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Manchester City reclaimed their top spot with a resounding 5-1 victory over Luton Town at Etihad Stadium on Sunday, April 13. The scoring started with an early own goal from Hoshioka, followed by second-half strikes from Erling Haaland, Mateo Kovacic, Jeremy Doku, and Josko Gvardiol. Luton Town managed to score their solitary goal through star midfielder Ross Barkley.
Pep Guardiola opted to rest Phil Foden and Rodri ahead of Manchester City's upcoming Champions League quarterfinal against Real Madrid in three days. This led to Matheus Nunes and Julian Alvarez earning spots in the starting eleven. In contrast, Luton faced the challenge of fielding an injury-hit squad for the match.
Manchester City got off to a flying start as Erling Haaland unleashed a ferocious bicycle kick that cannoned off Daiki Hashioka's face, deflecting into the goal within just a minute.
Matheus Nunes found himself at the end of a beautifully crafted move from Manchester City, receiving a precise through ball from Kevin De Bruyne. Unfortunately for the former Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder, his strike in the 27th minute hit the crossbar, leaving him unlucky on this occasion.
Despite playing in second gear, City managed to double their lead courtesy of an excellent strike from Mateo Kovacic. The Croat midfielder struck the ball perfectly, volleying into the back of the net in the 63rd minute after receiving the cross from Julian Alvarez from a well-worked corner.
Just two minutes after going 2-0 down, Ross Barkley struck the crossbar, narrowly missing out on an opportunity to half the deficit. Full-back Fred Onyedinma lunged into Jeremy Doku inside the penalty box in the 74th minute. The league's top scorer Erling Haaland confidently dispatched the spot-kick to put the game beyond visitors' sights.
Jeremy Doku sealed the game beyond Luton's reach by effortlessly gliding past Onyedinma and slotting the ball into the far bottom corner in the 88th minute, marking his 3rd Premier League goal of the season.
Jeremy Doku managed to assist a goal by pulling the ball back to Josko Gvardiol, whose shot from outside the penalty box beat Kaminski convincingly and hit the top right-hand corner.
In this article, we will examine five hits and flops from the match.
#5 Hit - Matheus Nunes
Matheus Nunes may not have found the net or provided an assist in this match, but his relentless runs through the middle and right wing, constantly getting involved, have certainly made a strong case for one of the top performers from the game.
The Portuguese international, unlucky in the first half with a shot rattling the crossbar, managed to complete two passes into the final third and made five recoveries. With matches coming thick and fast, Nunes will be eager for more game time to secure a spot in the starting eleven. While Matheus Nunes was at fault for Luton's opener, his overall impact on the game was significant.
#4 Flop - Julian Alvarez
Julian Alvarez may have secured an assist, but his overall performance left much to be desired right from the start. The Argentine struggled to find himself in scoring positions and had difficulty delivering crosses throughout the game.
After an excellent start to the season, Alvarez seems to have faded. He only completed two out of 10 attempted crosses against a side that sat back in hopes of securing a result.
#3 Hit - Josko Gvardiol
Josko Gvardiol, who scored an extraordinary goal against Real Madrid on Tuesday, rounded off a good display with a well-taken goal during stoppage time. The new acquisition from RB Leipzig received the ball from Doku and smashed the ball into the top corner.
He managed to complete a couple of chances, as well as make five recoveries, only Kovacic and Lewis have as many. The defender is slowly settling into his life at Manchester after a slow start to his career in England.
#2 Flop - Fred Onyedinma
Fred Onyedinma was at fault for a couple of goals, as he needlessly left his foot in to bring down Jeremy Doku on one occasion and allowed the Belgian attacker to easily bypass him, which led to a goal on another occasion in the second half.
The right wing-back became the main talking point for his lethargic performance in the second half, being dribbled past a total of five times. He struggled to put a foot right for most parts of the game.
#1 Hit - Jeremy Doku
Jeremy Doku took center stage in the second half, netting a goal and providing an assist against Luton Town, a team fighting to secure their place in the English top flight. The Belgian winger initially lacked cutting edge in the opening half but completely changed the narrative after halftime. He scored a brilliant goal from the left wing and set up Josko Gvardiol for the final goal of the match, turning the game on its head.
While Doku has yet to contribute more to goals, his exceptional dribbling ability is a significant asset for Manchester City. In the upcoming weeks, he is expected to play a crucial role as Pep Guardiola's men pursue success in the Premier League, Champions League, and FA Cup. With Grealish currently preferred in the left-wing role, Doku could emerge as a key X-factor off the bench for City.
