Luton Town

Geoff Doyle
BBC 3CR sports editor

Luton Town came up against a rampant world-class team on Wednesday night in the FA Cup.

Seeing Manchester City at close quarters gave us a privileged glimpse at the ultra-elite technical ability of the very best players in the world. It was frighteningly and breathtakingly good. Movement, touch, control, rhythm, speed, awareness and tactical intelligence. Precise, quick one-touch passing in tight spaces.

It was a football educational masterclass as Pep's side taught not only the Luton players, but also all of us watching a lesson in elite football.

Plucky Luton tried to match City with their bold, aggressive play and attacking intent and, while it produced two great goals and pure excitement and drama, it did leave Luton painfully exposed at times.

Afterwards, Rob Edwards told me he will continue with this fearless approach - anything less and he feels his side will be going backwards.

You have to admire his bravery and that of his team. If the philosophy works and it keeps Luton up, Edwards should be named manager of the year.

It has huge risks and at times against City it looked a little naive, but it is a strategy that has seen Luton knock four past Newcastle and Brighton recently and score on every occasion in their past 13 Premier League games.

A bit more caution at times would be nice and less space between the lines, but with a rising injury list it could be that attack is the best form of defence for Luton in their Premier League survival bid.

Whatever happens, if the tactics remain like this it's going to be a rollercoaster in these upcoming 13 'cup finals' - as Edwards described the remaining games.

Go down or stay up swinging or being conservative? I'll take the attacking option but would be in favour of toning it down a tad.

There won't be many nil-nil's that's for sure.

Commentary of Luton Town v Aston Villa on BBC Three Counties Digital Radio and Online (UK only) via BBC Sounds on Saturday from 17:30 GMT

We asked you for your thoughts on Tuesday's FA Cup tie between Luton and Manchester City. Here are some of your comments...

Luton fans

Vicesh: Played really well. Can’t fault the lads really - tried hard but, overall, just outclassed by a team full of talent with money behind them.

Nick: Don't want to overreact, but we are conceding way too many goals. Defending has to improve - the system we play means we are open at the back a lot and we will get punished at this level. Wing-backs have to defend as well as push forward - this seems to have been forgotten.

Neale: You have to admire Rob for wanting to play a certain way, but if lessons cannot be learned and we give teams the time and space we gave City, then it’s going to be a hard struggle. I am looking forward to seeing the reaction from the players and I continue to hold the faith that we will survive in the Premier League…COYH!

City fans

Franklin: Best they've played for a few weeks.

Ian: Bit different from City. Less patient in their build-up and instead played with plenty of forward runs and it paid off. Credit to Luton because they went for it as well, but City were just to good.

Colin: Excellent result and some great football. The fans were brilliant and never stopped singing.

Image source, Getty Images

Former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson says Luton Town "can't let the manner of the [FA Cup] defeat [by Manchester City] affect them," as Rob Edwards' side continue to battle for Premier League survival.

"This was never going to be a season-defining game for them," said Robinson on BBC Radio 5 Live. "I don't like the phrase 'free hit' but this was one of those.

"Nobody expected anything from them, Manchester City came here as Treble winners and the expectation was on them.

"They can't let the goals and the manner of the defeat affect them for the rest of the season, and that's what the manager will be saying to them. It's done and finished, you put it behind you and the FA Cup was never going to be a priority this season.

"They now have to concentrate on staying in the Premier League, which is a difficult task, and it's hard not knowing where they stand because of the points deductions looming over the teams around them."

Listen to the full discussion on BBC Sounds

Sam Drury
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

The FA Cup may not have been particularly high on Luton's list of priorities this season but such a heavy home defeat, even to a side of Manchester City's quality, will hurt.

Few teams would have been able to cope with Kevin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland in the form they were in, particularly in the first half and Rob Edwards' side found themselves carved open time and again.

