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.