Luton Town FC vs Chelsea (30th Dec 2023)

Town 2 Barkley 80, Adebayo 87 Chelsea 3 Palmer 12, 70, Madueke 37

There was a point in this game, shortly before Chelsea made it 3-0 through Cole Palmer’s second of the match, in which you felt ‘if the Town can get one, they’ll get another’ – such was the Hatters’ dominance of a match that seemed to be ebbing away from their grasp.

Yet Palmer’s cooly taken goal came with 20 minutes left on the clock and put the Blues firmly on course for three points after a run of three straight defeats on the road. It added to his opener in the 11th minute, profiting on a misplaced pass from Issa Kabore, and Noni Madueke, who struck a thunderbolt on 37 minutes.

While Chelsea defended well and been clinical when chances came their way were coasting to victory, it was 3-0 but it was never a three-nil.

But then came the final 16 minutes. If there is a more admirable performance of the Hatters’ first season in the Premier League then this was it as Rob Edwards’ side kept going in the face of adversity. It was testament to a never-say-die attitude of a group of players. Dangerous throughout but without finding that final killer pass or finish, suddenly everything came to life as the clock struck 74 minutes.

Moments after Palmer had impudently got that third goal the Town thought they were back in the game when Elijah Adebayo headed home Alfie Doughty’s cross. However, VAR wanted a look, and Doughty was adjudged to have been ahead of play and the goal was chalked off.

But rarely do Hatters heads drop.

With ten minutes to play Adebayo was cursing his luck once more, the crossbar left rattling after his header had beaten Dorde Petrovic following Chiedozie Ogbene’s right-wing cross. Somehow, still 3-0.

Thirty seconds later the Town’s gallant efforts were finally rewarded when Doughty’s right-wing corner was nodded into the corner of the net by Ross Barkley.

‘If they can get one, they’ll get another’…

Having looked comfortable, Chelsea panicked. And the Town sensed blood. The visitors were on the ropes and with five minutes left of the 90 Petrovic produced a remarkable fingertip save to deny Carlton Morris’ diving header from going in off the bar.

Undeterred, this group never know when they’re beaten. With three minutes left on the clock, Kenilworth Road was on its feet again urging an equaliser after Adebayo got the Town to within one when he pounced from close range to make it 3-2.

Chasing an improbable equaliser, Adebayo almost got a toe to the ball when well-placed in the box, Barkley – again magnificent – produced a sensational flick to find Tahith Chong only for the substitute to see his cross blocked.

It was heady stuff. Pulsating. Wave after wave of Town attacks continued to have Chelsea retreating. The danger kept coming. So did the crosses. So did the noise from the home faithful.

Sadly there’s no Hollywood ending to this story. Six minutes of injury time came and went and Chelsea hung on but only just.

Spirit, skill and – according to the manager – the best performance he’s ever had. High praise. Deserved praise.

It’s a defeat on paper but not as you know it. Another display to be proud of and plenty of positives against a side brimming with world class stars, it marked the half-way point in the Town’s season. It’s been a wonderful ride so far – and if the last 14 minutes of this was anything to go by, we’re in for a rollercoaster second half of the campaign.

See you next time.

Town: Kaminski; Kaboré (sub Ogbene 46), Doughty, Mengi, Osho, Bell; Lokonga (sub Woodrow 90+4), Barkley; Townsend (sub Morris 62) , Brown (sub Chong 46), Adebayo.

Subs not used: Krul, Andersen, Mpanzu, Clark, Giles.

Attendance: 11,041, including 1,151 from Chelsea

Luton almost fight back to rescue a late point during Chelsea defeat

Premier League: Luton Town 2 Chelsea 3

Luton came so, so close to snatching the most dramatic of points to bolster their efforts of staying in Premier League following what turned into a thrilling contest against Chelsea at Kenilworth Road this afternoon.

It appeared the Hatters were going to be given another lesson in the clinical nature of the Premier League, as being a step off it for the majority of the contest, they trailed 3-0 with 10 minutes to go against a Blues side who had lost their last four matches away from Stamford Bridge. However, late goals from the superb Ross Barkley and then Elijah Adebayo's close range header in the closing stages set up a grandstand finish that hadn't looked likely, only for time to eventually run out.

Town boss Rob Edwards made one change for the contest, the fit-again Issa Kabore replacing Ryan Giles, meaning Alfie Doughty returned to his usual left wingback berth. Luton should really have been picking the ball out of the net on just six minutes, Connor Gallagher found by Noni Madueke's direct run just 10 yards from goal, only to see his low shot repelled by the legs of Thomas Kaminski.

