Luton Town

Bottom club Sheffield United suffered a demoralising home defeat as Luton Town snatched victory in an extraordinary Premier League game at Bramall Lane.

A howler by Wes Foderingham gifted Luton the lead when Alfie Doughty's 17th-minute attempt slipped through the keeper's legs and into the net.

The Blades thought they had turned it around after the interval, Oli McBurnie equalising after Sam Allison - the first black referee to take charge of an English top-flight match for 15 years - played a smart advantage when James McAtee appeared to have been fouled.

With fellow strugglers Nottingham Forest winning earlier at Newcastle, the Blades - who are at Manchester City on Saturday (15:00 GMT) - needed all three points and captain Anel Ahmedhodzic fired them in front from close range after Luton failed to clear.

But two own goals in the space of four minutes - first a flicked header by Jack Robinson and then by substitute Anis Ben Slimane - allowed Luton to seal back-to-back Premier League wins after their 1-0 victory over Newcastle last Saturday.

Were you at Bramall Lane, or did you watch the match at home?

Sheffield United fans - how do you rate your team's performance?

Luton fans - submit your post-match thoughts here

Follow all the reaction

Former Chelsea and England striker Chris Sutton is making predictions for all 380 Premier League matches again this season, against a variety of guests.

For the fixtures over the festive period on 26, 27 and 28 December, he takes on Samuel T Herring, frontman of Baltimore-based synth-pop band Future Islands and an Everton fan.

Sutton's prediction: 1-0

I wouldn't quite say they have turned a corner, but both teams have shown recently why they shouldn't be written off as relegation certainties.

Luton in particular have really surprised me this season. They got a great win against Newcastle last time out and their reaction after Tom Lockyer's collapse in their previous game spoke volumes about the spirit in their team and the club as a whole. It was great to see.

Sheffield United got a brilliant result too at Villa Park and surprised everyone with their draw - although they are probably disappointed they didn't win.

Blades boss Chris Wilder has already got one home victory under his belt, against Brentford, since taking charge at the start of the month, and I think his side will edge this one too.

Samuel's prediction: Luton are putting up one heck of a fight. 0-1

Read all of Sutton's predictions here

There are five games being played in the Premier League on Boxing Day and we will bring you every moment.

Follow all of the action and reaction here

• Sheffield United have lost just one of their past seven league games against Luton, though it was at Bramall Lane in the most recent meeting in March last season (0-1).

• Sheffield United’s last Boxing Day victory in the top flight came against Luton Town in 1990, a 1-0 win at Kenilworth Road. Since then they are winless in six such matches, failing to score on five occasions.

• Luton Town have won three of their past five league games on Boxing Day, having been winless in seven such matches in the Football League before this.

• This will be Sheffield United’s 100th league game on Boxing Day since the Football League was formed, with only Manchester United (53), Aston Villa (46) and West Bromwich Albion (45) winning more such games than the Blades (44).

• Carlton Morris scored both of Luton’s goals against Sheffield United in the Championship last season, netting home and away against the Blades. The only team he has scored in three consecutive appearances against in his English league career are Blackburn Rovers.

We asked you for your best memories of the festive football period as a Luton fan.

Here's what you had to say:

Steve: My best memory was going with my dad and brother to the home game against Chelsea on New Years Day 1980. The pitch was completely frozen and players struggled to stand up. It was an absolute thriller ending 3-3 with David Moss scoring with what seemed like his first header ever!

Alan: Luton v Wolves, December 1974. Ron Futcher's home debut - it will never be beaten, a hat-trick at 19.

Paul: A big memory for me is a Boxing Day game against Manchester United. I think it was 1957 as it was just before the tragic Munich crash. My favourite player Gordon Turner was out with injury and we were 2-0 down but came back to draw in the last minute. Also I remember in the game Duncan Edwards hit the bar with a tremendous strike from the halfway line.

Image source, Getty Images

Luton boss Rob Edwards believes the club showed "real intelligence" in their recruitment before their debut Premier League season.

