Chelsea will hope to get off the mark in the 2023/24 Premier League season when they welcome Luton Town at Stamford Bridge on Friday.
The 2023/24 Premier League season will resume this week, with Gameweek 3 kicking off on Friday. Chelsea vs Luton Town will be the first match to get us underway in the latest round of fixtures. And both teams will be desperate to get their first win on the board for the new campaign.
Chelsea would have hoped to have put the misery of the 2022/23 season behind them at the start of the new term. But the 2023/24 campaign has kicked off on the worst possible note, with the Mauricio Pochettino era not beginning ideally. And after playing out a 1-1 draw against Liverpool in Gameweek 1, they went down 3-1 to West Ham United last weekend.
On the other hand, Luton Town gave Brighton & Hove Albion a run for their money in Gameweek 1. The Hatters went through phases where they frustrated their opponents. But the Seagulls were ultimately too good for Rob Edwards and his charges. Meanwhile, the visitors were not in action last weekend as Kenilworth Road, their home ground, is still undergoing a programme of extensive ground improvements to be ready to host Premier League football.
Chelsea and Luton Town last clashed in the FA Cup in March 2022, with the Blues eking out a 3-2 win in the fifth round. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the first-ever Premier League meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Chelsea
Watch Mauricio Pochettino's look ahead to Luton Town LIVE! https://t.co/qOSmIdicql
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) August 24, 2023
The defeat to West Ham United came at a cost for Mauricio Pochettino and Chelsea. Another new fitness concern has left the Chelsea manager without as many as ten first-team players ahead of the game vs Luton Town on Friday.
Carney Chukwuemeka sustained a knee injury last weekend, while Mykhailo Mudryk has picked up a knock this week. And the duo has joined Marcus Bettinelli (match fitness), Benoit Badiashile (thigh), Trevoh Chalobah (thigh), Reece James (hamstring), Wesley Fofana (knee), Christopher Nkunku (knee), and Armando Broja (knee) on the sidelines.
Meanwhile, Romeo Lavia might not have enough match fitness to be available to take on Luton Town on Saturday. Meanwhile, Robert Sanchez might retain his spot between the sticks this week, with Chelsea lining up in a 3-4-2-1 formation in front of him.
Axel Disasi, Thiago Silva and Levi Colwill have been the first-choice centre-backs thus far this season. The trio will form the central defensive partnership for Chelsea vs Luton Town on Saturday. Meanwhile, there is no looking past Malo Gusto and Ben Chilwell as the two wing-backs.
As for the midfield unit, Moises Caicedo should make his first start for Chelsea after a sub-par debut last weekend against West Ham United. And the summer signing should line up alongside Enzo Fernandez in the middle of the park. Finally, Nicolas Jackson will spearhead the attack, with Raheem Sterling and Conor Gallagher completing the numbers in the final third.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Sanchez; Disasi, Silva, Colwill; Gusto, Fernandez, Caicedo, Chilwell; Gallagher, Sterling; Jackson
Luton Town
Unlike his counterpart in the Chelsea dugout, Rob Edwards does not have any new injury issues hampering his preparations ahead of the trip to Stamford Bridge. The Luton Town manager will be without four first-team players on Friday.
Reece Burke (knock), Gabriel Osho (knee), Dan Potts (ankle), and Jordan Clark (ankle) remain on the sidelines and will return to action next month. But former Chelsea midfielder Ross Burkley might be a part of the matchday squad this week.
🇿🇼 @Nakamba_11#CHELUT | #COYH pic.twitter.com/TJLygxTFcX
— Luton Town FC (@LutonTown) August 24, 2023
Edwards tends to line his side up in a 3-5-2 formation, with Thomas Kaminski becoming the first-choice goalkeeper. And the central defensive unit should feature Mads Andersen, Tom Lockyer, and Amari’i Bell. Meanwhile, Issa Kabore and Ryan Giles should be the two wing-backs on Friday.
The duo will have the license to charge forward whenever the opportunities present themselves. But they will often drop back to create a back five, which will remain narrow to cut off the passing lanes for the Chelsea attackers.
Marvelous Nakamba and Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu were the success stories in Luton’s promotion bid last season. The duo will accompany Tahith Chong in the middle of the park, with the latter having a free role to create the openings through the central areas. Finally, Elijah Adebayo and Carlton Morris will be the two strikers for the visitors on Friday.
Probable Lineup (3-5-2): Kaminski; Andersen, Lockyer, Bell; Kabore, Mpanzu, Nakamba, Chong, Giles; Adebayo, Morris
Key Stats
- Chelsea have won their last three meetings vs Luton Town, with all of these games coming in the FA Cup between 1994 and 2022.
- Chelsea have conceded the opening goal in their last six Premier League games. If they let in a strike first in this match, it will be a new club record in the competition.
- Luton Town last won a league game vs Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in September 1986. None of their current playing squad members were born when they clinched a victory in that match.
- Chelsea have won only one of their last 14 Premier League games (D5 L8) and are winless in their last eight at home (D5 L3), drawing the last three. They last went longer without a league victory at Stamford Bridge between November 1994 and April 1995 (a run of 12).
- Mauricio Pochettino has won 85% of his previous Premier League games in charge against promoted sides (W34 D4 L2). That is the joint-best win rate of any manager with 10+ such games.
Player to Watch
Nicolas Jackson
Several players have been under the scanner for Chelsea in the first two games of the 2023/24 season. Moises Caicedo did not have a debut to remember and attracted criticism from different quarters. Meanwhile, Levi Colwill has a lot to prove in his breakout campaign. But we have picked Nicolas Jackson for this section as he looks to break his duck for Chelsea.
The Senegalese international has looked impressive in the first two games, particularly with his work off the ball. But with Chelsea’s goalscoring issues not going away, Jackson needs to find his scoring boots. And the game against Luton Town gives him the opportunity to find the back of the net for the first time for the West London club. So a big game beckons the summer signing.
Prediction
Chelsea 2-1 Luton Town
Chelsea will be the favourites heading into the game against Luton Town on Friday. But things have not been straightforward for the West London club for a long time. And last weekend’s clash with West Ham United served as a reminder that things will not be easy for Mauricio Pochettino.
However, after seeing Brighton & Hove Albion exploit the open spaces at the back, Luton Town might have a tough time keeping even a struggling Chelsea at bay. Meanwhile, the Hatters will fancy their chances of finding gaps in the Chelsea backline. And the fixture should produce a keenly-contested affair. So the Hard Tackle predicts Chelsea vs Luton Town to end in a 2-1 win for the home side.
