Luton Town

• Bournemouth have won just one of their past six league games against Luton, beating them 2-1 at home in September 2021. This is the first top-flight meeting between the sides.

• Elijah Adebayo is Luton’s top scorer in the Premier League this season with four goals, and is looking to become the first player to score in three consecutive top-flight games for the Hatters since Mick Harford in April 1992.

• Bournemouth are unbeaten in their six Premier League games against promoted sides since their return to the division last season, winning each of the past three.

• Luton are one of two teams yet to keep a clean sheet in the Premier League this season, along with Brighton. Only Leicester in 1994-95 have conceded in more consecutive games (first 18) from the start of the season in a maiden Premier League campaign than the Hatters (16).

• Bournemouth won 2-0 against Crystal Palace and 3-0 against Manchester United in their past two Premier League games. They last won more consecutively in August 2018 (four), while they have never won three in a row without conceding in the top-flight.

• Luton have won two of their past three league games against Bournemouth. This is as many wins as they had managed in their previous 10 games.

Image source, Getty Images

Former Chelsea and Everton winger Pat Nevin, writing for the BBC Football Extra newsletter: "Apparently you make your own luck in football, but sometimes it feels more like fate when things go wrong.

"Surely there must be some sympathy for Luton Town after how well they played against Manchester City. It only took a three-minute period for their hard-fought one-goal lead to be destroyed.

"It could have been a result to be celebrated and savoured for decades. Instead, it was another sob story just like the games against Arsenal when they conceded in the 97th minute, and Liverpool when Luis Diaz destroyed their joy in the 95th minute.

"I was only relegated once in my career but, in retrospect, it seemed fated. We definitely weren’t a bad side but we were definitely the unluckiest team in the league and that alone can be enough to drag you down."

Ollie Kay, We Are Luton Town, external

Luton Town need to hold on to games as we enter this festive feast of football (as the television companies like to describe it).

Our performances over the past few weeks have been sublime. As I have said constantly, our displays at Kenilworth Road show Luton have the mettle to mix it with the Premier League big boys.

We have led Liverpool and Arsenal at home, with a 97th-minute equaliser and a 96th-minute winner leaving fans forlorn at dropped points, as well leading the Treble-winning Manchester City 1-0 at half-time before the turnaround in the second half.

With performances like these at home, it is hard not to believe that Newcastle United and Chelsea will also get given the run-around. However, it is performances on the road where I want to see improvement. We travel to in-form Bournemouth next and have a real six-pointer on Boxing Day at Sheffield United, who appear to have turned a corner under Chris Wilder.

The question is, can we take our home performances and stick it to these teams on their home turf? I believe we can, providing we are quick out of the traps and take games by the scruff of the neck.

Then, if we do get our noses in front, can we hold on to a lead? Well, that is an area where Rob Edwards and the lads on the pitch will be looking to make amends.

Chief football writer Phil McNulty has been taking questions from BBC Sport users.

Nick asked: Despite the admirable performances against Arsenal and Manchester City, are Luton Town down?

Phil answered: No. I still think they will struggle to stay up, but they have shown if they do go down it will not be because of a lack of fight, poor attitude or lack of organisation under manager Rob Edwards.

Don’t forget they almost beat Liverpool as well. I genuinely think those performances - despite the two recent losses - will give them real belief they can stay up.

Chief football writer Phil McNulty has been taking questions from BBC Sport users on Monday.

Sean asked: Do you consider Luton's Ross Barkley to be a shining light at the moment? Given that he has signed a one-year deal, do you think the teams coming up from the Championship next season will have him on the top of their lists?

Phil answered: It certainly looks like Ross Barkley is having a new lease of life at Luton Town, after losing his way and then it not working out at Nice.

There has never been any doubt about Barkley’s talent, but his inconsistency - and perhaps the task of fitting him into a strict team pattern - has worked against him.

He seems happy with his football at Kenilworth Road - in an environment that suits him and with a manager like Rob Edwards who really believes in him. This hasn't always been the case.

Barkley has had spells like this before, such as when he started his loan spell at Aston Villa. The key now is for him to maintain it – and then Luton will want to keep him never mind others wanting him.

Read the McNulty Q&A on our live page

We asked for your thoughts on Sunday's match between Luton and Manchester City.

Here are some of your comments:

Luton fans

Ian: I thought Luton were unlucky - both of City’s goals had a bit of good fortune in their build-up, but you cannot argue with the league table and Luton need to convert their opportunities into points.