The Belgian was by far the busier of the two keepers in the early stages, gathering a hopeful attempt from Cole Palmer and then denying Nicolas Jackson with his feet as Town's offside trap was broken on 12 minutes. Unfortunately for Kaminski, Kabore's pass out from the rebound was a terrible one, picked off easily by Palmer who this time gave him no chance at all, rifling into the bottom corner.

Former Chelsea midfielder Barkley tried to respond five minutes later, Town winning a free kick 20 yards from goal, his attempt whistling narrowly over the bar. The England international went on to tease the visiting defence with Amari'i Bell freed to win a free kick which didn't quite work out as Luton’s short routine had intended.

The Blues dealt what looked to be the killer blow on 37 minutes when once more a goal that was far too easy after the Hatters' recent defensive efforts, particularly at home, Madueke given too much time to settle himself in the area as he thrashed past Kaminski at his near post. Town tried to hit back just before the break, a corner finding the feet of Jacob Brown who spun and fired goalwards, Chelsea deflecting behind, a quick VAR check for a penalty not leading to a way back into the game for the Hatters.

The half time break saw Edwards make a double change and a formation alteration too, Tahith Chong and Chiedozie Ogbene on for Kabore and Brown, Luton going to a 4-1-3-2 formation, Teden Mengi as right back, Bell alongside Gabe Osho in the centre and Albert Sambi Lokonga holding in the middle.

It almost worked immediately, a counter led by Chong seeing Townsend's lofted cross met by Ogbene but the Blues were able to get bodies back. The visitors remained a threat though, Palmer's potshot wayward, while Jackson went it alone on the hour mark, his shot easy for Kaminski once more.Unfortunately for Luton they couldn't quite make the most of their set-pieces on this occasion, Blues keeper Petrovic more often than not dealing with them commandingly, blunting one of the hosts’ main weapons.

Edwards made another change to bring on Carlton Morris for Townsend and go with two recognised forwards, hoping the striker would have a similar impact to his cameo against Sheffield United a few days earlier. Chong almost created a way back, as sprung clear on the left, he delivered a wonderful low cross only to see that Adebayo hadn't gambled as it flashed across the six yard box.

Any slim hopes that Luton had looked to have completely evaporated in the 69th minute as their back-line was split by one pass straight through the centre, Palmer rounding the advancing Kaminski and then toying with the Town defenders looking to recover before finally tapping into the empty net.

Town thought they had pulled a goal back on 75 minutes when Doughty was released by Barkley and found Adebayo whose downward header finally beat Petrovic, but the wingback hadn't got back onside in time and after a VAR check, the goal was rightly chalked off. Despite the scoreline, the Hatters commendably upped the pressure in the closing stages and should have made it 3-1 when when Ogbene got away on the right, his cross met by Adebayo from a few yards out, the striker somehow getting underneath his header to nod against the bar.

Doughty went on to win a corner though and this time it did pay off, Barkley's glancing header from the wingback’s ball in finding the corner as Luton looked to have the consolation they were after with 10 minutes left. Trying to bag a second, the Hatters attacked again, Ogbene released by Chong and his cross was met by Doughty at the back post, Morris's header up and gathered by Petrovic.

One thing you won't be able to question this term is the Hatters' desire and they poured forward in the final moments, Doughty's corner met by a thumping diving header from Morris, Petrovic doing wonderfully to tip on to the underside of the bar. The keeper was called upon again on 87 minutes when parrying Doughty's back post header from Ogbene's cross, but this time, Adebayo pounced to volley the loose ball into the net and bring Luton to within one.

After a match in which the Blues constantly time wasted, and threw themselves on the floor at every opportunity, there were surprisingly only six minutes added on by referee Paul Tierney who fell for the questionable antics and failed to show keeper Petrovic a yellow card for his delaying tactics. Luton almost made the most of them though, Chong, who had been a real livewire after his introduction, racing away on the left, Adebayo just unable to get on the end of his cross, which hit Ogbene and flew wide.

Doughty's final attempt was cleared away too as Luton just ran out of time to score the latest of levellers, as they remain in the bottom three, but will have been left thinking what might have been.

Hatters: Thomas Kaminski, Issa Kabore (Chiedozie Ogbene 46), Teden Mengi, Gabe Osho, Amari'i Bell (C), Alfie Doughty, Albert Sambi Lokonga (Cauley Woodrow 90), Ross Barkley, Andros Townsend (Carlton Morris 62), Jacob Brown (Tahith Chong 46), Elijah Adebayo. Subs not used: Tim Krul, Mads Andersen, Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu, Jordan Clark, Ryan Giles.

