Luton Town vs Manchester City

Kenilworth Road sets the stage for an exciting FA Cup fifth-round tie between Luton Town and Manchester City.

Luton’s only third FA Cup fifth-round appearance since 1993/94 faces an arduous task in the form of reigning holders Manchester City. Rob Edwards’ men will take the field as significant betting underdogs, not least because a 4-1 rout at Liverpool last time out extended their losing streak against top-flight rivals to three matches. On the bright side, the Hatters overcame Premier League opposition in round four, eking out a 2-1 win at Everton to set up their first FA Cup tie against Man City since 1968/69. They lost that match-up 1-0, which would be a resounding success this time, given a substantial gulf in quality. But they held their ground at this stadium earlier in the season, suffering a narrow 2-1 loss to the perennial Premier League champions in December.

Meanwhile, Manchester City’s FA Cup title defense has gone smoothly thus far, as they’ve left Huddersfield Town and Tottenham Hotspur in their wake, progressing from both ties without conceding. Those results form part of City’s outrageous 17-game unbeaten streak in all competitions (W15, D2), bookended by a narrow 1-0 league win at Bourneomuth at the weekend. The Citizens will be confident of maintaining their formidable form at Kenilworth Road, considering they’re unbeaten in their last nine matches against Luton (W5, D4). Pep Guardiola’s men have been a dominant force in this competition lately, winning eight consecutive FA Cup ties, including seven ‘to nil.’ That only increases the likelihood of another win, not least because they boast a 100% win ratio against sides currently in the bottom four in the Premier League.