Luton Town

BBC Three Counties commentators Geoff Doyle and Simon Oxley discuss Luton Town's Premier League fixture against Manchester United in the latest episode of Luton In The Prem.

United's poor form in recent weeks has raised questions as to whether Ten Hag is the right man for the job at Old Trafford.

"If Luton win this game, where does that leave Ten Hag?" said Doyle. "That must be playing on his mind and on the players' minds ahead of this game."

"Everyone around football will be focused on the United aspect and I think that will be a good thing for Luton in many ways," agreed Oxley.

"The pressure will be intense on United. If we were pundits from out of the Luton bubble we would be saying: 'If he loses to Luton he’ll have to go.' Andthat's how it will be viewed.

"We have more respect for what Luton do and what Luton are, but for the rest of the outer football world the phrase will be that he can’t survive losing to Luton - so there will be a big focus on the game once again."

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

Rob Edwards has been speaking to the media before Luton Town play Manchester United in the Premier League on Saturday.

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Asked about the magnitude of the United game Edwards said: "It's a great moment for our club, I think the players are excited and looking forward to it, I certainly am. We are playing another giant of English football."

• On Luton being the underdogs he added: "It doesn't matter who is playing Luton this season, the pressure is on the opposition, it certainly will be on United, they will be expected to win".

• United have only won 50% of their games and with the pressure remaining high on Erik ten Haag Edwards said: "We are expecting the best version of Man Utd. He [Ten Haag] is a world class manager and they have world class players. I have a lot of empathy for any manager, but he has 20, 30, or 40 fold of the pressure I have.

• Edwards was asked about former United players Tahith Chong and Teden Mengi making their return to Old Trafford and said: "They have had amazing upbringings at Manchester United, hopefully now we see the best years of them with us. We have got them at our football club. There is no added pressure, I want them to be positive and go and enjoy it".

• He complimented his team's character and determination adding: "These lads stay upbeat all the time. It's important we stay level, it was a point against a good team last week {Liverpool} but we haven’t cracked it. We have to keep our heads down and work hard."

• Carlton Morris only has three goals but his Edwards praised his "high standards" and "intelligence" for the team.

• On VAR and the recent decisions he added : "It's interesting, a few weeks back I was all for it, certainly for the more black and white decisions."

• What he doesn't like is the "time it's taking", adding: "We want to enjoy the game, it's such a fast-paced game the Premier League, we want to keep it entertaining. What I don't like is lots of waiting around".

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In the latest episode of Luton in the Prem, BBC Three Counties commentator Simon Oxley explains how huge it will be for the Hatters to play at Old Trafford on Saturday.

He said: "For many people this may be the day that the penny drops, that Luton are in the Premier League.

"We’ve had the trip to Chelsea and you could arguably say that the penny dropped when that penalty went over the crossbar at Wembley. But we made a trip to Chelsea, played at home to Tottenham, had our first home game against West Ham.

"But for some people this will be huge for the fact that Luton are at Old Trafford, one of the iconic grounds in world football, the Theatre of Dreams.

"Manchester United are not enjoying the best of times at the moment, but when you turn up there and see the trinity statue of Best, Charlton and Law, especially of course just a few weeks after Sir Bobby passed away, it’ll be another poignant occasion at Old Trafford.

"There will be remembrance being marked too. It will be a wonderful occasion and it will be the biggest league crowd to ever watch a Luton Town game because their capacity is over 70,000.

"It’ll be another one of those special occasions, and what a double header to have had – Liverpool and then Manchester United."

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

• This is the first league meeting between Man Utd and Luton since April 1992 (a 1-1 draw at Kenilworth Road), and the first at Old Trafford since a 5-0 Man Utd win in September 1991.

• Since losing their inaugural home league game against Luton in 1897, Manchester United have now won their past 18 against the Hatters, a run stretching back to 1899. In English Football League history, only Everton against Fulham and Coventry against Norwich had longer winning home runs against a side.

• The Hatters are yet to keep a clean sheet in the competition, with only Leicester in 1994 conceding in their first 12 Premier League matches (first 18).

• Manchester United have lost five home games this season, their most after 10 games in all competitions since 1930-31 (also five). They have never lost as many as six of their first 11 at home in a single season before.

• Only Arsenal and Liverpool (eight each) have scored more goals in the final 15 minutes of Premier League games this season than Luton (seven).

