Luton Town will host Nottingham Forest in the Premier League on Saturday. In a stunning 4-3 loss to Bournemouth on Tuesday, Rob Edwards’s team wasted a 3-0 lead. Nuno Espirito Santo’s team is similarly in disarray following a one-goal loss to Brighton & Hove Albion.
Preview (Luton Town vs. Nottingham Forest)
Three months after Tom Lockyer’s horrific on-field cardiac arrest, which forced Bournemouth’s match against Luton Town to be postponed at the Vitality Stadium, the two teams reconnected on Wednesday night in front of the recovering Hatters captain, who was warmly welcomed by both sets of supporters. Lockyer saw his team put on a hardly credible first-half display. They were leading three goals at the half courtesy of Ross Barkley, Chiedozie Ogbene, and Tahith Chong. However, Rob Edwards’s team would later suffer a Premier League comeback unseen in twenty years.
Bournemouth became just the fifth team in the competition’s history to win a game after trailing by three goals. It was thanks to goals from Dominic Solanke, Illya Zabarnyi’s header, and Antoine Semenyo’s brace. However, as much as the Cherries’ amazing comeback was deserving of praise, the blame also lay with Luton’s disastrous collapse. A victory this weekend, regardless of margin, will take them up to 17th place.
After three straight wins at the end of January, Luton has lost their last eight games. They giving up at least three goals in six of those games. Although Edwards’s team rarely has trouble finishing with the ball in the net. Nottingham Forest was unable to score for the second straight top-flight game—and third in all tournament. At the Amex Stadium, where there were echoes of their humiliating and contentious 1-0 loss to Liverpool.
Team News
As a result, Andros Townsend or Cauley Woodrow will likely start in Chong’s stead this coming weekend. Chong may be one of the eleven members of the annihilated Hatters who are certain to be absent: Joe Johnson (glandular fever), Gabriel Osho (knee), Mads Andersen (calf), Jacob Brown (knee), Albert Sambi Lokonga (thigh), Elijah Adebayo (thigh), Dan Potts (thigh), Marvellous Nakamba (thigh), Amari’i Bell (thigh), and Lockyer.
Most of Edwards’s starting lineup from Wednesday night should return to action at Kenilworth Road because there aren’t many senior options available. However, Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu would be preferred as a stand-in defender over Daiki Hashioka, who was harshly treated by Semenyo in midweek. Compared to Nottingham Forest, only four injured players are being treated in the hospital; two of them, Giovanni Reyna and Ola Aina, may be able to return for the weekend.
Luton Town 2-2 Nottingham Forest
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