Luton Town 2-1 Crystal Palace: Newly-promoted side claim first home Premier League victory of the season after they were lifted out of the bottom three by Everton’s point deduction
- Earlier this week, Everton took Luton Town’s place in the relegation zone
- Michael Olise cancelled out Teden Mengi’s opener before late winner
- Inside Postecoglou’s Tottenham: IAKO looks at culture and philosophy changes
The door to safety was opened ajar for Luton Town this week by forces out of their control. But it was all their own work as they burst through it all guns blazing to give a raucous Kenilworth Road its first top-flight victory in 31 years.
Lifted out of the relegation zone by Everton’s 10-point deduction this week, Rob Edwards’ side put clear daylight between themselves and the bottom three with a battling 2-1 win over Crystal Palace.
They had to work hard for it, and rode their luck at times. Michael Olise was inspired for the visitors, who also saw a goal disallowed by VAR, and Hatters goalkeeper Thomas Kaminski had to be at his brilliant best.
But Edwards’ men were dogged and determined and took their chances when it mattered. They ground out three points that change the complexion of the relegation battle, Teden Mengi and Jacob Brown scoring either side of Olise’s stunning equaliser.
This was Luton’s first home victory in the Premier League, and their first in the top flight since a 2-0 win over Aston Villa in 1992, when boss Edwards was just nine years old. The Welshman brought-up his one-year anniversary as Hatters manager last week, and this was some way to celebrate. ‘Luton are back, wooaah,’ roared the Kenny at full time — and at this rate they might be here to stay.
Luton have won their first Premier League home game of the season against Crystal Palace
Jacob Brown scored the winning goal for Luton in the 83rd minute of the match
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Roy Hodgson handed Olise his first start of the season after months on the sidelines with a hamstring injury. And he was straight into the action, curling just wide in the first minute after being fed by Eberechi Eze down the right.
Olise brings a touch of stardust to a Palace team that can look a little prosaic without him, and it was no surprise to see the Frenchman combining with Eze from the off.
Palace looked the more threatening side in the early stages and they had the biggest chance of the first half, too. Kaminski was forced into a brilliant double save — the first, to deny Eze from distance, was routine, but the second, to stop Jeff Schlupp’s firing in the rebound, was anything but.
Kaminski has made a habit of those acrobatics since his summer move from Blackburn, and his name rang out around the Kenny in appreciation.
Teden Mengi had given Luton the leader late in the second half as he celebrated wildly
Michael Olise netted a brilliant equaliser just moments later to dampen the Hatters’ spirits
MATCH FACTS
Luton (3-4-2-1): Kaminski 8; Mengi 7.5, Lockyer 7, Osho 6.5; Doughty 7 (Brown 79min), Barkley 7.5, Mpanzu 5.5 (Clark 61, 6.5), Bell 6; Townsend 6.5 (Chong 61, 6.5), Ogbene 7; Morris 6 (Adebayo 74, 6.5).
Subs not used: Krul, Giles, Nelson, Luker, Berry.Scorers: Mengi 72, Brown 83. Booked: Kaminski, Lockyer, Osho, Barkley, Adebayo, Clark.
Manager: Rob Edwards 7.5.
Crystal Palace (4-2-3-1): Johnstone 6; Ward 6, Andersen 6, Guehi 6.5, Mitchell 6; Lerma 6.5, Doucoure 6.5 (Hughes 54, 6); Olise 8, Eze 6 (Ayew 49, 5.5), Schlupp 6.5 (Ahamada 80); Edouard 5.5 (Mateta 80).
Subs not used: Matthews, Holding, Clyne, Richards, Franca.
Scorer: Olise 74. Booked: Lerma.
Manager: Roy Hodgson 6.
Referee: Jarred Gillett 6.5. Attendance: 11,029.
That was as close as Palace came before the break, as Luton grew into the game. Captain Tom Lockyer led by example in the heart of the Hatters’ back-three, while Ross Barkley rolled back the years in midfield. A tame Amari’i Bell drive may have been their only shot on target, but Rob Edwards will have been satisfied with his side’s work in the first 45.
Edwards will have been even happier soon after the break, when first Eze then Cheick Doucoure both withdrew with injury. The Kenny sensed blood.
But Brown poked home from close range around ten minutes later to secure a crucial victory
Instead it was first blood Palace — or so it seemed. Olise sent a raking ball forward in search of Odsonne Edouard, who raced through on goal, bundled past Kaminski and slotted in. But VAR Rob Jones spotted a clear handball as Edouard jostled with Lockyer in the build-up, and the goal was quickly, and rightly, disallowed.
Mengi made Palace pay minutes later, finishing well on the half-volley after a Luton corner fell to him in the box. But then Olise turned on the style. He brushed off Bell on the touchline, checked inside — beating Bell again — and then curled dreamily into the top-left corner.
There was a sting in the tail, however. After good work by Barkley in midfield and a sumptuous cross from Chiedozie Ogbene, substitute Brown slid in for 2-1.
Twelve minutes of stoppage time proved agonising for the home faithful, as Palace chances came thick and fast and Jefferson Lerma rattled the woodwork with seconds to go. But after 11,536 days of waiting, it was time for the Kenny to have its moment.
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