• This will be Erik ten Hag’s 50th Premier League game in charge of Manchester United. He is the 17th manager to reach 50 top-flight games with the Red Devils, while a victory would see him become the only one to win as many as 30 of his first 50 with the club.

Geoff Doyle, BBC Three Counties Radio

It’s been quite a week for Luton Town.

Everyone wondered how they would cope against the mighty Liverpool on Sunday with the eyes of the world on them - and the Hatters were tactically spot on and made it a right contest. A sensational win was on the cards at one point but in the end they had to settle for an excellent draw.

Ross Barkley took many of the headlines and rightly so. Thomas Kaminski was named man of the match and you could understand why.

But dig deeper and consider the performances of Gabe Osho, Teden Mengi, Issa Kabore, Tahith Chong and Chiedozie Ogbene. Not many outside of Bedfordshire know much about these unsung lot and yet they put in very special performances.

So many highs and then the low; reports of a small minority of ‘fans’ with inappropriate tragedy chanting. Luton are investigating and will ban anyone found guilty. We do not want them at Old Trafford this Saturday.

And what another big game for Luton against Manchester United. Compare the revenue and turnover of the two clubs. They should not be competing at the same level but the Hatters may fancy their chances against a top side low in confidence.

For the travelling Luton supporters it will be a special day and for two players I mentioned earlier - Mengi and Chong - it will be too. Mengi joined the Red Devils aged seven and spent all his youth there, only leaving this year.

Chong and his family uprooted from his native Holland for United when he was 16 and spent three years there.

They were not given a Premier League opportunity at United but they are at Luton. And they are thriving.

Listen to live commentary of Manchester United v Luton Town on BBC Three Counties Radio and online on BBC Sounds.

Ollie Kay, We Are Luton Town, external

Now, was that two points dropped or one point gained? It’s split the fanbase straight down the middle. However, regardless of how supporters are split about the number of points picked up against Liverpool, they can all agree that the performance was a clear indication of what Rob Edwards, his coaching staff and the Luton players have to offer this season in the Premier League.

The writing is on the wall that Luton are not here to make up the numbers. The recruitment has been savvy, the tactics grounded and in-game management disciplined.

To highlight one from each category...

The recently signed Andros Townsend charged around the pitch to the extent it certainly didn’t look like he hadn’t played a competitive game for well over a year. He looks ready to muck in at both ends of the pitch.

Tactically, as shown by the goals against column as well as our goals scored this season, we appear to have acclimatised to the level. Discounting the first two matches where we conceded seven goals, we have let in 14 goals in nine games, a significant improvement which is duly keeping our goal difference in check while we find our shooting boots.

And Edwards has handled games excellently, with the changing of Townsend at 60 minutes for Tahith Chong proving a masterstroke as Chong got the goal to put Luton ahead against Jurgen Klopp's side.

One quarter of the season is done. I’m excited for what’s left.

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The reaction from Luton players after Luis Diaz's late equaliser from Sunday "shows a lot of things are bigger than football", according to The Athletic's James Pearce.

At the full-time whistle after Sunday's 1-1 draw with Liverpool a number of Hatters players were seen comforting Diaz.

Pearce told BBC Radio 5 Live "It just shows that lots of things are bigger than football, no matter how much heartache there was for Luton and the manner in which what would have been a famous victory for them whipped away in the dying seconds.

"It just shows the humanity of it. You can’t begin to imagine what Luis Diaz has been going through but there were some lovely moments there where lots of Luton players went over afterwards and had a word with him and embraced him.

"In moments like that, you wonder whether something like that is written in the stars."

BBC Sport's chief football writer Phil McNulty has been answering your questions this morning after the weekend's Premier League action.

@ChrisGill95 on X, formerly Twitter: It looks like Luton are slowly finding their feet in the Premier League. They showed quality yesterday and you can see they are starting to believe in themselves. They deserved all three points. Do you reckon they can survive?

Phil: I still have my doubts about whether they will survive, but what we can say for sure is that they won't be lacking in effort, determination and organisation. Manager Rob Edwards has got real spirit there as well.

Luton will be disappointed at conceding an equaliser so late on against Liverpool but that's still an outstanding result. It will give them real belief and that can sometimes take you to places you did not think you were going to go.

Get involved and ask your questions on all things Premier League on our live page here.

