Luton Town FC vs Liverpool (5th Nov 2023)

Report | Hatters denied victory by late Liverpool leveller

Town 1 Chong 80

Liverpool 1 Diaz 90+5

Moments after the final whistle had blown after this pulsating, intoxicating encounter, Hatters fans around the ground needed a minute to take in what they had just witnessed. Their silence would not last long, however, as their heroes in orange and navy walked around the pitch to take in their deserved adulation.

The Town players, like their supporters, were still coming to terms with the disappointment of only – yes only – holding Liverpool to a draw having conceding a goal in the fifth minute of eight added minutes at the end of the second half.

But what a draw and what a match. We’ve said all along the power of night under the lights at Kenilworth Road can be special. Liverpool teams of old have suffered and struggled here. And they did again as a Town team battled, fought and timed their moments in offensive with power and purpose.

Roared on by a record home attendance since 1994, the Hatters were never overawed by their in-form visitors. Jurgen Klopp’s side had lost once in 21 games in all competitions – that against Tottenham in a game best remembered infamously for a goal and subsequent VAR farce.

Like all games this season, however, the Town were always in it and that was in part down to a man-of-the-match performance from goalkeeper Thomas Kaminski.

The Town’s number one’s productive afternoon began in the fourth minute when he clawed away a Darwin Nunez drive from the edge of the box. Nunez came close on 13 minutes when lifting a first-time shot on the crossbar as Liverpool searched for an early breakthrough.

Yet the Hatters were well in this and Chiedozie Ogbene’s pace and downright directness paved a way for Issa Kabore to shoot over. Up went the noise from every nook and cranny in the Kenny and it was at that point we knew we were in for a game.

It was breathless stuff as both sides attacked at pace on the counter. If it wasn’t Ogbene at one end it was the threat of Mohamed Salah at the other. The Egyptian firing over when well-placed on 21 minutes.

Kaminski did brilliantly to keep the score blank with a strong hand to deny Diogo Jota’s firm strike but Town tails were certainly up at the break when Ross Barkley, an ex-Everton man, rifled a shot over at the end of a wonderful flowing move.

The Town’s fine first half needed to be backed up by a strong start to the second. The Hatters have been guilty of slow starts to second periods so far this term.

Not so this time. Kabore’s pace and agility carried him forward into the space down the Liverpool left to win a succession of corners which went down well with the home faithful.

Time soon ticked towards 65. Ogbene had the beating of Trent Alexander-Arnold all afternoon and another left-wing raid almost paid dividends when the Town man bulldozered his way to goal, his square pass to Carlton Morris eventually ushered behind by a relieved Liverpool defence.

Klopp made a triple change a minute later in an attempt to wrestle back momentum. With 20 minutes left it should be been 1-0. Nunez somehow, unbelievably, blazing over with the goal gaping following Salah’s knockdown.

Kaminski’s reflexes prevented Nunez – again – two minutes later, before the Hatters then had to wait for a VAR check to deny the Reds a penalty.

Yet as the game entered the final 15 minutes the Town were still very much in it. When the Hatters had a corner, Liverpool would break. And vice-versa.

The visitors were getting twitchy. Klopp went in the book for something he’d said to the officials. Ogbene and Morris made way, as Tahith Chong and Elijah Adebayo joined the fray.

And then.

And then it happened.

With ten minutes left pandemonium. Utter jubilation. Kenilworth Road was shaking. So was I, so were you, so were Liverpool.

Barkley’s care of the ball in the middle of the park was a class above and his quick thinking sent Kabore galloping away down the right. His cross from the right was on the money and Chong, a former Manchester United man, tucked home past Alisson to make it 1-0.

A long VAR check took the sting out the celebrations somewhat. But in the end, whatever: the Town were in front once the goal was allowed to stand.

Up went the noise.

Then came the nerves.

The goal gave the Town ten minutes and added time to see it out. You knew the pressure would intensify from the visitors.

It looked like it was going to happen. Then eight minutes went up on the board.

It was five minutes into those that agonisingly, Liverpool found a way. Salah was the architect [EDIT it was Harvey Elliott], his ball from the right finding Luis Diaz, the substitute, flying highest above Kabore to loop ahead past Kaminski. Silence all around. Relief for the Reds.

You still felt there was still a chance left in the remaining minutes – for either side – and so it proved at the death when Kabore found space in the box to warm the palms of Alisson.

And after all that – 100 minutes of epic exhilaration – it was over.

A point when three were so close. It didn’t feel like a loss – well maybe for a second or two – but the Town’s grit and, at times quality, was deserving of an important point which helped the Hatters lift themselves out of the bottom three.

A wonderful game and proof again the Hatters are not to be taken lightly in this league – one we’re competing in on merit.

