Luton Town

Here are the key facts and figures before Saturday's game between West Ham and Luton in the Premier League.

• West Ham are looking to complete their first league double over Luton since 1983-84 following their 2-1 win at Kenilworth Road earlier this season.

• Luton are winless in their past five away league games against West Ham (D3 L2). This is their first visit to West Ham since a 2-2 draw in December 1992, and first in the top-flight since a 0-0 draw in August 1991.

• West Ham have conceded 70 Premier League goals this season - their joint-most in a single campaign along with 2010-11 when they finished bottom. They last conceded more in a league season in 1975-76 (71).

• Since beating Brighton 4-0 in January and moving outside the relegation zone - Luton have won just one of their past 15 Premier League games (D4 L10). Defeat in this match would leave them on the cusp of relegation back to the Championship.

• Jarrod Bowen has scored 16 Premier League goals this season – the last West Ham player to net more in a single top-flight campaign was Tony Cottee in 1986-87 (22).

• No player has scored more headed goals in the Premier League this season than West Ham’s Jarrod Bowen (five). Of all players to score 10+ goals in the competition this season, only Chris Wood (42%) has scored a higher share with his head than Luton’s Elijah Adebayo (40%).

Follow live commentary of West Ham v Luton from 15:00 BST on BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds

Geoff Doyle
BBC 3CR sports editor

Image source, Getty Images

Watching Elijah Adebayo start a Premier League game again for the first time in nearly three months was magic. With the help of adrenaline, he was very much back to his relentless best, pressing well, holding the ball up and bringing others into play.

He gave the Everton defence a real test and of course scored a brilliant strikers' goal in the first half. He tired later on but that was to be expected and was eventually taken off to a standing ovation after the break. Like partner Carlton Morris, he has proved he is a Premier League player.

As great as it was to have him back, my overriding feeling was frustration - that Luton have not had him for these past 11 weeks. They are a different side with him in it and much more of a threat. When you think that they still do not have Chiedozie Ogbene, Tom Lockyer and Amari'i Bell, as well as others, it becomes a case of what might have been for the Hatters this season.

Opposition fans will say all teams pick up injuries but for Luton to have 13 out at one point, with 10 of those being senior players, that is out of the ordinary and has completely stuffed them. Understanding why there were so many injuries at the same time is for another day.

Adebayo’s goal means Luton have two strikers on double figures for the season and, considering they are currently in a relegation position, is fantastic.

Scoring has not been a problem for Rob Edwards’ team. They have got more than Everton and Nottingham Forest and scored the same number as Wolves and Crystal Palace. Conceding has been the issue. Adebayo's height in defending set-pieces has been missed so he has been a loss in both boxes.

Luton now head to West Ham on Saturday needing a result or they are realistically down. It is still not over though and the hope is they can take it to the last day of the season.

Commentary of West Ham v Luton on BBC Three Counties Radio and online (UK Only) via BBC Sounds from 15:00 BST

We asked you for your thoughts on Nottingham Forest's failed appeal against their four-point punishment for breaching Premier League profit and sustainability rules.

Here are some of your comments on whether it helps Luton Town's relegation survival hopes:

Paul: Nottingham Forest should have been docked more points for having the audacity to appeal against an already discounted penalty and then their comments that effectively brought the game into disrepute.

Dave: Glad Forest did not have their punishment reduced any further but they really should have had a larger deduction in the first place. Cooperation with the panel should not be an incentive for a reduced sentence - surely that should be the default position and lack of cooperation should result in larger punishment?

Sue: The decision is just and fair. It is about time the Premier League stuck to its guns. Now we know what we need to do: win. I always have believed and still do.

Chas: The Nottingham Forest appeal decision is not exactly a lifeline, but it does at least provide certainty that efforts in the next two games will not be for nought. But I still think that, having appealed, the two "cooperation points" should have been reapplied to the sanction. That would be a lifeline.

Ben: Obviously happy that we still have a fighting chance. We need to improve our own game before anything else but I cannot describe how proud the team have made me this season, whatever the outcome.