We asked for your views on Sunday's game between Luton Town and Liverpool.

Here are some of your comments:

Luton Town fans

Matt: Good performance by the Hatters. Looking better every week. That's a bonus point - gutted it wasn't three. We don't need to be better than the top sides, just better than the bottom three. The recruitment has clearly been excellent, as many gave us no chance on a shoestring budget. If Ross Barkley stays fit and improving, he could be the Premier League signing of the season.

Sue: I just love every one of those players who put their bodies on the line for Luton. It was a brilliant show for a neutral, but what a blow in injury time. How could anyone pick a man of the match? They all deserved it. Let’s go and beat Manchester United next week.

Mark: Brilliant display from Luton Town. Rob Edwards was on point with his players. You boys are staying up.

Stephen: Fantastic effort from Luton. Feel a bit disappointed with a draw but would have taken it before the game. Well done, Luton.

Liverpool fans

Daniel: One of the worst performances I’ve seen this season. We were completely lacklustre and underestimated a very well executed Luton side. Anybody who goes back to watch it would believe Luton were the better side in this game, and they were. Luis Diaz, you absolute hero!

Josh: This is the difference between us and Manchester City over the past few years. Erling Haaland and co would have put four or five past Luton. We just aren't clinical enough in and around the box. Darwin Nunez has so much potential but he needs to improve his first touch and his finishing. Trent Alexander-Arnold needs to decide if he's a midfielder or a right-back because currently he's being found missing.

Glen: Lacklustre performance and gave away the ball countless times. No width and squandered two good opportunities to score. Fair play to Luton, who deserved their point, for sure.

Matt: That was dreadful. To go from last weekend's competent, professional performance [in the win over Nottingham Forest] to Sunday's sloppy, wasteful display is both baffling and frustrating. Somebody really needs to point out to Nunez that he's paid to put the round thing between the two vertical sticks and below the horizontal one. The miss was abysmal. Not good enough. At all.

Listen back to full BBC Radio 5 Live match commentary on BBC Sounds

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Former Manchester United striker Dion Dublin praised Luton Town midfielder Ross Barkley's performance in Sunday's 1-1 draw with Liverpool on Match of the Day 2: "He's an old head, a senior pro, very experienced. He just seemed to pick the right pass at the right time, and he never seemed to panic in whatever situation he was in.

"He doesn't mind doing a bit of the dirty work as well, working hard to get the ball back, then he just leaves the ball in front of his team-mate. He was picking out passes just to get his team on the front foot moving forward."

Former Brighton striker Glenn Murray believes Barkley is evolving into a central defensive midfielder: "I thought he was absolutely sensational for Luton. He was composed, he put his foot on the ball at important times, and if you don't have that against the bigger teams, they just have more and more possession.

"Liverpool had a large share of possession but, when Barkley did get the ball, he kept it and that is so important when you're up against the big sides."

Catch up on Match of the Day 2 here

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Former Premier League midfielder Nigel Reo-Coker believes Luton Town taking a point from Sunday's meeting with Liverpool is a "massive achievement" and gives them something to build on for the rest of the season.

The Hatters were minutes away from a famous win before Luis Diaz popped up with an equaliser five minutes into stoppage time.

"It's a fantastic point for Luton," Reo-Coker told BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily podcast.

"It's a great building block. When we talk about football and the Premier League, what it is and the stories, I think the Luton story is great.

"I'm a big fan of them and I want them to do well, succeed and stay in the Premier League.

"When I look at Luton I see a club that's real grassroots, English football. It reminds me of my old club Wimbledon, with everything that's put together in the community and a sense of never say die. That performance [against Liverpool] goes along with that.

"Liverpool's team is about £600m in value and Luton's is £10m. To get a point is a massive achievement. It shows how competitive the Premier League is and how money is not everything. That's one of the great stories."

Listen to the full episode of Football Daily on BBC Sounds

And listen back to full BBC Radio 5 Live match commentary

Image source, Getty Images

Luton Town were forced to settle for a point after Luis Diaz's stoppage-time equaliser for Liverpool at Kenilworth Road on Sunday.

Jurgen Klopp said it was a "fair result" but former Manchester United striker Dion Dublin disagreed with the Reds boss on Match of the Day 2: "I'm not too sure [about that]. I thought Luton were absolutely outstanding, I really did.