So. Next up. Old Trafford.

See you then.

Town: Kaminski; Kaboré, Doughty, Lockyer, Osho, Mengi; Nakamba, Barkley, Ogbene (sub Brown 79), Townsend (sub Chong 61), Morris (sub Adebayo 75).

Subs not used: Krul, Mpanzu, Clark, Giles, Nelson, Luker.

Attendance: 11,049, including 1,151 from Liverpool

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9e3ZJN4alKI – Rob Edwards interview

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIEjsO2cUHU – match highlights

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8D37gYU8t-c – extended highlights

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cx2IDSOt1mc – Behind the scenes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCWKPYKzNiA – Every angle: Chong goal

Luton cruelly denied famous Liverpool win by Diaz's injury time equaliser

Premier League: Luton Town 1 Liverpool 1

Luton were so, so close to one of the biggest wins in their recent history as Liverpool needed an injury time equaliser from substitute Luiz Diaz to earn a last-gasp point at Kenilworth Road this evening.

It looked like the Hatters were going to come away with a famous victory thanks to Tahith Chong's wonderful breakaway goal with 10 minutes to go, a move that actually started from a visitors corner.

However, eight minutes of stoppage time were awarded, and that was just too much for the hosts, as the Reds managed to equalise with three to go, a deep cross nodded in by Diaz, who only declared himself available to play late on, following the kidnapping of his father out in Colombia last weekend.

Ahead of the game, Town boss Rob Edwards made one change from their 3-1 defeat at Aston Villa last Sunday, Andros Townsend getting his first start for the club, Jacob Brown dropping to the bench.

With Kenilworth Road bringing the noise in the early stages, the Reds had the majority of the ball, Teden Mengi making a superb clearance at the back post to prevent Liverpool taking an early lead.

Despite the visitors’ dominance it was Luton who had the first shot in anger, Ross Barkley's low drive gathered comfortably by Alisson.

Liverpool responded as Darwin Nunez's curler was touched behind by a diving Thomas Kaminski, the Uruguayan then taking advantage of a poor touch from Barkley to race forward and power over the top from range.

Having successfully navigated the opening 10 minutes, Town were inches away from falling behind as one ball through the middle was seized on by Nunez, rifling against the point of post and bar.

Town weren't without their moments, Chiedozie Ogbene sent away on the left to cross for Issa Kabore on the opposite flank, the Manchester City loanee blazing over.

Nunez clearly had one thing on his mind when within shooting distance, having another pop from range which required Kamsinki to palm away yet again.

Having kept Mo Salah quiet, the Egyptian couldn't make the most of his big chance on 22 minutes, a free kick dropping to him just 12 yards out, slicing waywardly off target.

Nunez opted to try his luck with his head from a Salah cross, failing to test Kaminski once more, something that was to become a theme.

Ahead of the game, Edwards had spoken about how getting a result in the top flight would require Kaminski to make a few saves and that was the case on 34 minutes, the Belgian showing excellent reactions to turn aside Diogo Jota's snapshot after a surging run by Ryan Gravenberch.

Weathering a huge spell of possession from the visitors with their clean sheet intact, Luton did manage an attack of their own on 41 minutes, Barkley lashing a decent chance into the scoreboard behind the goal.

Try as they might, Jurgen Klopp's side still couldn't force the breakthrough, Jota getting too much on his header from Trent Alexander-Arnold's hanging delivery.

After the break, the Hatters managed to end their habit of conceding in the early stages, as they continued to have their moments in the final third, Ogbene ambitiously going for goal with Doughty and Morris well positioned, the pair quickly letting him know their obvious frustration.

Kabore then produced some terrific wing play from Townsend's ball, his cross needing some solid last-ditch defending by the visitors.

Luton brought on Chong on the hour mark for Townsend, who had run himself into the ground for an hour, and they almost had the opener on 65 minutes.

The fearless Ogbene did magnificently on the left to beat Alexander-Arnold for pace and then just keep on going, getting into the box, picking out Morris whose close range prod was blocked behind a covering defender.

Liverpool responded with a triple change, Dutch star Cody Gakpo on, as Nunez failed to adjust his feet to turn over the line from close range midway through.

How the visitors didn't go ahead on 70 minutes, only Nunez will know, a cross nodded down by Saleh and from a few yards out, with the goal gaping, the forward somehow lifted miles into the Bedfordshire night sky from underneath the crossbar to huge cheers from the home faithful.

Moments later, Nunez did locate the target, only to find his luck out once more, the impressive Kamsinski with another athletic stop, immediately parrying Gravenberch's strike away too.

Then came the moment all Luton fans had been dreaming of, as Town broke from the set-piece, which saw the visitors calling for a penalty, Barkley striding away.

