Luton Town 0-1 Man City – FA Cup fifth round: Live score, team news and updates as Erling Haaland scores inside three minutes, with Newcastle kick-off delayed

It’s two for Erling Haaland, two assists for Kevin De Bruyne, and two goals for Man City.

That’s his second FA Cup goal of the season and it has come within the first 18 minutes of his first appearance in the competition this season.

It starts with Stefan Ortega in goal, he fins Erling Haaland who holds the ball up before passing back to De Bruyne.

The Belgian playmaker then sends the striker through and he slides it under Tim Krul.

He was never going to miss.

Jack Grealish is getting involved, just what Pep Guardiola wanted to see.

This time he has a pop from distance that Tim Krul holds on to easily.

I think he could have done a bit better there, but he definitely has a bit of swagger about him, so far.

That was a nearly moment for the visitors.

There is some nice interplay between Erling Haaland and Jack Grealish before the latter tries to slide the striker in, however, it is intercepted.

That was a couple inches away from Haaland being through. We all know what would have happened if he had been.

The Norweigan striker’s movement truly is incredible.

We know Luton don’t lie down easily, and they have responded well to going a goal down.

Carlton Morris has had two decent chances in the last two minutes, but he could not get a good connection on either cross that was aimed at him.

Positive signs for the Hatters, the crowd responds!

That is exactly the reason why Pep Guardiola decided to start Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne. They combine to give City the lead.

De Bruyne is sent through on the lefthand side in loads of space, he picks out Haaland in the middle to slam home from close range.

Exactly the start they would have wanted, it has sucked the atmosphere out of Kenilworth Road.

It may be 15 minutes late, but the ball is rolling at Ewood Park.

Blackburn are looking to secure their first win over Newcastle in the FA Cup in six attempts, while Newcastle will be keen to bounce back from disappointment at Arsenal.

The atmosphere is absolutely rocking in Lancashire.

Who will come out on top?

Here we go then. Kenilworth Road is ready, I am ready, are you ready?

There are hugs between Jack Grealish and Ross Barkley before the game – Roy Kean doesn’t approve.

The friendliness stops now though, the match is underway.

Rob Edwards said they would put the pressure on Manchester City, let’s see how they start here.

I’m surprised Kyle Walker is having to cool himself down, it’s not exactly warm out there!

Rob Edwards pre-match, speaking to ITV:

It’s a huge test for us. Manchester City are so fluid now. We were of hoping he (John Stones) wasn’t going to play tonight.

We have got a plan, we will see if it works. We have to commit to what we do. We are going to be aggressive and try and press. I want to give our fans something to shout about.

Enes Unal showed some good movement there.

The Cherries full-debutant just checked his run at the right time before holding back to receive the ball in bucket-loads of space inside the area.

He could have shown more composure though, he rushes his shot and it is clearled comfortably just in front of the line.

Roy Keane, speaking on ITV:

Luton’s priority is to stay in the Premier League. They need the feel-good factor back. Manchester City know how to win these games.

The amount of games they have coming up won’t bother them. The players who are coming in are of pure quality.

Pep throws hand grenades at his own dressing room. He knows how to keep his players on edge.

Leicester have arguably been the better side in the opening 15 minutes.

Tom Cannon is causing the Cherries’ backline some problems and he got in behind there before his shot from a tight angle was squirmed away by Mark Travers.

However, the offside flag goes up in the end anyway.

A positive start from the Championship leaders.

We have some news from Blackburn v Newcastle.

The game has been delayed by 15 minutes to allow fans more time to get into Ewood Park.

The new kick-off time is 20:00 GMT.

Erling Haaland and Jack Grealish look like they are having a good giggle in the warm-up.

What do you think the Norweigan striker is saying?

My guess is: ‘Just whip it into a good area and I’ll bag loads of goals’

These two could be a dangerous combination tonight!

We are underway on the south coast.

There is a proper cup atmosphere at the Vitality Stadium, I even started humming to some of the songs.

Let’s see if Leicester’s Premier league audition is a good one.

Right, Bournemouth v Leicester gets underway in just under five minutes, so I think it’s time to get your predictions in.

Can a much-changed Leicester side topple Bournemouth? Can Blackburn heap more misery on Eddie Howe’s Newcastle? Will Luton mount a shock over a strong City side?