"Liverpool had a lot of chances, but I thought Luton were set up well, they were organised, they did everything in this game absolutely to the letter. I thought they were unlucky."

Former Brighton striker Glenn Murray added: "You've got to stay in the game, that is basically it. Sometimes you need to understand that the opposition are better individually, and probably collectively.

"You need to ride your luck at times and stay in the game. Then, when those chances arise, commit to it and we saw Luton do that in this game."

Catch up on Match of the Day 2 on BBC iPlayer

Mark Chapman introduces highlights and analysis of Sunday's two Premier League fixtures.

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

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

Listen back to Sunday's commentaries in full on BBC Sounds:

• Nottingham Forest v Aston Villa

• Luton Town v Liverpool

And Saturday's commentaries are here:

• Everton v Brighton

• Newcastle United v Arsenal

Luton Town are still hopeful of a deal for 19-year-old Ecuadorian midfielder Oscar Zambrano, although the LDU Quito player may have to give up his portion of the transfer fee. (Sun), external

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

Steve Sutcliffe, BBC Sport

Rob Edwards was left thinking of what might have been as his team came within a whisker of a famous Premier League win over Liverpool.

But there will also be a sense of satisfaction, that his side, cobbled together with a fraction of the budget enjoyed by Jurgen Klopp is showing signs of finding their feet after a tough reintroduction to English football’s top flight.

The Hatters covered more ground than their opponents but also displayed the tactical discipline to largely restrict Liverpool to efforts from distance.

Instead of just soaking up pressure they also impressively attempted to counter with pace at every opportunity.

Chiedozie Ogbene, the Republic of Ireland international signed on a free transfer from Rotherham in the summer, gave England full-back Trent Alexander-Arnold a difficult time.

Ross Barkley another to arrive without a fee also excelled in midfield giving plenty of reason for optimism when Luton travel to Old Trafford to face an out-of-sorts Manchester United next week.

Luton Town manager Rob Edwards to BBC Sport: "I'm really proud of the whole football club today. It was a big day for us against a big club. We showed a lot of quality in the game.

"I think so [their best 90-minute performance]. It shows you have to for 98 or 99 minutes to get something. I was pleased with our counter-attacking.

"We kept Liverpool thinking there's something to think about here and the goal was the best example of that.

"The players have improved. There were elements of our game a team like this would have exposed.

"Belief. We're going around things the right way. We have a lot of injuries. There are five players who could have started.

"I thought Ross was excellent, Andros too. A lot of the counter-attacking moments came from Ross. He is able to get away and find the space. The goal was the best example of that."

Image source, Getty Images

Luton goalscorer Tahith Chong, speaking to Sky Sports: "When you score that late you are thinking of winning the game but you know they have quality and will keep coming and coming.

"I am very proud of the team and proud to score.

"We have grown every single game. We are still learning and want to improve. We will take this as a plus and we want to keep getting better and better and next time maybe we will get the three points.

"We want to create an atmosphere here that makes it very difficult for every team that comes here."

Image source, Getty Images

Mark Schwarzer, former Australia keeper on BBC Radio 5 Live:

"Luton will feel like they've suffered a defeat today because they held on for so long and conceded late in the game.

"At the end, they were a bit panicky, tired and didn't close Liverpool down. Panicked to clear the ball and didn't retain possession. That's what has ultimately cost Luton in the end.

"They have done really well, but it's still disappointment.

"Liverpool never gave up and were always a threat going forward. They got their reward in the end by continuously pushing against Luton's defence."

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• Liverpool have failed to win any of their last four Premier League away games against newly promoted sides (D2 L2), their longest away winless run against such opposition since March 2012 (a run of 4 consecutive losses).

• Darwin Nunez had nine shots in this game (no player has had more in a Premier League game this season), the most by a Liverpool player in a Premier League match without scoring since Roberto Firmino vs Man Utd in December 2018 (also 9 attempts, 0 goals).

• Liverpool have conceded the opening goal in five consecutive away Premier League games for the first time since November 2006 (a run of six).

• Luton’s opener was scored by Tahith Chong (his first ever Premier League goal) and assisted by Issa Kabore (his first ever Premier League assist).

• Luis Diaz’s equaliser came from Liverpool’s 24th and final attempt of the game. Timed at 94:40, it was Liverpool’s latest Premier League equaliser since Divock Origi’s strike against West Brom in December 2015 (95:24).