Paul: As always the whole team gave their all. They never stop running and never stop trying to play the right way. They never give up. We’re still learning at this level that in both 18-yard boxes the slightest mistake costs goals and that missing chances costs points. If we can be more clinical at both ends, we will stay up. We always believe in the team.

Ron: Excellent performance again. We have played Liverpool, Arsenal and now City at home in recent weeks. With any fortune at all, we would have beaten Liverpool and taken a point apiece from Arsenal and City. Once we have played Newcastle on 23 December, we will have played all the top sides at home. Watch us go at home in the second half of the season!

Joe: Entertaining and I just hope the players, staff and fans are able to enjoy the ride. They have been unlucky on numerous occasions. Unfortunately I don't think a change of luck will be enough to keep them up.

City fans

Clive: How anyone can rate Grealish is beyond me. Every goal I have seen him score, my Granny could have scored, it. Don’t know how he keeps his place. I wasn’t impressed with City’s game at all.

Silky: I have been a supporter for more than 50 years and this is one of the poorest displays I have seen from the team. It has lost its hunger for the game. Even in past years when the club dropped into the lower divisions, the team always put their heart in the club. Something is wrong with the players and management and fast improvement is required now.

Paul: Superb performance from City in the face of a determined and aggressive Luton and some poor refereeing. The second foul throw was never a foul throw and was among a number of debatable decisions.

Usama: Finally a league win. Massive credit to Luton for really pushing us. Given that we haven’t won in four league games prior to this, a win was just needed regardless of performance. Now City need to build on this and push on to get back to the standards we have set over the years. One game at a time.

Image source, Getty Images

The Athletic's Adam Crafton says it is a "struggle at the moment" for him to see how Luton Town survive relegation in their first Premier League season.

The Hatters have lost by a single-goal margin to both Arsenal and Manchester City at Kenilworth Road over the past week, putting in an admirable performance in each but ending the weekend four points from safety.

"In the nicest possible way, I'm convinced Luton are going to go down," he told BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily podcast.

"It's not a criticism, I just think they are one of the three weakest teams in the division. We know they are from a budget perspective. What they do have at the moment is this ability to stay in games, which gives them a chance.

"Sheffield United and Burnley have lost a few games by big margins - Luton aren't doing that, they're staying in games. They just don't have that Premier League quality at both ends of the pitch.

"Nine points from 16 kind of looks OK because the other promoted teams have been so poor, but really if Everton hadn't been dragged back down there you'd be looking at it thinking it's pretty tough.

"I think their best chance is if Nottingham Forest really let themselves go or if everything goes wrong with Steve Cooper.

"I struggle at the moment to see how they're going to stay up."

Listen to the Football Daily on BBC Sounds

Mark Chapman introduces highlights and analysis from Sunday's four Premier League fixtures.

If you missed Match of the Day 2, you can catch up on the action on BBC iPlayer.

And Match of the Day brings you a round-up of Saturday's games.

Listen back to Sunday's BBC Radio 5 Live match commentaries in full on BBC Sounds:

• Luton Town 1-2 Manchester City

• Tottenham 4-1 Newcastle United

Listen to Saturday's commentaries here:

• Manchester United 0-3 Bournemouth

• Aston Villa 1-0 Arsenal

Joe Rindl, BBC Sport

Luton have faced last season's top two in the space of five days and have taken the lead in both matches only to be stung by second-half comebacks.

It is a testament to how far the Hatters have risen up the football pyramid in recent seasons, and a bouncing Kenilworth Road was again witness to Luton going ahead against a powerhouse of English football.

However, outside of Adebayo's goal, the hosts were limited to half-chances. And, despite two promising performances, Edwards' side have lost their past three matches and won only one of their past 10.

A gap is re-emerging between the bottom three and the rest of the division. At half-time on Sunday Luton were a point above the relegation zone in the as-things-stand table.

But their loss, coupled with Everton's win, means they ended the day four points adrift in the bottom three and in desperate need of results.

"We can take confidence; we are playing well, performing well," Luton manager Rob Edwards told Match of the Day.

"(But defeat) is frustrating, especially when you go 1-0 up. Full credit to Manchester City - that's what top teams do."

Luton face Bournemouth in their next match. The Hatters will be expecting a win if they can replicate their performance against City.

Luton Town boss Rob Edwards speaking to MOTD: "I think we can take confidence. We are playing well performing well. There's more to our game I think we've shown that, difficult opposition as well.

"I thought we were really brave, I thought the performance was excellent, without the ball really aggressive. Tried to not let them get their rhythm, get their game going. The goal was an excellent example of that.