But while that will hurt, as will the final score-line, the manner in which they fought back to 3-2 and kept pushing right until the last should offer some encouragement.

Jordan Clark also treated the Luton fans to one of the goals of the season with his 25-yard stunner just before half time and added another with a thumping finish early in the second half.

City pulled away again soon after but Luton did have their chances.

It is those positives that the Hatters will try to focus on as they return to league action at the weekend.

They welcome Aston Villa to Kenilworth Road on Saturday and there is Premier League survival to be fought for.

Image source, Getty Images

Luton Town boss Rob Edwards, speaking to ITV: "Manchester City were pretty good, weren't they? We came up against a brilliant team and brilliant individuals who are well coached.

"We are going to evolve and hopefully get better. We are not going to change even though tonight we left ourselves exposed at times. At 3-2 we are in the game. The fourth one was obviously a bit of a killer.

"We could have been a bit better. We are quite bold. Sometimes when you come up against that kind of opposition you get a bit of a doing."

Here are the key facts and figures from Tuesday's FA Cup fifth-round game between Luton Town and Manchester City.

• Luton Town have conceded six goals in an FA Cup tie for the first time since a 6-2 loss to Bolton Wanderers in a third round replay in January 1997. It's the first time they've done so at home since losing 6-0 to Derby County in the first leg of the third round in January 1946.

• Erling Haaland is the first player to score at least five goals in an FA Cup tie (first round onwards) since Duane Darby for Hull City against Whitby in a first round replay in November 1996 (six goals).

• Kevin De Bruyne has now assisted 16 of Erling Haaland's 79 Manchester City goals. He's the first Premier League player to provide four assists for a teammate in a game in all competitions since Harry Kane for Son Heung-min for Tottenham against Southampton in the league in September 2020.

• This is just the second time Erling Haaland has scored five goals in a game in his senior career, previously doing so for Manchester City against RB Leipzig in the Champions League in March 2023.

• Kevin De Bruyne has provided nine assists in his past five FA Cup appearances for Manchester City, one more than his first 23 appearances for the Citizens in the competition (eight).

• In six FA Cup starts for Luton, Jordan Clark has been involved in five goals (four goals, one assist), with this his first brace in the competition.

Erling Haaland scored five in a stunning display of finishing as holders Manchester City thrashed Luton to reach the FA Cup quarter-finals.

It was the Norwegian's eighth hat-trick for City and he also became the first player to score five in a game twice for the club.

City opened the scoring in the fourth minute when Kevin de Bruyne, who assisted the first four goals, was allowed time and space to cut the ball back for Haaland to convert.

The pair combined again 15 minutes later, with Haaland running on to a through ball before powering it past Luton goalkeeper Tim Krul and it was a similar move that brought the third, only this time with a delicate dink to finish.

Jordan Clark pulled one back for Luton with a stunning strike, curled beautifully into the top corner from 25 yards on the stroke of half-time and gave Rob Edwards' side hope of a memorable comeback with a thumping finish seven minutes into the second half.

However, Pep Guardiola's team soon dashed those hopes when De Bruyne squared for Haaland to tap into an empty net after a superb pass from Kyle Walker had sent the Belgium midfielder clear.

Haaland got his fifth - matching his effort against RB Leipzig in last season's Champions League last 16 - when the low shot went straight through Krul, who then saw a long-range strike from Mateo Kovacic flash past him for the visitors' sixth.

Luton had opportunities in the second half with Stefan Ortega, starting in place of Ederson for City, forced into action a number of times. City might easily have added to their lead at the other end but once Haaland was replaced with 15 minutes to go, there was not the same ruthlessness and the hosts were spared any further punishment.

Were you at Kenilworth Road or following the match from elsewhere?

Luton fans - let us know your thoughts on the game here

How did you rate the side's performance, City fans?

Follow all of the reaction here

There are three games being played in the fifth round of the FA Cup on Tuesday and we will bring you every moment.

