Luton Town

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Carlton Morris has netted nine goals for Luton Town so far this season, including the Hatters' 90th minute winner against Bournemouth, with former Aston Villa striker Dion Dublin labelling him an "old fashioned" striker on Match of the Day.

"He has got a little bit of an old fashioned centre-forward about him," Dublin said.

"He is strong, pacey and keeps things very simple, but it works for him. He is 28-years-old, he has just come to the Premier League this season, and he is really enjoying his football as well.

"He was born in Cambridge, a bit of a tie towards me. He started his career at Norwich, another tie towards me. He has been out on loan at Oxford, York and Hamilton Academicals as well. So, he has really worked hard to get to this position.

"I like that all he is ever thinking about is trying to make the team better, getting into good goal-scoring positions, and he is quite calm under pressure as well.

"He is a big lad, he doesn't mind the physicality of the game either. When he gets into the right positions, all he wants to do is try to get an effort on goal. He is good to watch.

"His hold up play is good. He will play it to his team-mate and then he will forget about it. All he wants to do is get into that area where he is hoping the ball will come into.

"His goal was a lovely finish - on the volley, it comes across his body, he has moved the defender out of the way with his strength, and then he has used a bit of guile. Then there was the emotion. I think he deserved it."

Catch up on Match of the Day here

Luton have raised their interest in Blackburn's 28-year-old Republic of Ireland striker Sammie Szmodics but face competition from Brentford. (Sun, external)

Want more transfer stories? Read Monday's full gossip column

Timothy Abraham
BBC Sport journalist

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Rob Edwards went through the full spectrum of emotions during this gritty comeback victory.

He was a frenetic figure on the sidelines in the first half, his body language adding to a tension on the pitch and a nervousness in the stands.

However, whatever message the Hatters boss delivered at half-time to Luton's players had the desired impact.

Luton were purposeful with their play, decisive with execution of their tactics and showed much greater control in possession of the ball.

Edwards regained his composure, and so did his team.

Even when they fell behind to the Cherries they kept their nerve to graft their way back into the game with two enterprising goals.

When Carlton Morris popped up to net the winner the pressure value of a first win in 11 games was released, Edwards turning to celebrate with the supporters.

When the full-time whistle Edwards was clenching his fists and beating his chest in response to chants of "Town are staying up".

Kenilworth Road will have a crucial role to play in the remaining home games against Brentford, Everton and Fulham.

It could prove to be the difference.

Luton manager Rob Edwards has been speaking to BBC Sport following the comeback win: "We spoke before the game about how important it was. You can guarantee effort, try to be organised and carry out a game plan, but you can’t guarantee a win.

"The character we showed, we found the result when it was really important to do so.

"I thought the second-half performance was really good. There was a belief there. The substitutes made an impact. I am really pleased.

"I feel we have had one and a half really difficult games against Bournemouth - the Tom [Lockyer] situation the first time and then we were 3-0 up and lost 4-3. It is a nice feeling to turn that around and grind that win."

On his plans for tonight: "I will probably start losing sleep about Manchester City and trying to think about how to stop them."

Here are the key facts and figures following Saturday’s game between Luton Town and Bournemouth in the Premier League.

• Luton picked up their first win in 11 Premier League matches (D3 L7) and also went unbeaten in back-to-back home Premier League games for the first time.

• The Hatters' victory is the first time that they have won a Premier League match after conceding first.

• Bournemouth remain without a league double over Luton since 2007-08 and the late defeat also ended their five match unbeaten run in the Premier League.

• Jordan Clark’s equaliser was his first Premier League goal for Luton Town, after 18th appearances in the competition, and his first league goal since netting against Middlesbrough in the Championship in December 2022.

• Justin Kluivert’s assist was his first in the Premier League in his 25th appearance. He has been involved in three Premier League goals (scoring two and assisting one) in his past five matches.

• Both Luton and Bournemouth failed to record a shot on target in the first half of this match. It is just the second time this has happened in the Premier League in 2023-24 (also Aston Villa v Tottenham in March).

Carlton Morris' dramatic late winner boosted Luton's Premier League survival hopes as they came from behind to beat Bournemouth.

Marcus Tavernier gave Bournemouth the lead early in the second half with a crisp shot from just outside the corner of the penalty area.

But Jordan Clark restored parity with a clinical 73rd minute strike from inside the box.

The Hatters ended a run of 10 games without a win in dramatic fashion when Morris guided the ball home from Cauley Woodrow's cross in the 90th minute.

Luton remain in the drop zone but only behind 17th-placed Nottingham Forest, who are away to Tottenham on Sunday, on goal difference.

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, Bournemouth fans?

Follow all of the reaction here

Seven matches make up Saturday's Premier League action, and we will bring you every moment.

BBC Radio 5 Live commentaries:

• Everton v Burnley

• Brighton v Arsenal

All kick-off times BST

Listen to radio commentaries and follow live text updates here

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

For this weekend's games, he takes on darts stars Luke Littler and Nathan Aspinall, who both support Manchester United.

