Rob Edwards’ Luton Town will be hoping to earn their first Premier League points in history on Saturday as they welcome Gary O’Neil’s Wolverhampton Wanderers to Kenilworth Road.
Key Takeaways
- Luton have lost all four of their Premier League matches since being promoted from the Championship last term
- The visitors have won just one of their five league games thus far
- Wolves have recorded the victory in four out of their previous six meetings with Luton, stretching back to 1995
It has been a tough start for the Hatters in their maiden voyage into the Premier League and they will need to start picking up points soon if they have any chance of survival. Luton will feel like this is a good opportunity here to get something out of their opponents Wolves after their poor opening to the season.
Luton Town Form
Nobody can deny it has been a difficult beginning to the season for Luton and they could have had some easier fixtures to ease in. Having faced Brighton & Hove Albion, Chelsea and West Ham United across their first three matches, they conceded nine goals and scored just two.
A narrow 1-0 defeat away to Fulham last Saturday saw Edwards’ side put in an encouraging performance, recording an xG total of 1.35 compared to the Cottagers’ 1.23, despite having just 22%. A return to Kenilworth Road this weekend could see them find their first points and they will need to perform well at home if they are to stay up.
Wolverhampton Wanderers Form
Many predicted that Wolves would struggle this term and it has rang true. They have picked up just three points across their opening five games, losing to Manchester United, Brighton, Crystal Palace and Liverpool. O’Neil’s side failed to hold on to their lead at home to Liverpool last weekend and would fail to pick up a point despite being level until the 85th minute.
A 1-0 victory away to fellow strugglers Everton will give Wolves some form of optimism here. Nevertheless, the Wanderers have been poor on their travels this year and have won just two league matches on their travels in 2023, losing nine in the process.
Head-to-Head
The hosts defeated the visitors the last time they met in the FA Cup back in 2013. It came as a shock triumph at the time since Luton were in the Conference, whilst Wolves sat in the second tier. The most recent league clash ended in a 3-2 win for Wolves at Kenilworth Road in 2007.
Team News
Dan Potts and Jordan Clark remain on the sidelines for Luton due to long-term injury. Gabriel Osho has failed to appear this season due to a knee issue and will miss this one as well. Ross Barkley was absent for the Fulham match due to a hamstring injury so is in doubt.
Wolves saw Rayan Ait Nouri pick up an injury against Liverpool but he should be available for this once since it was just down to muscle fatigue. Midfielder Joseph Hodge has failed to make the past two squads due to a thigh problem so is questionable.
Key Players
Carlton Morris’ only Premier League goal came from the penalty spot as he scored against Brighton in Luton’s first fixture. He did manage to provide the assist for Mads Andersen’s goal, though, and scored 20 goals in the Championship last term so he is the danger man.
Forward Hee-Chan Hwang has scored in back-to-back league games for Wolves to take his tally to three for the campaign. He has now equalled his total from last season, despite making 22 less appearances. Pedro Neto will provide the flair and spark in the attack since he has four assists in five games.
Final Thoughts
Luton need to be finding points in these games but their poor start should continue here with Wolves being the favourites to triumph. It is hard to trust the away side, nonetheless, so it could be a tight game.
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