Paul: Forest have got away lightly and should have had a larger points deduction (as Everton should have as well). Also, Forest should have had a further deduction for a frivolous appeal. However, it does not get past the fact that as well as Luton played this season, unfortunately the results have not been good enough.

Christian: Clubs should not moan about points deduction when they have breached rules - and so blatantly in Forest's case. I have nothing personal against Forest and so admired them in the 1980s, but their owner signing the daft amount of players he did was going to need to be answered at some point. Feel sorry for their fans. We need all six points - and that is unlikely!

Nottingham Forest have failed with an appeal against their four-point punishment for breaching Premier League profit and sustainability rules.

This means that Nuno Espirito Santo's side remain on 29 points with two games remaining - three clear of 18th-placed Luton Town.

How are you feeling, Hatters fans? Is it a lifeline to your Premier League survival?

Let us know your thoughts here

Former Premier League winger Andros Townsend says Luton are "still alive and kicking" in the relegation battle, and believes the team would have been delighted to be in this position with two games remaining if offered the scenario at the start of the season.

However, Townsend admitted there is "massive amounts of frustration" over certain results in 2024 that could have helped the Hatters earn crucial points.

Listen to Townsend on Monday Night Club here

On the latest episode of Monday Night Club, former Premier League striker Chris Sutton says the points deduction situation has been unfair on Burnley and Luton, describing it as an "absolute shambles".

Listen to the full episode here

We asked for your views on Friday's match between Luton and Everton.

Here are some of your answers:

Luton fans

Muhammed: We needed to win this game really, playing home against a team that plays a similar direct style. We need the teams below us to do us a favour now, because it's not looking good.

Jon: Hard working, but their results over the last number of games are not good enough. Points total any other year would see them relegated already. Showed up big spending clubs at times this year but have suffered from a couple of key players being injured.

Andy: Poor, lacked belief, how could they miss so many chances late on?

Mark: Once again, Luton Town's defence let their goalkeeper Kaminski down.

Everton fans

Adam: Really solid performance by Everton. Teams fighting relegation are tricky opponents especially at their home grounds. A draw was fair result. Everton build confidence and belief - that’s 45 points on the board this season.

Mike: Luton were the better side. They were playing for their lives. We were safe. The same 11 that have performed so well recently ran out of steam. They also highlighted how poor the squad is. The euphoria of staying up will soon be replaced with the reality that we will be circling the plug hole again next season. Dyche is still the man for us though.

Mark: Everton didn't play with the freedom and confidence of a team now free of relegation worries. They had the best of the chances to add to their goal but Luton were much better in the second half. Defensively it was another solid performance from the Blues and they dealt fairly easily with Luton's late attacking surge. A good away point gained.

Greg: I suppose you could call it a hard-fought point and after the miracles the players have produced since the Chelsea debacle, we can have no real complaints. Luton have beaten us twice this season and they bullied us out of those games, so it was good that we matched them physically except maybe for the goal.

Gary Lineker introduces highlights and analysis from Friday and Saturday's six Premier League fixtures.

If you missed Match of the Day, you can catch up on the action on BBC iPlayer here.

And you can watch highlights of Sunday's games on Match of the Day 2 here.

Listen back to Saturday's BBC Radio 5 Live match commentaries in full:

• Burnley v Newcastle United

• Manchester City v Wolves

Image source, Getty Images

Luton manager Rob Edwards to BBC Match of the Day: "We obviously wanted to win the game. We threw everything at it so I am disappointed right now. But I can't fault the players. The players gave it absolutely everything, so did the supporters. I'm really proud of everybody, but yeah, of course I wanted to win the game."

On the decision to award Everton a penalty: "I don't think we can complain too much. Teden Mengi has been incredible for us. He's a young player with a massive future. It's just another bit of learning for him."

On Elijah Adebayo's goal: "He's got that, and you can see we've missed him. He's a key player for us and it's great to have him back."

On Luton's chances in the final moments: "I feel sick, I'm ready to take off in celebration. We threw everything at it. We were pushing until the end and that is us. We've been like that all season.

