Exeter City vs Luton Town
Carabao Cup
Round 3
Tuesday 26th
September 2023
St James Park
The most comprehensive preview, detailed analysis and reliable predictions of the EFL League Cup fixture between Exeter City and Luton Town.
Exeter City vs Luton Town: Preview
Exeter City form analysis
The Grecians began with a 1-0 away win against Burton in League One thanks to Trevitt’s goal. They then suffered a 1-2 home loss to Leyton Orient despite Mitchell putting them ahead. Exeter returned to winning ways by beating Cheltenham 1-0 at home, with Watts scoring the winner. However, they were thrashed 0-9 at home by Reading in the EFL Trophy in their heaviest ever defeat. Most recently, Exeter lost 0-3 away at Oxford, outplayed as defensive issues surfaced again.
Overall, Exeter have struggled for consistency in their results and performances so far. They earned solid wins over Burton and Cheltenham but defensive frailties were badly exposed in the heavy losses to Orient and Reading.
Exeter have also lacked a goal threat, scoring just 3 goals in their 5 games. Manager Gary Caldwell needs to make them more solid at the back and improve productivity in attack. If Exeter can tighten up defensively and start creating more chances, they have a platform to build on. But they must learn from the thrashings by Orient and Reading to stand a chance.
Luton Town form analysis
Luton suffered a 0-3 defeat away at Chelsea in the Premier League, outclassed by the Blues. They responded by beating Gillingham 3-2 in the League Cup, coming from behind in an entertaining tie. However, Luton then lost 1-2 at home to West Ham in another league loss. They suffered a third straight league defeat away at Fulham, with Vinícius’ goal sealing a 1-0 loss. Most recently though, Luton ended their losing run by drawing 1-1 at home against Wolves, with Morris’ penalty canceling out Neto’s opener.
Overall, Luton have found the step up to the Premier League difficult, understandably losing games against superior opposition. They have competed well in spells without sustaining it. Defensively, Luton have leaked goals, conceding 8 in their last 4. If manager Rob Edwards can make Luton harder to beat, they have enough quality in attack to pick up points. But improving their defensive resilience is crucial for Luton this season.