Follow all of the action and reaction here

All times are GMT

Image source, Getty Images

The draw for the quarter finals of the FA Cup will take place on Wednesday at 19:00 GMT, before Chelsea's tie with Leeds United, which kicks off at 19:30.

It will be live on ITV4 and you can also follow the draw on the BBC Sport website and app.

Former England goalkeeper David Seaman, a four-time FA Cup winner with Arsenal, will conduct the draw.

The ball numbers will be:

1. Blackburn Rovers or Newcastle United

2. Chelsea or Leeds United

3. Bournemouth or Leicester City

4. Liverpool or Southampton

5. Nottingham Forest or Manchester United

6. Wolverhampton Wanderers or Brighton & Hove Albion

7. Coventry City

8. Luton Town or Manchester City

BBC Sport's football expert Chris Sutton has made his predictions for this week's FA Cup fifth-round ties. For all eight games he is up against Kaiser Chiefs bassist and Leeds fan Simon Rix.

Sutton's prediction: 1-2

I didn't expect Manchester City to start reminding me of George Graham's Arsenal side of the 1990s, but they are winning ugly at the moment, with back-to-back 1-0 victories.

Luton gave City a good game at Kenilworth Road before Christmas - when they led 1-0 at half-time before losing 2-1 - and I think Hatters boss Rob Edwards will go for it again here, despite having Premier League survival to think about.

I am expecting City to edge it again this time, although I am not quite sure what team their manager Pep Guardiola will put out.

He killed my fantasy team at the weekend because I had picked Kyle Walker, Julian Alvarez and Jeremy Doku, and all three started the game on the bench.

One of City's strengths is the way they can rotate and still be so strong. Luton have got a goal in them, but it won't be enough.

Simon's prediction: 1-3

Luton have been doing well recently but how does Guardiola feel about the FA Cup? He probably wants to win it again, so he is going to pick a strong side. Luton might get a goal because it's a cup tie, but City will win.

See the full list of predictions

Image source, Getty Images

Midfielder Luke Berry says Luton "don’t want to be one-season wonders" and are "more than capable" of fighting relegation to remain in the Premier League.

The 31-year-old, who signed from Cambridge in 2017, has gained promotion three times with the Hatters during his seven-year stint at the club.

"Every league is tricky," said Berry to BBC Look East.

"It’s the speed, it increases and the mistakes you make you get punished. It’s relentless. You can’t switch off for any moment. Top sides will find problems so you have to stay switched on.

"But we don’t fear anything. It’s not making those silly mistakes that you get away with in the lower leagues.

"We don’t want to be one-season wonders. We have the depth, we have players who aren’t in the squad who are competing. We are capable of winning two or three games on the bounce.

"We are more than capable of staying up. The points will come by being us."

Here are the key facts and figures before Tuesday's FA Cup fifth-round tie between Luton Town and Manchester City:

• This is the first FA Cup meeting between Luton and Manchester City since January 1969, with City winning a third-round tie 1-0 at Maine Road.

• City are unbeaten in their past nine meetings with Luton in all competitions (W5 D4), with their 2-1 win at Kenilworth Road in the Premier League this season their only previous meeting with the Hatters this century.

• Luton are looking to reach the FA Cup quarter-final for the first time since 1993-94. They have gone out at the fifth round twice since then - against Millwall in 2012-13 and against Chelsea in 2021-22.

• Manchester City have reached the FA Cup quarter-final in all but one of their seven previous campaigns under Pep Guardiola. The only failure was in 2017-18, when they lost 1-0 to Wigan Athletic in the fifth round.

• This is the first time Luton have an FA Cup tie against the holders of the competition since 1986-87, when they eliminated Liverpool after two replays in the third round.

• Manchester City have won each of their past eight FA Cup matches by an aggregate score of 25-1. They have won 32 of their 38 games under Pep Guardiola in the competition (D1 L5), with four of their five defeats coming in the semi-final.