Sutton's prediction: 1-1

Luton have had a couple of bad results which have hit their hopes of staying up hard, but the one that will really haunt them if they go down is their collapse from 3-0 up to lose 4-3 to Bournemouth on 13 March.

The Hatters keep on running teams close, but keep on being on the wrong side of close scorelines. How can they change that? Well, keeping a clean sheet feels vital to me given their situation, and they haven't managed one of those since their last league win, over Brighton on 30 January.

They have proved they have got a goal or two in them, now they need to improve at the back - but I don't think they will keep a clean sheet against Bournemouth.

The Cherries seem to have got the balance right between defence and attack and the run they are on has taken them towards the top half of the table.

Littler's prediction: Luton have got Ross Barkley going box to box. I am a big fan of his. 2-1

Aspinall's prediction: I don't actually think Luton are as bad as their results have been recently. I've gone for four away teams so far, so I am going for a home win here. 2-1

See the full list of predictions

I spoke to a Luton fan who was on his way to the Arsenal game on Wednesday and he said they were going to the title challengers but they might be playing their youth team players.

It was tongue in cheek, but it told the story.

There is always management when it comes to injuries and it comes down to risk and reward. There will be times when you bring a player back and you think "we should have left him for another two weeks" - but they need to be in the team because the team is struggling.

It has a knock-on effect because it is ultimately a risk. It is not just down to the medical team, it is the manager and the player themselves. The player will want to be available and play.

Sometimes you can get away with and sometimes you cannot.

International breaks have cost a lot of teams players. That has not really affected Luton in a big way, but their players are playing high-intensity football.

There are a lot of games and they do not get the rest they need. When you are pushing your body to the max, you have to expect injuries.

Michael Brown was speaking to BBC Sport's Katie Stafford

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BBC Three Counties Radio commentator Simon Oxley believes Saturday's game at home to Bournemouth is "massive" if Luton Town are to reignite their survival bid.

The Hatters have not won since January and relinquished a 3-0 lead to dramatically lose 4-3 in the reverse fixture at Vitality Stadium on 13 March.

"We said similar for the Nottingham Forest game because it came off the back of that agonising defeat at Bournemouth, but this one really is must win," Oxley told the Luton In The Prem podcast.

"That's what the manager told the players after the game at Arsenal - that's what they're focusing on.

"They'd say they want to win every game every week, but this one in particular is massive.

"Games are running out. They are three points adrift as things stand. They need to get points on the board - 10 games without a win.

"I know some of those have been very difficult, obviously, but they need to get back in there and just start picking up points again - and picking up three points.

"Some of the draws have been very good but they've got to start getting wins."

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

Katie Stafford
BBC Sport journalist

Manager Rob Edwards has been speaking to the media before Luton Town host Bournemouth in the Premier League on Saturday (15:00 BST kick-off).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Edwards is "hopeful" defender Reece Burke will be available but no other injured players will recover in time.

• Midfielder Albert Sambi Lokonga remains sidelined but is "pushing" to return for the Brentford game on 20 April.

• Elijah Adebayo and Chieo Ogbene "are progressing" but need longer.

• On whether he will be forced to rush them back to help the team fight against relegation: "It is not on my mind right now and it is something the players would have to buy into as well because it is their bodies. They are really keen to push and they are. It will be rational and educated risks, but we will see when we get to the latter stage of the season."

• He said the four remaining home games "are like cup finals" and "the supporters will play a huge part" in helping the Hatters grind out results.

• On opponents Bournemouth: "It is not going to be easy but we know we can win. We can take some confidence from things we did well in the reverse fixture and learn from things we didn’t."

• Edwards said he "wants to see the players wear their hearts on their sleeve" and "give it everything" to get points.

• On survival hopes and pressure: "As difficult as it will be, a win against Bournemouth would put us in a fantastic position. We’ve been really focusing on this game because it can give us more belief and confidence. Three points at this stage would be really important."

• He said "the players have accepted the pressure" of the seven remaining games and added: "We have to do our job and try to control our destiny."

Follow all of Friday's Premier League news conferences here

I have been in lots of relegation battles. I got relegated in my first year in the Premier League with Manchester City when I was only a teenager. I had to deal with that adversity so I know what it is like.

I do not think people crack or feel anxious in relegation fights, but you know when you are beaten. It is hard to fully motivate yourself as a team to get the desire to go back out there.

In these battles there are always people complaining and there are changes too. Managers are under pressure and fans add pressure as well.

There is no doubt that it is difficult.

There might not be a lot of hope for those teams in the relegation zone at the moment, but those players will still want to be playing in the Premier League next season. So they still have to use this time to shine because they inevitably will want a move back to a top-flight club.

Michael Brown was speaking to BBC Sport's Katie Stafford

Here are the key facts and figures before Saturday's Premier League fixture between Luton Town and Bournemouth.

• Luton won their last home league game against Bournemouth, beating them 3-2 in the Championship in January 2022. They last won consecutive such games against them in meetings in October 1936 and October 1963.

