The match had long since settled into a lull. Manchester City's players showed no signs of heartbreak anymore — they were already trailing by four goals, with only fifteen or so minutes left on the clock.
Scoring four times in the final ten minutes to level the match?
Even if divine intervention favored City, it simply wasn't happening.
The Luton fans were in full voice, their singing echoing around the small stadium. Some had even started doing the wave. It was an unforgettable night for the home crowd — pure joy and disbelief.
On the touchline, Mark Hughes cut a frustrated figure. The City manager was shouting himself hoarse, gesturing animatedly in a desperate bid to reignite the fire in his players.
He likely knew that a comeback — or even a draw — was out of reach now. But pride was still on the line. Manchester City had to score at least once!
Conceding four goals to a second-division side without reply — the result would be nothing short of humiliating.
Perhaps that brutal thought also crossed the players' minds, because in the final stretch of the game, City launched a desperate counteroffensive.
When teams are chasing a goal late in the game, many instinctively resort to long balls and aerial bombardments. Not because it's sophisticated, but because it's simple, direct, and, most importantly, easy to execute under pressure.
City began pumping high balls into the final third, aiming for the towering figures of Felipe Caicedo and Evans. Robinho and Bellamy buzzed around them, looking for second balls and scraps.
Luton's centre-backs, however, held their own admirably in the air. In particular, 18-year-old Dutch defender Jeffrey was outstanding.
Time and again he out-jumped Caicedo and Evans, reading the flight of the ball and timing his headers with precision. His aerial dominance made him nearly impenetrable.
As desperation mounted, Hughes pushed Vincent Kompany forward to act as an auxiliary target man. The Belgian defender, known for his physical strength and heading ability, provided an extra presence in the box despite being out of position.
In the 84th minute, Kompany finally got on the end of a cross. He rose above the defenders and met the ball cleanly with his head, sending it toward goal — but it lacked precision. The ball skimmed just wide of the post.
There was a collective gasp from the stands — Luton had nearly conceded!
The near-miss, however, seemed to fire up the City players. Kompany, running back to his position, clenched his fists and shouted to his teammates:
"Come on, lads! We have to get one back!"
Though still young, the Belgian showed the leadership qualities that would one day define his captaincy at Manchester City.
From the touchline, Luton manager Ethan watched tensely. A 4–0 scoreline was perfect in his eyes — but if City pulled one back, it would take a bit of the shine off.
So as soon as he sensed the momentum shift, he made a quick decision.
"Matt! Warm up!" he barked toward the bench.
Matt, surprised, scrambled to his feet. As a centre-forward, he didn't expect to come on with a four-goal cushion. Was Ethan looking to attack again?
He didn't have time to ponder. He pulled on his training top and jogged toward the sideline.
"Luton are about to make a change," said commentator Letkinson. "A high target man in Matt is getting ready. Four goals ahead — and Ethan's still sending on a striker? Surely he's not looking to add to the scoreline? What a madman!"
Even some of Ethan's assistants looked confused. One of them, John, glanced at the manager with uncertainty.
When facing Chelsea—a team whose coach and players had personal history with Ethan—he managed to avoid getting drawn into controversy. But now, one had to wonder: was there some unspoken tension between him and Manchester City as well?
Lin Sen gazed thoughtfully at Matt Schmidt, who had begun warming up on the sidelines. Standing next to Ethan, the towering striker had to bend slightly—otherwise, the shorter coach would have to crane his neck just to look him in the eye.
"Matt, get ready to go on. You'll be playing as a center-back!" Ethan instructed.
"Center-back?!" Matt scratched his head, confused. "But I'm a center forward!"
"It's fine!" Ethan waved it off. "Manchester City are launching long balls into the box nonstop. That's your specialty, isn't it? Go out there and clear everything in the air! We need your presence in the penalty area."
He patted Matt on the shoulder with a grin. "No one out-jumps you in the air!"
Matt's confidence returned instantly. Yes, even though he was a striker, he was dominant in the air—and at 198 centimeters tall, he was a perfect fit to help defend set-pieces and aerial threats.
Soon after, Matt stood by the touchline, ready to come on as a substitute for Jamie Vardy.
As Vardy left the pitch, he received a roaring ovation from the 10,000-strong crowd. He had been Luton's standout performer in the game and fully deserved the applause.
The substitution seemed ordinary on paper—a striker replacing another striker. The commentators noted it as a straightforward swap.
"Luton make a change—Matt Schmidt comes on for Jamie Vardy. A like-for-like substitution," Letkinson remarked.
But within seconds, it became clear something was off.
"Wait… Schmidt is lining up as a center-back?!"
Indeed, Matt Schmidt positioned himself just beside Luton's two regular central defenders.
"Using a striker as a central defender… Coach Ethan is certainly thinking outside the box," Letkinson said with a chuckle.
"Matt's a great header of the ball," Redknapp added. "Looks like Ethan wants to use his aerial dominance to deal with City's high balls into the area."
And it worked. Manchester City's attack, which had been relentless, began to falter. With Matt's height and timing, paired with Luton's solid center-backs, they neutralized the threat of City's front line—and even Kompany couldn't win the aerial duels.
The match remained intense until the final whistle, but Manchester City were unable to create any real danger.
In stoppage time, after Jeffrey headed the ball clear, Kanté pounced on the second ball and launched it upfield with a powerful clearance.
The referee blew the final whistle!
Luton had done it—they had pulled off another upset, defeating Manchester City and making history by reaching the FA Cup quarter-finals!