After a thrilling Crystal Palace victory, Luton Town finally win at home in the Premier League.
Luton Town were able to enjoy their first home win of the Premier League season at the sixth time of asking today, as they defeated Crystal Palace in a gripping match.
After winning away at Everton in September, all that remained for the Hatters was to win in front of a raucous Kenilworth Road crowd, and they did just that.
A goalless first period foreshadowed what was to come in an exhaustive second 45 minutes, with Luton grabbing the lead through Teden Mengi, then being pegged back immediately before regaining the lead through Jacob Brown’s close range finish.
Twelve minutes of additional time was then extended, with Town digging deep as Palace put everything at them, with Jefferson Lerma hitting the post at the finish as Luton clung on for what might be a massive first top flight three points of the season in Bedfordshire.
Town made two changes for the game before kick-off, with defender Amari’i Bell returning from a hamstring injury to replace the concussed Issa Kabore, and Alfie Doughty switching to right wingback. Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu was also introduced.
He replaced Marvellous Nakamba, who suffered an injury while on international duty with Zimbabwe, though Chiedozie Obgene was fit enough to take his spot in attack.
After a thrilling Crystal Palace victory, Luton Town finally win at home in the Premier League.
The visitors got off to a fast start, with Michael Olise cutting in from the right and shooting wide, then driving straight through the middle, with Odsonne Edouard’s effort going straight at Thomas Kaminski.
Luton produced a threatening moment of their own, with visiting keeper Sam Johnstone just about gathering Andros Townsend’s cross under pressure from Carlton Morris.
On 23 minutes, Kaminski demonstrated his growing value to the Hatters with a magnificent double save. He first parried Eberiche Eze’s 20-yard shot before getting up quickly and excellently to parry Jeffrey Schlupp’s follow-up as well.
Town finally got going when Ross Barkley played a fantastic raking pass out the wing and Doughty scampered away to win a corner, which roused the hitherto hushed home crowd.
Bell took aim from 40 yards after a corner was passed out to him, like he had done previously, and his connection was true once more, forcing Johnstone to field low down.
The Hatters’ chances were few and far between, with Tom Lockyer’s header from a corner going harmlessly wide. After the break, the visitors were dealt a double injury blow as both Eze and Cheick Doucoure pulled up and had to be stretchered off, the latter on a stretcher, with Jordan Ayew and former Watford player Will Hughes going on to boos.
Luton felt an opening when Ogbene was unable to connect Doughty’s right wing cross and then won a well-defended corner. On the hour, manager Rob Edwards made a double substitution, giving Jordan Clark his first home appearance in the top division, as well as Tahith Chong, who replaced Townsend and Mpanzu.
Midway through the half, Palace thought they had taken the lead as Town’s defenders was caught off guard by a long ball over the top as Edouard went away on the left. As Kaminski came out, he was half-blocked by Lockyer’s spectacular sliding block, the ball obviously striking the Frenchman’s trailing hand and rebounding favourably as he tucked home.