• Bournemouth came from 3-0 down to beat Luton 4-3 in the reverse fixture at the Vitality Stadium. They last did the league double over the Hatters in 2007-08 in League One, which included a 4-3 home win.

• Luton Town are winless in their last four home Premier League games since a 4-0 win over Brighton at Kenilworth Road in January. The Hatters have conceded first in all four games, having scored first in five of their previous seven on home soil.

• Bournemouth have won five away Premier League matches this season, as many as they won last season. Only in 2015-16 have they won more away matches in a single top-flight campaign.

• Luton have conceded 34 goals in 18 matches at Kenilworth Road in all competitions this season, their most in a season since 2019-20. Their average of 1.9 goals conceded per game is their joint-worst ratio on home soil in a season as a league club, along with 1962-63.

• Since losing six out of seven away Premier League matches between May and November last year, Bournemouth have lost just two of their last nine on the road ). They’ve netted 23 away goals this season, only scoring more in the 2018-19 Premier League campaign .

• There have been 48 goals scored in 15 Premier League matches played at Kenilworth Road this season with Luton scoring 22 and 26 for their opponents. There’s only been five stadiums that have seen 50+ goals scored in 16 or fewer games, most recently Blackpool’s Bloomfield Road in 2010-11.

• Since returning to the Premier League last season, Bournemouth haven’t lost a single match against a newly promoted club, winning two and drawing two as a promoted club themselves last season and winning four out of five games this season and have scored at least two goals in each of their last six.

We asked for your thoughts on Wednesday's Premier League game between Arsenal and Luton Town.

Here are some of your responses:

Arsenal fans

Vince: It is testament to how far Arsenal have come under Arteta that this game would be newsworthy only if it didn’t end in a home win. Before this, particularly at the closing stages of a season, a game against relegation battlers was potentially a banana peel or a test of Arsenal’s steel. None of that rubbish now. Bring on Brighton and Bayern!

Mark: We treated the Luton game like a training session when in reality goal difference this year could be vital. This could come back to haunt us.

John: Played like Champions. Every player contributed to the team. This is team work.

Luton fans

David: Another North London visit and noble defeat, there must be a lot of sore throats in Luton with the fans in full voice throughout. The patchwork quilt of a team worked relentlessly and with a bit more composure in the box could have got a miraculous point. It's a must-win against Bournemouth. Rob Edwards deserves it.

Nathan: I thought the boys gave everything they had to the cause. We defended brilliantly in the second half and most of the first half too, restricting a top side to mostly half chances. Arsenal were clinical when they had to be. We just missed that final killer pass or cross to really give the Arsenal defence something to really think about. COYH!!

Justin: We took a bit of time to settle into the game but considering the amount of injuries we have, I think overall we gave a good account of ourselves against a very good Arsenal side. I think a lot of people thought we would be onto a hiding and that didn't happen.

Gary Lineker introduces highlights and analysis from this midweek's Premier League fixtures.

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

A little more from manager Rob Edwards after Luton's defeat at Arsenal: "I believe we can do this, with every fibre of my being I believe in this group. We are competing in this league, we have had a lot of injuries and it has knocked our rhythm. We're in the games we're playing. We weren't out of it."

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Reuters

Luton manager Rob Edwards, speaking to TNT Sports after Wednesday's 2-0 loss at Arsenal:

"Parts of it were exceptional. After we went 1-0 down we saw a bit more of us, we were a bit braver and committed to be the team we wanted to be.

"I saw so many good things out there today. I thought the second half was an excellent performance by us. To stay in the game and still be in the game late on was really pleasing. We were aggressive but when we got into the final third we were lacking that final pass.

"I am really proud of the lads. It is hard to be at our best but we have come to Arsenal and lost 2-0 - that happens to many teams. There is no shame in that, I thought there were loads of good things.

"Tonight was never going to define our season. Saturday - Bournemouth, in the last 20 games, are around fifth in the table so it won't be easy, but our focus goes onto Saturday."

Neil Johnston
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Reuters

Another defeat for Luton but a night to remember for schoolboy Christian Chigozie.

Still in Year 11 at Chiltern Academy, next to Luton's training ground, Chigozie will be sitting his GCSEs this summer and Luton had to ask for the school's permission for him to miss classes to train with the first team last week.

On Wednesday, his name was read out over the speakers at Emirates Stadium after he was named on the Hatters' substitutes bench.

It is a sign of Luton's appalling injury problems that the youngster was called upon to fill the bench.

Boss Rob Edwards, however, believes he has a promising career ahead. He said: "We think highly of him. He's a great lad and we think he has got a big future.

"That shows you where we are at [in terms of injuries]. Four teenagers and two goalkeepers on the bench. Slightly different to Arsenal's bench I think."

Chigozie did not get on the pitch on a night when patched-up Luton made title-chasing Arsenal work hard for the points.

It will not be games against Arsenal that will decide whether Luton are in the Premier League next season. Instead, home matches against Bournemouth on Saturday - followed by the visits of Brentford, Everton and Fulham to Kenilworth Road - have taken on extra importance.