"Frustrating to be honest, especially when you go 1-0 up. Full credit to Manchester City, that’s what top teams do."

• This was Manchester City’s second away Premier League win after conceding the first goal in 2023-24 (also 3-1 v West Ham in September), more than they recorded across 2021-22 (1) and 2022-23 (0) combined in the competition.

• Having lost none of the first three Premier League games in which they had been ahead (W2 D1), Luton have since lost both of their last two matches in the competition despite taking a lead in each.

• City have fallen 1-0 behind in three successive Premier League games for the first time since November 2019 - which was during the last season they failed to win the title.

• Jack Grealish scored the 50th goal of his English club career in all competitions, and his 25th in the Premier League. His strike to put Man City 2-1 ahead came just 171 seconds after Bernardo Silva had equalised.

• Elijah Adebayo is Luton's top Premier League scorer this season (4 goals), scoring in back-to-back games for the first time in the division.

Manchester City needed a second-half comeback to beat Luton Town at Kenilworth Road and end their four-match winless run in the Premier League.

Pep Guardiola's side were facing back-to-back league defeats for the first time since December 2019 when Elijah Adebayo gave Luton the lead in first-half stoppage time, rising highest at the back post to head in Andros Townsend's cross.

But Bernardo Silva latched on to a loose ball in the penalty area and equalised for the visitors with a fine curling effort.

Three minutes later City completed the turnaround when Jack Grealish converted Julian Alvarez's low cross.

Victory means the champions stay fourth, four points behind leaders Liverpool, while Luton remain third from bottom, four points off safety.

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, City fans?

Follow all the reaction here

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

Follow all of the action and reaction 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 actor Dougray Scott, who stars in the new season of high-stakes drama Vigil.

Sutton's prediction: 1-3

There is no way Manchester City won't win this game. They have to.

Rodri is back, which will help them defensively, but they will need to have far more ideas going forward than they showed at Villa Park, where they had only two shots at goal.

Luton have already pushed Liverpool and Arsenal close at Kenilworth Road in the past few weeks - conceding a last-gasp equaliser against the Reds and losing to the Gunners in stoppage time.

They will make things tricky for City too, and I can see them scoring at least once. I just think City will turn up for this one and get the job done.

Dougray's prediction: 1-5

Read the rest of their predictions here

BBC Three Counties Radio trio Luke Ashmead, Geoff Doyle and Simon Oxley have been discussing Luton Town's game against champions Manchester City on Sunday.

Doyle: "I watched the game against Aston Villa, it was as bad as I’ve seen Manchester City play. It is not a crisis. It was just one defeat. Aston Villa are brilliant at home and the other games were draws against top, top sides. So let’s not make out like they are struggling, but there is no doubt they did play poorly against Villa, but are still a phenomenal side."

Ashmead: "Pep Guardiola will go into this game [against Luton] thinking 'we have to win this game no matter what'. They are six points off leaders Arsenal. There is a long way until the end of the season and City traditionally end the season brilliantly, but they won’t want the margin getting any bigger."

Oxley on who will play for Luton: "It depends on who's available. [Issa] Kabore isn’t going to because City are his parent club but I think he had a decent game against Arsenal. They're more than capable of giving it a go. It will be interesting to see how much it has taken out of them physically and mentally the other night. That may mean he [Rob Edwards] switches and goes with three that came on instead of the three that started."

Doyle on the Hatters taking on top teams: "[Newcastle defender] Dan Burn was saying on the Monday Night Club podcast that he was amazed at the players' concentration levels, with games after games in quick succession. Luton have now got to do that on Saturday, Tuesday and Saturday against top teams like Arsenal and Manchester City."

Listen to the full podcast here

Image source, Getty Images

Luton boss Rob Edwards said Manchester City's recent form "doesn't make a difference to us".

Pep Guardiola's side head to Kenilworth Road on Sunday on a run of four Premier League games without a win, but Edwards is still expecting a tough test.

"I'm excited that we’re playing them, I think the whole football club should be as well," he said.

"Look what they’ve done in recent years - they’re a winning machine. We’re expecting the best and that’s what we’re preparing for. Their recent run of not winning doesn’t make a difference to us."

Edwards said sharing the touchline with Guardiola is a "privilege" and something he is fully embracing.

"We’ve got the best managers in the world in this league, we are really lucky, and he is the best," he said.

"I remember watching his Bayern Munich team and falling in love with the team and what they were doing. My favourite ever game of football is that second leg [of their Champions League] semi-final against Atletico Madrid. It will be a privilege to go up against him and his team."