The Hatters beat Newcastle 1-0 on Saturday with summer additions Ross Barkley and Andros Townsend combining for the goal.

"I fully believe in the group that we've got and we assembled," Edwards said before Boxing Day's meeting with fellow promoted side Sheffield United.

"We have 13 new players in total with Andros coming in a little bit later - we believe in every single of them.

"Some have come to the fore more than others but others will get their time and their opportunity going forward as well. I really like the way that the group is looking."

Saturday's victory moved Luton within two points of 17th-placed Nottingham Forest, and having played a game fewer and Edwards is thrilled his team has not compromised their style upon promotion.

"We have to do it our way and we're not going to change the way we do things," he said. "I was absolutely, completely fine with that going into the summer.

"I think we've shown a real intelligence in the window and how we go about things and maybe showing people you don't have to spend £500m to compete.

"We haven't got the results and the points yet to start shouting off about that. It's down to us to get those points - but we have showed that we can."

The end of another year is almost upon us - how much do you remember about Luton Town over the past 12 months?

Test yourself with a question from every month of 2023.

Have a go here

The Christmas spirit and the deluge of games that come with it is upon us.

For a player, it’s a crazy time. What’s mad is everything is happening festive wise and you want to enjoy it in some way – like a party for the lads if you can fit it in. It means you feel you have some kind of Christmas.

But the games keep coming, especially at the top end if you’re in several competitions. Then you have the training load and training on Christmas Day. I won’t lie, that is psychologically a challenge not to feel a bit sorry for yourself. Sometimes you think everyone is having a good time, but you have to think how many people would swap with your position. You have to realise and think about what you are doing.

But when you have your kids there playing with their new toys and you have to go training, that is a big sacrifice It’s not about money, it’s just human nature.

What I think they should do is make it compulsory that you cannot train as a club on Christmas Day. That way, no one gets an advantage. What happens is you see is the owners will question why you didn’t train if you lose on Boxing Day.

Boxing Day is brilliant to play on. You can see the bigger crowds and feel the festive spirit. I used to love having Christmas Day off and playing on Boxing Day. But only a few managers will trust you to have that day off, Neil Warnock was one of them.

It’s a tiring spell and I will admit, I have been set to play on Boxing Day and wondered if I’ll get through the game as I’d had too much Christmas dinner.

Playing in this spell, you have to take it as a privilege. You are playing so everyone else is able to watch football at that great time of year.

We asked you for your thoughts after Luton Town hosted Newcastle United at Kenilworth Road.

Here are some of the top comments:

Luton fans

Bob: Really deserved that. They have worked so hard for so long and finally keeping a clean sheet was great too. Barkley is getting better and better every game, and Lokonga was immense too. They were all brilliant today. The crowd were up for it and right behind the team all the way. This one's for you, Locks.

Stephen: Fantastic from Luton yet again. They finally got the points their recent performances have deserved. I knew they would do it for Tom Lockyer.

David: I enjoyed the way 26-year-old Chiedozie Ogbene skinned past 19-year-old Lewis Hall in the 85th minute. Speed!

Gordon: This is an honest team with few individual skills for a Premier League side, but they always give 100% in effort and endeavour. But mark my words, irrespective of where they finish in the league, they will turn over one of the top teams before the season ends.

Newcastle fans

Wilfry: Absolute rubbish. It looked like they had already clocked off for Christmas. They couldn’t pass the ball correctly and barely tested the goalkeeper. Eddie’s team is becoming too predictable. Wake up team - losing to a third from bottom team is totally unacceptable!

Marianne: Another away performance where we were lacking in several areas and ended up second best. We can't complain about injuries. We had a good team out there today who lost against relegation contenders. We need reinforcements in January.

Barratone: Very poor performance from Newcastle United. I watched it on TV and was surprised with how easily Luton overpowered Newcastle most of the time. Luton played well, but that is no excuse! It is Howe's job to get them focused and put together 90 minutes of football. They should be hanging their heads after that effort.