It’s sure to be another brilliant night of football.

On paper, it looks like it should be an easy night’s work for Man City, but that’s not how football works is it.

City have not lost to Luton Town since November 1988 – that’s 12 years before I was born…

To be fair to the Hatters, they have only played City nine times in the years that have followed. The Citizens’ 2-1 win at Kenilworth Road earlier this season was the first time the two had faced off in 24 years.

So, although it might seem like Man City should be the favourites, form goes out the window in the FA Cup, look what happened when Pep Guardiola’s centurions met Wigan Athletic in 2018…

Kieran Gill at Kenilworth Road:

Pep Guardiola has gone stronger than we thought. Erling Haaland. Kevin De Bruyne. Bernardo Silva. Jack Grealish. John Stones. So many world-beaters.

Season-defining series of games coming up for City – Luton (FA Cup), Manchester United (Premier League), Copenhagen (Champions League), Liverpool, Brighton, Arsenal, Aston Villa (all Premier League). Blimey.

Surprised Guardiola has gone so strong, but it’s another trophy up for grabs.

I must admit, I was anticipating that Erling Haaland would start tonight.

The FA Cup is sometimes a chance for some of the fringe players to get some game time, but Pep Guardiola is going for it tonight.

This is to be the Norweigan’s first start in the FA Cup this season, and he has only made four appearances in the competition since joining City.

He has scored 3 goals in those games though, and he will want some more tonight.

The big news tonight is that Jack Grealish starts for Manchester City.

Grealish could walk on water last season, however, this season he has been struggling to stay afloat.

The English midfielder hasn’t quite found the form that saw him play a key part in Manchester City’s treble last season, he has only five goal contributions from 26 appearances this season.

Pep Guardiola has often turned to summer signing Jeremy Doku to play off the left this season, while Matheus Nunes started there in their win over Bournemouth on Saturday.

However, the Catalan boss is keen for Grealish to return to form, maybe tonight could be the catalyst for that – he did net against them in the Premier League back in December.

Hopefully, he can make the impact he had last season. It depends on him. I try to be fair in my decision.

He played lots of minutes last season, and this season less in the beginning. He is the same player, he has the same manager, and the way we play has not changed.’

Nothing has changed. It’s just the way he has performed. That’s the difference. I said from day one: we need him, he has a special quality for our team. We need him. It depends on him. Hopefully he can do a good last three months.

There is no holding back from Pep Guardiola tonight, he is starting the big guns.

Jack Grealish has been given his chance, while Erling Haaland starts up top.

Look at that bench as well… so much talent.

I was wondering what type of side Rob Edwards was going to put out, but he has decided to go for it.

Tim Krul starts for the Hatters, but the Luton boss has only made two outfield changes.

Those are Jordan Clark and Reece Burke.

Tonight, Luton are bidding to make their first FA Cup quarter-final in 30 years.

To put that in perspective, in that same year, 1994, Nelson Mandela became the first democratically elected president of South Africa. So, it’s been a very long time.

Well, they are just one game away from repeating that feat in 2024, so how did they get here?

In the third round, it took a replay for the Hatters to defeat League One side Bolton Wanderers, however, they did not ned that in the fourth round against Everton.

Cauley Woodrow netted a stoppage-time winner at Goodison Park to secure their second 2-1 win over the Toffees this season and set up the tie with Manchester City.

Will there be more late drama today?

I do love a bit of drama, so I hope so!

Newcastle are looking to bounce back from their 4-1 defeat against Arsenal in the league, and this is who Eddi Howe has picked to do that.

Joe Willock who scored the consolation goal against his former club comes into the line-up, while Jacob Murphy joins him.

That is still a rather strong team – you’d expect them to get the win.

Blackburn are going for it tonight.

John Eustace has made just the two changes from the side that drew 1-1 with Norwich City.

Joint Fa Cup top scorer Sammie Szmodics starts for Rovers, he has scored five goals in the competition so far, including a hat-trick in the third round against Cambridge United.

Can he grab some more goals tonight?

Blackburn and Newcastle, I remember when these two used to tussle in the Premier League… those were the days.

When Blackburn got through to the fifth round after dominating Wrexham 4-1, they would have been extremely happy, then they would have remembered they set up a tie with Newcastle.