"The supporters can see when the players are giving absolutely everything for the shirt. There's pride.

"We're still in the mix and the fight, we've got to keep believing."

• Since the start of April, only Man City and Arsenal (15 each) have won more Premier League points than Everton (14 - W4 D2 L1). In that same time, only Brighton (2) and Sheffield United (1) have won fewer points than Luton (4).

• Luton have conceded 78 goals in the Premier League this season, the most by a side in a debut season since Blackpool in 2010-11 (78). Since the start of February, they've shipped 46 goals in 16 games in all competitions - the most of any side in Europe's big-five leagues, failing to keep a clean sheet in that time.

• The Hatters have both scored and conceded in 29 of their 36 Premier League games this season, a joint-record by any side in a campaign in the competition, along with Swindon Town in 1993-94 and Southampton in 1994-95.

• Everton’s Dominic Calvert-Lewin has scored four goals in his last five Premier League appearances - as many as he’d managed in his previous 38 games combined. He has netted in consecutive away games for the first time since August 2021 against Leeds and Brighton.

• Alfie Doughty has created 65 chances for Luton this season in the Premier League – since 2003-04, the only Englishmen to create more chances in their debut season in the competitions are James Maddison (100 in 2018-19) and Rickie Lambert (81 in 2012-13).

• Elijah Adebayo scored his 10th Premier League goal of the season for Luton tonight. With Carlton Morris also scoring 10 this season, the Hatters are the first side with two players on 10 or more goals in their debut seasons since Arsenal in 2017-18 (Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang).

Luton Town missed the chance to move out of the Premier League's relegation places as they were held to a draw against Everton at Kenilworth Road.

Everton, safe from the drop with three games still to play, went ahead from the penalty spot after 24 minutes.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin coolly converted after Luton defender Teden Mengi was penalised for hauling down Jarrad Branthwaite following an intervention from the video assistant referee.

Elijah Adebayo showed exactly what Luton have been missing as the striker marked his first start since early February with the equaliser seven minutes later, the big forward proving too strong for Ashley Young before shooting low past Jordan Pickford.

Both sides had opportunities after the break with Luton keeper Thomas Kaminski saving well from Jack Harrison's deflected shot and Calvert-Lewin's header but the stalemate was not broken.

The draw leaves Rob Edwards' side in the bottom three, level on points with Nottingham Forest but having played a game more.

Were you at the match or did you follow it from elsewhere?

Luton fans - let us know your thoughts on the game here

How did you rate the side's performance, Everton fans?

Follow all of the reaction here

The line-ups for Luton v Everton are in, with less than an hour to go before kick-off at Kenilworth Road.

Follow all of the action here

Former Premier League defender Nedum Onuoha spoke to the BBC's Planet Premier League podcast about Luton's survival hopes:

"Vibes wise, I feel like people really like Luton. They've really liked them throughout the season, but maybe it's because they score goals and we see them do well against better teams.

"If Burnley's expected goals against is 66, would we think that Luton's would be 86? That does not pass a vibe check at all, does it?

"Luton do have a potential to attack and score, but do they have a defence good enough to give them the opportunity to be there come the end of the season? And as it stands, I would have to say they're on their way down.

"Given the fact they could get some points back, I think [Nottingham] Forest will probably end up being the team that stays up in my opinion."

Listen to the full episode here

Image source, Getty Images

Chris Sutton is making predictions for every Premier League game this season against a variety of guests.

For this weekend's matches, he takes on Kings of Leon drummer Nathan Followill.

Sutton's prediction: 1-2

Everton are safe now, and what a tremendous job Sean Dyche has done there.

Dyche says keeping the Toffees up with three games to go is his biggest achievement as a manager, and I can understand why he feels that way after the campaign they have had.

When you look at Premier League managers who have exceeded expectation this season then, with all the nonsense he has had to put up with off the pitch, he is one of them.

If not for their points deductions, Everton would have been a mid-table team for most of the campaign and would not have been worried about the drop.

Luton, meanwhile, are still in the thick of the relegation scrap and you could argue this is a decent opportunity for them, given Everton have just made sure of staying up and might take their foot off the gas a bit.