Relegation-threatened Premier League teams have been handed a bombshell after it was announced Everton have retrieved on appeal four of the 10 points they were deducted for breaching Premier League financial rules.

Pending the other charges both they and Nottingham Forest are facing, the Toffees have moved above Forest and Brentford into 15th place and opened up a five point cushion over Luton in 18th - the final relegation place.

Both the Bees and the Hatters have a game in hand over Sean Dyche's side, but the latest update in this saga has put the Toffees back into the driving seat in the relegation battle and will leave Thomas Frank and Nuno Espirito Santo looking nervously over their shoulders.

Image source, Getty Images

Luton manager Rob Edwards says his side "don't want to rely on factors out of our control" in response to Everton's points deduction being reduced on appeal on Monday.

The Toffees were handed back four of the 10 points they were deducted for breaching Premier League financial rules, moving them five points above the Hatters.

"I've spoken openly with the boys and said we're not looking at the points deductions," Edwards said before Tuesday's FA Cup tie at home to Manchester City.

"Our task hasn’t changed so I don’t see us having to pick anyone up at all. It makes no real difference, we were in the bottom three before and we still are.

"The situation is the same from our point of view. Deductions can't be the thing that keeps us in the league, we've got to keep it in our own hands. But it's good to have a bit of clarity."

Luton have been the best of the three promoted clubs but still find themselves in the bottom three, four points behind Nottingham Forest, who, along with Everton, still face further charges of breaching profitability and sustainability rules for the 2022-23 season.

Edwards does not want that to enter his side's thinking as they battle for survival.

"Maybe [the players will think about that], it's human nature but we can't control that," he added. "This is a difficult league, it's been tough from day one. [There are] more charges but that is completely out of our hands. If we don't do our job then it doesn't matter.

"We're just four points behind Forest with a game in hand. We're in the mix. It's not changed our task.

"We have got to make sure we get enough points to stay in league, whatever that may be."

Nat Hayward
BBC Sport journalist

Luton boss Rob Edwards has been speaking to the media before Tuesday's FA Cup fifth round tie at home to holders Manchester City.

Here are the key lines form his news conference:

• Edwards said Luton's "attitude hasn't changed" and he does not see himself "having to pick anyone up" after it was announced Everton would be given four points back on appeal - moving them above the Hatters.

• When asked if his players might be thinking about a possible other points deduction for Everton and Nottingham Forest, he said: "Maybe, it's human nature. We can't control that. We can't bank on that or use it. That's completely out of our control. What is (in our control) is how hard we work, the commitment to what we do."

• Edwards is keen to focus on what is in his control: "These are difficult questions because it is very new and I've not experienced it before. But it is hypothetical at the moment. We have to focus on ourselves."

• He thinks more transparency is needed for future points deductions: "I won't comment on what could happen in the future but clarity on the number of points (would be good). That would help everyone. As for going forward that stuff is out of our control. Nothing to do with me at the moment."

• He confirmed that Alfie Doughty is fit to play after being taken off early against Liverpool and January signing Daiki Hashioka could be in line to feature for the first time since joining from Belgian side Sint-Truiden in January.

• Issa Kabore is unavailable to face his parent club while Sambi Lokonga and Elijah Adebayo will miss out with hamstring injuries.

• On facing Manchester City: "They’re the most difficult team we’ve played against at home. They can handle the ball in tight spaces, the detail of their passing was incredible, the timing was incredible. There are areas we can be better in. We are a better team from two months ago so we can take confidence."

Image source, Getty Images

Rob Edwards says the last few weeks in the Premier League have taken their toll but he believes his side still has the depth and the strength to avoid relegation.

Luton played and lost to Manchester United and Liverpool in the space of four days and now face Manchester City in the FA Cup on Tuesday night.

"It takes its toll, physically it’s difficult to go against Manchester United and then back that up a few days later against Liverpool," Edwards told BBC Look East.

