Manchester City striker Erling Haaland becomes first top-flight player to achieve FA Cup goal feat since George Best at Manchester United

The Norwegian ace notched a first-half hat-trick before adding a further two to his personal tally after the break with playmaker Kevin De Bruyne providing four assists.

It’s the second time Haaland has netted five since joining reigning Premier League champions Manchester City, following a Champions League quintet against RB Leipzig, and he’s now the first player to score five or more in the world’s oldest national football competition since Best.

However, Best did go one better by registering six goals as Manchester United defeated Northampton Town 8-2 on February 7, 1970 – the achievement earned him an invitation to 10 Downing Street from Prime Minster Harold Wilson, who had reportedly previously written fan mail to the Northern Ireland icon.

Best rounded his scoring off at the County Ground by feinting to go right before turning left and taking the ball past goalkeeper Kim Book, leaving him sitting in the mud and walking up to the net to tap in from close range.

Book later told the Daily Telegraph: "(I told George) Haven't you had enough yet? I remember thinking George was going to go one way, but he dropped his shoulder and went the other, and by then I was already on the deck. He was just too good for me."

Best scored 23 goals in 53 appearances during that 1969/70 season and ended his time at Old Trafford with 181 across 474 matches in all competitions before going on to play for the likes of Los Angeles Aztecs, Fulham and San Jose Earthquakes.

Haaland has now netted 79 times in just 83 outings for City and the 23-year-old feels he’s getting back to his best after an injury setback.

“It’s coming, we’re coming,” he told ITV. “My fitness? I am getting back to my best. Finally I am feeling good. It’s an amazing feeling. Exciting times ahead. We are ready to attack.”

Guardiola was also full of praise for the connection between Haaland and De Bruyne which could fire City, who won the treble last season, to even more silverware this term.

“The players read the game perfectly,” he said. “The connection of Kevin with Erling was great but everyone contributed. Happy to be in the quarter-finals, one game away from Wembley.

“Erling needs a guy with the vision, the quality, the generosity. Kevin is the less selfish player in front of goal. Kevin needs the movement from Erling. We know how aggressive they are.

“Every pass was good. The finishing from Erling was good. We could have scored more, we had two or three more chances, one against one with Krul. But the players read (the game) really well. They did it perfectly.

“My only concern was that Erling had been two months stopped, he couldn’t walk, couldn’t make anything. When you lose two months, that rhythm is not easy to get back.

“Every game he’s getting better. Kevin as well. Step by step, they are coming back.”