Karen: I've said this before, as much as I think Eddie Howe is a great coach, I don't believe he is a manager or a leader. I do believe he's had a hard hand to play, but he persistently uses the same flat language when we lose. We are a football team, football teams have to play home and away. I think St. James' is his safety net and where he feels safe.

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

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

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Tottenham 2-1 Everton

Liverpool 1-1 Arsenal

Luton's match-winner Andros Townsend on beating Newcastle just a week after captain Tom Lockyer suffered a cardiac arrest: “It feels amazing to get the points, but it’s been a tough week. All the chat throughout the week was ‘do it for our captain’. He’s an incredible person. He’s obviously had the issue [a previous cardiac arrest] at Wembley and put his body, his life, on the line for the first 16 games.

“So we are doing it for him. We got the three points for him and we are going to keep doing it for him until, if and when he is fit to come back. We're going to keep doing it for our skipper.

“We’ve had it tough at home. We’ve almost got there, almost got over the line a couple of times, but we've conceded leads in the last seconds. It was an emotional rollercoaster but thankfully we got the win at the end of it.

“Things like this [Lockyer's scare] put things into perspective. We didn’t do much tactical work in the week, it was all about making sure we were in the right frame of mind, making sure we know what we are playing for, knowing that there are more important things than football.

"In a way, it was easy to not feel too much pressure, to not be anxious or worried about where we are in the table. It was about, listen, we are alive, we are healthy, our captain is alive, our captain is healthy, and what will be, will be."

Luton defender Amari'i Bell, who stood in as skipper for Hatters captain Tom Lockyer, speaking after the game: “It meant a lot [to take the armband]. Tom has done a fantastic job captaining the team, so it was a great honour to do that in his absence.

“I haven’t seen him yet but the boys have spoken to him and we have been updated on how he’s doing. He’s doing well, thankfully, and that’s all that matters."

On the atmosphere in the win against Newcastle: “The crowd are amazing, every game we play here they spur us on and give us that extra motivation. It’s great that they are always behind us and give us the last push in the dying moments."

On the Boxing Day trip to Sheffield United next up: “It’s a massive game. We are near each other in the table, so it’s going to be a six-pointer for both of us. We need to dust ourselves down, recover right, and make sure we are ready to go.”

Michael Beardmore, BBC Sport

Adversity can often bring out the best in us all - and there is no doubt it did so with Luton Town at Kenilworth Road on Saturday afternoon.

Yes, victory over Newcastle was a big win for the Hatters' hopes of Premier League survival, bringing them within touching distance - two points - of safety.

But it was far more important in the grander scheme of things - for what it meant to a clearly united club following the heart scare suffered by captain Tom Lockyer.

The past week has proven there are more important matters than whether Luton stay up this season and boss Rob Edwards was keen to emphasise he would never want to use such a serious issue as motivation.

Nonetheless, as Andros Townsend admitted afterwards, the players wanted to "do it for our captain" - and, in finally picking up the scalp of one of the big boys, having several times already come so close, they did just that.

Luton Town manager Rob Edwards speaking to BBC Match of the Day: "I'm an emotional wreck at the moment, really proud of everybody. It's been a tough week for the football club, it's been the greatest challenge of my football career. No coaching badges prepare you for something like this. I've needed the support of everybody and the players have been incredible - to go and perform as they have, after last week, words fail me.

"We wanted to do it for Tom. It wasn't extra motivation, we just wanted to embody what he is about. He's brave, determined, a fighter, and I thought we showed all of those attributes today. It feels strange talking about a football match with everything that's gone on, but it's a huge win.

"We've had good performances and maybe that changed the narrative a bit. We know it's going to be a huge challenge but we're moving in the right way. I like the way we're shaping up at the moment. We were incredibly aggressive against a really good Newcastle team and we've got a good blueprint that we'll continue working hard on."