"It was so intense. These are the most difficult games you can get. It does take its toll, but it’s a brilliant challenge.

"We have the same size squad as everyone else. I believe in the group we have. We can cope."

The Hatters, who welcome Manchester City to Kenilworth Road after beating Everton 2-1 in the fourth round, know the challenge they face if they want to reach the quarter-finals.

"They’re the most difficult team we’ve played against at home," added Edwards.

"I know they were missing a few last time. But they can handle the ball in tight spaces, the detail of their passing was incredible, the timing was incredible.

"There are areas we can be better in. We are a better team from two months ago so we can take confidence."

You can listen to live match commentary of Luton's FA Cup fifth-round tie against Manchester City on BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra from 19:45 GMT

We asked you for your thoughts on Wednesday's Premier League game between Liverpool and Luton.

Here are are some of your comments:

Liverpool fans

Vin: Now that’s what you call a game of two halves. First half was wasteful and too frantic in the last third. Second half we came out of the blocks with more intent, with composure to match. The crowd was driven on by the players and the players were driven on by the crowd. It made for a difficult atmosphere for Luton to try and play in. A good night.

Alan: Poor finishing first half but upped the tempo and swept Luton aside in the second half. Lively performance from Elliott. Gomez again was immense but Mac Allister was the stand out. Good warm up for Chelsea but need to keep the tempo high.

Stuart: In the reverse fixture we had a strong team and could not win. What a performance from this group of players. Gomez's versatility, Endo's endeavour, Mac Allister's vision. Backed up by the super, young members of the squad, and all front three players scored! I really enjoyed the second half, it was incredible stuff.

Sonny: Let's say it as it is shall we? We were terrible in the first half. Simple as that. But when you factor in Klopp's half-time team talk, we could give any game a go no matter the score line. We are the first club in Europe's big five leagues to have five players score 10 goals in all competitions and you can see why! Once again, the Reds are victorious!

Luton fans

Roby: Given the so called 'whipping boys' and relegated by Christmas tag we have really put up a good fight. To lead until the 56th minute wasn't bad. We have many injured stars, so do Liverpool. The difference is we can't afford the squad they have as back up. We have surprised a lot of critics with wonderful displays against Arsenal, Man City, Man Utd and Chelsea.

Kevin: Great performance from the Town, missing key players from the start was a big hurdle (ours more significant to us than those missing for Liverpool), as was losing players during the game. We won the first half but the match being so close to the Sunday evening game did us no favours as we had tired bodies and minds. More questionable decisions from the ref.

Tony: We keeping making big individual mistakes at the back, if we do not improve we will go down.

Sue: OK, that leaves us with Man City and then we can really start to concentrate on the league. The players didn’t let themselves down, they were true to their belief in themselves and love for each other. The rest of the other teams that are coming after us, you need to watch out because I mean it - they really are going to stay up. I believe it.

Image source, Getty Images

Luton boss Rob Edwards says his side were "suffocated" by Liverpool in the second-half of their 4-1 defeat at Anfield on Wednesday night.

The Hatters led 1-0 at half-time but were overrun after the break with Jurgen Klopp's team scoring four times without reply.

"We just made them angry I think didn't we," Edwards said post-match.

"Second-half I think we just saw Anfield, saw Liverpool, saw that full-throttle football. Their counter-pressing was incredible, suffocated us.

"Fans were amazing and it was probably difficult for the players to really concentrate. The real threat came from their counter-pressing, their intensity, it really put us on the back foot.

"Clearly I'm disappointed to concede from a corner and a throw in as well, those are the bits we know we can improve on, especially in that noise when your mate next to you can't hear you. You've got to be able to deal with those situations better.

"But, bigger and better teams have come here and that's sort of happened to them as well so it's not a disgrace.

"It was like the Kop was just sucking it in and we couldn't really get out. We saw Anfield and Liverpool at it's best, I thought they were brilliant."