle Walker. In the 58th, Haaland turned to power in order to squeeze a shot underneath Krul, this time being assisted by Silva.

It got better in the 72nd minute in Mateo Kovacic secured their sixth of the night with a sweet strike. Haaland was substituted. His devouring was done. Next up: Manchester United.