Looking at their remaining games, Luton have got to play West Ham (away) and Fulham (home) as well this one.

They are three fixtures where you feel they have a chance of picking up some points but, having said that, they are too easy to play against, concede too many goals and might also be low on confidence after losing their past three matches.

We don't know how many points Luton will need to stay up, not helped by the uncertainty over Nottingham Forest's appeal against their points deduction, but they are going to need at least one win.

Luton won at Goodison Park earlier in the season, but I don't see them repeating that result here. The pressure is all on them now, while we should see Everton play with a bit of freedom.

Nathan's prediction: 3-2

I am going with Luton on this one. I like a team that is backed in a corner, and has to claw their way out. Everton could kind of be on cruise control because they have got what they want.

Read the rest of their predictions here

Image source, Reuters

BBC Three Counties Radio's Luton In The Prem podcast has been assessing what the Hatters' may need from their final three league matches to secure survival in the top flight.

Rob Edwards' side will begin Friday's game at home to Everton one point above second-from-bottom Burnley but a point behind Nottingham Forest in 17th position.

Simon Oxley said: "People keep saying that if we'd have said back in August that with three games to go, you'll still be in there fighting with a chance, we'd all have been highly delighted.

"They're still in there fighting with three games to go. You couldn't really ask for much more than the games they've got, but time is running out.

"We keep saying 'what if this, what if that' - well, they've got to win a game, or games I would suggest. They've got to win two, I think.

"At home to Everton, I think we're in the 'must win' category now. It was a 'must not lose' when they were level-pegging, but Everton have won their past three games. They're safe so the whole nature of the match has changed. It was going to be a really tight six-pointer and now they're up against a team that has effectively got nothing to play for."

Listen to the full podcast on BBC Sounds

Image source, Getty Images

Rob Edwards says he wants Kenilworth Road to be "rocking" when they host Everton on Friday.

There are just three games left of this campaign, two of which are at home for the Hatters, and Premier League survival is still achievable.

"Our supporters will be huge for us there is no doubt about it," Edwards said. "Kenilworth Road is a different type of stadium and atmosphere to other grounds in this league.

"Under the lights it is intimidating, so we have got to have it rocking from the beginning.

"I want the fans in early when we are warming up because they can be the 12th man. It will be nervy and we will really have to dig deep, but it is in those moments when they can lift us."

Sean Dyche's Everton are mathematically safe after three wins in seven days, leaving Nottingham Forest, Luton and Burnley in the relegation "mini-league".

"It has to bring out the best in us and we have to have positive energy," Edwards added. "We are still in the fight so the belief has got to be there.

"We don’t want it to end. We want it to continue.

"Belief hasn’t waned at all. It is still there and it has got to be there. I am big on that. I can feel it from the players, staff and supporters as well."

Katie Stafford
BBC Sport journalist

Luton Town boss Rob Edwards has been speaking to the media before his side host Everton in the Premier League on Friday (20:00 BST kick-off).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• There are no new injury concerns but also no sidelined players recovering in time.

• Forward Elijah Adebayo, who returned at Wolves last weekend, has "trained well and had no issues" this week.

• Edwards said the Hatters "are still in the fight so the belief has got to be there" when they face Everton, adding: "It has to bring out the best in us and we have to have positive energy."

• On the Blues, who are mathematically safe from relegation: "It is a big challenge and we will expect them to be at their best. They have had three clean sheets in a row and play with real intensity and aggression."

• He said he hopes his team will "take confidence" from already beating the Toffees twice this season.

• Edwards' "belief hasn't waned at all" despite Luton's recent form. He added: "I can feel it from the players, staff and supporters as well."

• On what the fans can do: "We have got to have Kenilworth Road rocking from the beginning. I want them in early when we are training because they can be the 12th man. It will be nervy and we will really have to dig deep, so it is in those moments when they can lift us."

• He joked that "an early four goals would be lovely" to settle his players, but added more seriously: "Scoring first is very important."

Follow all of Thursday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news