On what Tom Lockyer has said to him: "He text me and said he could feel three points coming. He's already getting bored sat at home on the sofa. I just told him to chill out and enjoy everyone looking after him."

• Newcastle have lost their last four Premier League away games, as many as in their previous 21 games on the road. It is their longest losing streak since a run of five in December/January 2020-21.

• Luton Town kept their first ever clean sheet in the Premier League (17th game) and they have now scored in eight of their nine home games this season.

• Andros Townsend scored his first Premier League goal for Luton Town and he has now scored for six different sides in the competition (also QPR, Newcastle, Crystal Palace, Tottenham and Everton), with only Craig Bellamy scoring for more clubs (7).

• Including penalties, 50% of Luton’s Premier League goals this season have come from set pieces (9 out of 18), the highest percentage in the competition.

• With his assist for Luton’s goal, Ross Barkley has now been involved in more Premier League goals against Newcastle United than he has against any other opponent (6 – 5 goals, 1 assist).

Luton lived up to their pledge of making it "a special day" for convalescing captain Tom Lockyer by beating Newcastle United at an emotionally charged Kenilworth Road.

Andros Townsend headed home the Hatters' winner against his former club in Luton's first Premier League game since Lockyer's collapse at Bournemouth seven days earlier.

Townsend held up Lockyer's number four shirt in celebration after the goal - one of a number of tributes paid by Luton players and fans to their stricken skipper before, during and after the game.

Only the woodwork denied Luton a more straightforward victory as Ross Barkley struck the bar with a 35-yard thunderbolt and Jacob Brown also hit the frame of the goal from closer in.

Newcastle mounted increasing second-half pressure as Alexander Isak had an equaliser ruled out for a marginal offside while Bruno Guimaraes and Anthony Gordon also went close.

However, they slipped to a fourth successive away league defeat to stay seventh while Luton remain 18th but move within two points of safety and have a game in hand on Nottingham Forest, the side directly above them.

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

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

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

Follow all the reaction here

BBC Three Counties Radio's Luke Ashmead on Luton's match against Newcastle on Saturday: "Newcastle are coming into this game with so many matches in Europe where they've struggled and losing on penalties in the League Cup, that will have dented them. Trippier is one of the best full backs in the world and he's making so many mistakes. This is a great time to play Newcastle."

Simon Oxley added: "They've had so many injuries and added to it when Anthony Gordon limped off, and they've got others just coming back. They're good at home, but away from home they aren't getting the points.

"They've still got some fantastic players, but you'd feel because they played midweek and haven't been so good on their travels, it's an opportunity to get some points. They need to pick something up against Newcastle or Sheffield United, or both.

"It should be a great occasion for initially a very wrong reason, but for so many right reasons since. I think people will hugely get behind them."

Listen to the full episode here

There are six games being played in the Premier League on Saturday and we will bring you every moment.

Follow all of the action here

All times are GMT

Chris Sutton is making predictions for all 380 Premier League matches again this season, against a variety of guests.

For this weekend's games, he takes on Felix White, guitarist with 86TVs and a Fulham fan.

Sutton's prediction: 1-2

First and foremost, it's a relief that Luton captain Tom Lockyer is in a stable condition after his collapse during the Bournemouth game.

Luton have been really competitive at Kenilworth Road but they've still only won one out of eight league matches there this season, and picked up five points in total.

Mind you, Newcastle's away form is hardly convincing either. It is actually identical to Luton's home record in terms of wins and points, so there is plenty of room for improvement.

Eddie Howe's side have got to address that if they want to challenge for the top four and I think they will address it here, although it is going to be close.

Felix's prediction: 3-2

I think what happened at Luton last week with Tom Lockyer will inspire them this time. They have been great in every single game at home this season, without getting much reward.

So, for that reason, I think fortune will balance out and the emotive feeling in that ground is going to change something. It will be another smasher of a game and, this time, Luton will win.

Read all of Sutton's predictions for this weekend's games