He waited for the run of Kabore, who in turn took a touch and then picked out Chong to slide in at the far post and send Kenilworth Road into absolute raptures.

The home supporters had to wait nervously as VAR checked the possible spotkick at the other end, also that Chong had timed his move perfectly, and with both getting the green light, they could celebrate once more.

Now looking at holding on for three points, rather than the solitary one, eight minutes of stoppage time were added, and after seeing out the first few, Luton were then undone with three left, Harvey Elliott's cross nodded into the net by Diaz, the attacker having only been on the field for 10 minutes.

There was now the worry Luton could leave empty-handed, but with the endless energy of Kabore, it was Town who almost won it, the wingback's late drive was punched away by Alisson, as the result meant Edwards’ side climbed out of the bottom three on goal difference.

Hatters: Thomas Kaminski, Issa Kabore, Gabe Osho, Tom Lockyer (C), Teden Mengi, Alfie Doughty, Marvelous Nakamba, Ross Barkley, Andros Towsend (Tahith Chong 61), Chiedozie Ogbene (Jacon Brown 79), Carlton Morris (Elijah Adebayo 75).

Subs not used: Tim Krul, Pelly Ruddock-Mpanzu, Ryan Giles, Jordan Clark, Jayden Luker, Zack Nelson.

Reds: Alisson Becker, Joe Gomez (Kostas Tsimikas 67), Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahim Konate, Dominik Szoboszlai (Harvey Elliott 66), Darwin Nunez, Alex Mac Allister, Mohamed Salah, Diogo Jota (Cody Gakpo 66), Ryan Gravenberch (Luis Diaz 83), Trent Alexander-Arnold.

Subs not used: Caoimhin Kelleher, Wataru Endo, Joel Matip, Ben Doak, Jarell Quansha.

Booked: Nakamba 44, Mac Allister 54.

Referee: Andrew Madley.

Attendance: 11,049.

Proud Hatters boss admits being left feeling 'what if' after Liverpool's last-gasp leveller

Towns boss reacts to 1-1 draw at Kenilworth Road

Luton boss Rob Edwards admitted there was a little bit of ‘what if’ in his thoughts after seeing Liverpool score a stoppage time equaliser to draw 1-1 at Kenilworth Road this evening.

The Hatters entered eight minutes of time added on with a single goal advantage, courtesy of Tahith Chong’s fantastic breakaway opener on 80 minutes.

Although the hosts then saw out five of the allotted eight and were eying a famous, famous win, they were undone when Harvey Elliott’s cross saw Luis Diaz rise to head past Thomas Kaminski and draw the visitors level.

Town then almost won it themselves, Issa Kabore drawing a save out of Reds keeper Alisson Becker, as summing up the game afterwards, Edwards said: “My overriding feeling is pride.

“We’re all winners, we’re all ambitious, we want to win games of football, and when you’re 1-0 up in the 94th minute against Liverpool, of course we want to win the game.

“Overall, maybe they’d feel a bit hard done by if we’d have won that game.

“They’re going to be the dominant team, we know that, but we had a real plan, the players committed to it and we got close.

“So my overriding feeling is pride not disappointment tonight.

"There’s a bit of what if and if only, but the players gave absolutely everything.

“They’re Liverpool Football Club, that's why they are who they are, they found a way to get a result from a difficult situation.”

Luton’s goal when it came was a fantastic move that started from a Reds corner, Ross Barkley striding forward and finding Kabore to his right.

The Manchester City loanee then crossed perfectly for Chong to slide his effort into the net, as asked for his emotions when that went in, Edwards added: “I was very excited, but there’s two reasons why I didn't over celebrate and leg it down the whole touchline.

“One was VAR, I was thinking, is there going to be some kind of check going on? Which there was.

"And then there’s still probably enough time for Liverpool to get about four goals, so I thought I don't want to over celebrate, just try and concentrate.

“It was a great feeling, it was a brilliant goal, those are moments that we’re going to get against teams like that, the counter-attacking moments.

“We’re not going to get loads of control in their final third, so it was really good that the players were clinical, it was something we’ve been talking about for the last few weeks.”

Although Liverpool had the majority of the opportunities, Kaminski making some splendid saves, the Belgian should have been picking the ball out of his net on 70 minutes, Darwin Nunez somehow lifting over the bar from just a few yards out.

Once that happened, Edwards admitted he had allowed himself to dream, adding: “You maybe start thinking, is this going to be our day now?

“Then you get a counter-attacking moment and one-nil up, but if I’m being really honest they deserved something because of the chances that they had.

“It wasn’t like it was chance after chance after chance, I didn't feel like we were under immense pressure when we were back in our shape, but you know they've got the quality to break us down.

“They did find a way, but when they missed their chance I did think, it could be our day this.”