Blues: Djordje Petrovic, Axel Disasi, Thiago Silva, Noni Madueke (Enzo Fernandez 81), Nicolas Jackson, Armando Broja (Christopher Nkunku 62), Cole Palmer (Alfie Gilchrist 90), Conor Gallagher (C), Moises Caicedo, Levi Colwill, Malo Gusto. Subs not used: Marcus Bettinelli, Lucas Bergstrom, Mykhailo Mudryk, Ian Maatsen, Alex Matos.

Referee: Paul Tierney. Booked: Brown, Mengi, Gusto, Disasi. Attendance: 11,041 (1,151 Blues).

Edwards felt Blues defeat was a game of 'what if' for his courageous Hatters side

Luton boss reacts to 3-2 Chelsea loss

Luton chief Rob Edwards felt this afternoon’s 3-2 defeat against Chelsea could be described a game of ‘what if’ for his battling side.

The Hatters looked like they staring down the barrel of a hefty reverse when Cole Palmer waltzed through the Tpwn back-line to put the Blues 3-0 up with 69 minutes gone, adding to his own first half strike when taking advantage of Issa Kabore’s poor pass and Noni Madueke’s powerful finish. But rather than go into the shells and let their goal difference take a hammering, Luton, who hadn’t really troubled visiting keeper Djordje Petrovic in the opening 70 minutes, made sure that most definitely wasn’t the case.

Elijah Adebayo had a goal ruled out for offside, as he put another header against the bar, before Ross Barkley glanced Alfie Doughty’s corner into the bottom corner to pull one back with 10 to go. Substitute Carlton Morris struck the woodwork via the fingertips of the Serbian stopper, before Adebayo volleyed in after Doughty’s back post header was saved on 87 minutes.

Town then camped in Chelsea’s half for the final moments, but couldn’t force a leveller, the closest they came a Tahith Chong cross that sped through the six yard box and out for a goal kick.

Although it meant Luton finished 2023 with a defeat and remained inside the bottom three, Edwards was hugely enthused by what he saw, saying: “It’s a little bit of a game of what if, if only. The performance was brilliant though. I know they went three nil up, so that probably changes people's perceptions a little bit, but we were incredibly brave.

"It was difficult to find a way through and really create too much in the first half when the game is still a little bit tighter. They were defending very, very well, and they’re really good players. It’s hard to find a way past people like Thiago Silva. It’s difficult, but that being said, I thought we were really aggressive, we were on the foot foot, asking questions.

"We gifted them the first goal which makes it a challenge, second goal I thought was brilliant skill from Madueke. It’s a brilliant goal, which we knew, we respected their quality, we knew they had that. The individuals, the front four are electric, just even in moments if they’re not at it consistently through the game.

"But I thought we started the second half really aggressively, great intent, made some changes, and really attacked the game, continued to attack the game I should say. It wasn’t really a different message, it was just some different personnel in some different places and then a third goal which is avoidable, but when we were in the ascendancy.

"What pleased me most then was that game could then go one way or another. Chelsea could go four, five, six, seven and we’ve seen that in the Premier League against better teams than us. For the players to then go and do what they did, I think then shows how special they are. So I know we’ve not got anything from the game, but I’ll be able to sleep easier tonight than if we’d have just given up and gone and got beaten four or five.

"We showed fight, we showed heart, we showed loads of quality, we took the ball, had more of the ball than they did and that doesn’t really happen. We took the ball and were really brave, we carried on being aggressive and wrestled the game back in terms of a result. We were in the ascendancy, we almost wrestled the result back, so I’m incredibly proud of the lads.”

The Hatters ended up with 52 percent of the ball throughout the contest, the first time they have had more possession than an opposition team this term, and six shots on target too, a world away from the 3-0 reverse they suffered at Stamford Bridge back in August when they were just building into their top flight campaign.

Although Luton remained inside the relegation zone, Edwards felt the display showed they can stay up in this term, adding: “If I look at the progress we’ve made from when we played Chelsea in the second game of the season to that game there, I like the way that we’re going.

"If we can continue to improve and keep working the right way then we give ourselves a chance, I don't think anyone can really doubt that, I’m not saying we’re going to do it and we’re going to stay up, I believe we can, but we can give ourselves a chance with the performance that we’ve been giving over the last couple of months.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5goOMnnRC7I – Rob Edwards interview

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpgTmV-fliE – match highlights

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2LHJLBVLKFA – extended highlights