Lijnders praises 'machine-like' Erling Haaland after FA Cup hat-trick for Man City

The Norwegian striker powered City to the semi-finals of the highly coveted English competitions with his 12th hat-trick for the club since joining from Borussia Dortmund in 2022.

Lijnders expressed his satisfaction with Haaland's performance at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday, while commending the forwards character during a tough 2025/26 campaign.

"He's a machine to work with. I like the guys that train like that," said the Dutch assistant coach to the club website after the victory.

"I worked with a lot of good strikers with a lot of goals with a lot of finals, with a lot of cups and a lot of trophies. Erling it was his 12th hat-trick for City today and at an age when he has so much. The second goal was insane."

Lijnders was on the touchline for the clash against Liverpool due to head coach Pep Guardiola receiving a two-match ban by the FA after receiving his sixth yellow card of the season against Newcastle United last month.

"It's clear then that not everything throughout a long, long season will go your way. It shows character and mentality that he comes back in this fashion," added the 43-year-old.

Haaland has now scored 46 goals in 50 matches for club and country this season. 

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