Rovers’ record against Newcastle in the FA Cup is, let’s just say, unsatisfactory. Newcastle have eliminated them seven times out of their last nine FA Cup ties.

Five of those seven wins have come in their last five FA Cup meetings, including a 4-2 away win in a third-round replay in 2018-19.

I say it a lot in these blogs, but records are there to be broken. Whenever stats are mentioned before a game, I always feel they act as a jinx.

Blackburn will be hoping that they work in their favour tonight.

Well, I said it was an audition for Leicester, but maybe Enzo Marseca does not see it the same way – he makes nine changes.

Only Jannik Vestergaard and Hamza Choudhury keep their place in the side after their 3-1 loss away at Leeds United last week.

Tom Cannon is trusted to lead the line while Marc Albrighton captains the side.

Do you think this team is strong enough, Leicester fans?

Let’s have a look at how the Cherries line-up in the 19:30 GMT kick-off.

They have made six changes from the side that was narrowly beaten by manchester city in the league last weekend.

Enes Unal comes in to make his full debut for the club, while Mark Travers is another standout change, replacing Neto in goal.

While they have made a lot of changes, this still feels like a strong side.

Leicester have so much Premier League quality, and are on course for a return to the top-flight after just one season away, but are they ready?

I believe they are. They are six points clear at the top of the Championship and are a joy to watch under Enzo Maresca, and tonight is a chance to prove what they can do against Premier League opposition.

Bournemouth are no easy task, they caused Manchester City several problems in their narrow loss at the weekend and are a match for anybody on their day.

Tonight is unfamiliar territory for both sides, they have never faced each other before in the FA Cup, however, The Cherries have enjoyed coming up against the Foxes in recent times – they have won their past three against them in all competitions.

So, who will win the first-ever meeting between these two in the FA Cup?

We all know how dominant Manchester City have been since Pep Guardiola took over in 2016, and that doesn’t exclude the FA Cup.

The Citizens secured their second FA Cup trophy under Guardiola last season, beating rivals Manchester United in the final at Wembley to secure the trophy.

Their dominance in the competition over the last two years has been outstanding. They have only conceded once in their last nine FA Cup games, and that came in last season’s final when Bruno Fernandes netted from the spot for United.

That is a crazy stat, and they will want to keep that record going – another treble is still not out of the question this season.

So, if you’re Luton, you must think about trying to score first before winning even comes into your mind.

Let’s quickly rewind to last night.

Many football fans were rooting for Maidstone United to cause another cup upset, but Mark Robins’ team burst that bubble within five minutes.

Ellis Simms netted a first-half hat-trick for the West Midlands side on their way to a 5-0 thumping of the non-league side.

Coventry’s emphatic display secured them a spot in the last eight for the first time in 15 years. I’m sure their players will be keeping a keen eye on tonight’s results as they await to see who they will face in their quarter-final.

Sky Blues fans, who would you like to see go through tonight?

What’s on the menu tonight? All I know for sure is that it is going to be tasty.

As I have already said, we have three FA Cup fifth-round ties in store for you including four Premier League sides.

• Bournemouth vs Leicester, 19:30 GMT
• Blackburn vs Newcastle, 19:45 GMT
• Luton vs Manchester City, 20:00 GMT

Which one of these ties are you most excited about?

It’s another day of FA Cup action, and tonight it ramps up just that little bit more.

The fifth round started last night with a five-star display from Coventry City as they swept aside non-league side Maidstone United at the CBS Arena.

It didn’t matter to the Stones though, they celebrated at the final whistle like they had won the tie, and so they should. Their cup run was magical.

The gap in quality between the sides competing tonight is significantly narrower, as six sides vie to progress to the last eight and make another step closer to the final set to take place on Saturday 25 May.

The holders, Manchester City, are one of those six in action tonight as they travel to Kenilworth Road to take on Luton Town in an all-Premier League clash. I wouldn’t want to bet against them tonight.

Other Premier League sides in action are AFC Bournemouth and Newcastle United. The Cherries host Championship leaders Leicester City while the Magpies visit Lancashire to take on Blackburn Rovers.

You won’t want to miss a minute tonight, so make sure you tune in with us as we give you all the updates from tonight’s games.

I’m looking forward to seeing Leicester City test themselves against a Premier League side again, they will be doing it a lot next season if they continue on their current path.

Let’s get this show on the road then, eh?