Katie Catherall, BBC Sport

Luton Town manager Rob Edwards has addressed the media before his side host Manchester City in the Premier League on Sunday.

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• On Luton's narrow 4-3 defeat to Arsenal: "I think I've just about recovered. It was an incredible night and that’s why I’m sure Arsenal will go very deep in all competitions and fight for those trophies. We couldn’t quite hang on but Kenilworth Road was rocking. It was a special night. To push them all the way is a huge credit to the players. There was lots of positives to take away."

• Edwards was asked about his style of play which he has branded "boring" in the past: "I don’t think I’ve used boring - it’s direct! We’re evolving and changing as we go. At this level we’ve had to adapt, we couldn’t be the same team as we were in the Championship. We need to look after the ball better. I don’t mind us going under the radar but we have to try and be better and have more control."

• On how the squad are preparing for Manchester City: "We always try and play to our strengths. The bottom line is we don’t want it to be a comfortable day - we have to try and get them out of their comfort zone if we can. If we allow them to play the game and have control, which they do to loads of teams, it’ll be a difficult day. It’s going to be a difficult day anyway."

• He added: "We will try and play to our strengths and not allow them to have the game they want."

• Edwards provided an update on who will be available: "Issa Kabore is not eligible as it is his parent club. We're hoping that Tom Lockyer will be back available which is great news."

• On facing teams at home: "I’d like to think we’re a good team. We've lost games this year but we’re competing well, especially at home. Kenilworth Road is showing it’s a unique place and it’s not easy to come here, every game has been really tight. I want to give credit to the players - they give absolutely everything and I've been so proud of them this season."

Follow all of Friday's Premier League news conferences

Hear live commentary of Luton v Manchester City on BBC Radio 5 Live from 14:00 GMT on Sunday

Luton's Ross Barkley says he never doubted himself and is loving life with the Hatters in the Premier League.

The former Everton and Chelsea midfielder said his spell last year at Nice was difficult but that he has returned as a better player.

Luton host Treble winners Manchester City on Sunday.

"It's massive for the players and the club," he told BBC Look East. "We will be motivated."

Manager Rob Edwards, meanwhile, says he will be up against "the best manager in the world" in Pep Guardiola.

Image source, Getty Images

Ross Barkley says it was a "surprise" to move back to the Premier League with Luton in the summer but that "the whole experience has been brilliant".

The 30-year-old - who rose to prominence at Everton and has had spells at Chelsea and Aston Villa - endured a disappointing season in Ligue 1 with Nice but is relishing playing regular football back in the Premier League.

"It was a surprise because we kept it under wraps, coming back to England, coming back to the Premier League," Barkley told BBC Look East. "I feel like I'm back at Everton. The stadium is very close, the fans are on top of you and it's a family club.

"Luton are a team that's hungry to stay in the Premier League. They've showed the fight and they deserve to be in the Premier League. It was an easy decision.

"'I've found my feet, I'm really comfortable with the team, the manager and the fans have been great and now I'm finding my rhythm."

Barkley has quickly become a key part of Rob Edwards' midfield and the Hatters boss believes the former England man allows his side to "play in a different way".

"He has a calmness on the ball," he said. "He'll take the ball under pressure, in transition and allow us to get up the pitch.

"He's enjoying his football because he feels loved and wanted. We are really pleased. He's made us a different team."

Image source, Getty Images

Luton boss Rob Edwards says he is relishing the challenge of facing "the best manager in the world" when Pep Guardiola takes his Treble-winning Manchester City side to Kenilworth Road on Sunday.

The Hatters have performed admirably against top sides at home this season, securing an impressive point against Liverpool and only losing to a last-gasp Declan Rice goal in a thriller against Arsenal on Tuesday.

"It's not just another game - this is against the best in the world," Edwards told BBC Look East. "It is special. We will have a plan for this game but we want to enjoy it and compete.

"We will have a plan and will have to be as good as we have ever been, and they will need to be off [their game]. Our fans will need to help with the atmosphere. I’m really looking forward to it.

"These are the days, this is why we got promoted and what we wanted it for, to play the best and the best are coming to town."

Edwards was also full of praise for City manager Guardiola, who he believes is "the best there has been".

"He’s the best manager in the world," he said. "He’s on another level. A different plane. It’ll be a pleasure to be stood next to him. I have so much admiration and time for him.

"[But] I don’t want to be overawed or anything or feel like we don’t deserve to be here. We are here to compete and recognise we are up against the best and I hope we can sit here again next year.

"I’m sure I’ll look back in the future and be proud of what we’ve been through to get here."