West Ham United will be eager to continue the unbeaten start to the 2023/24 season when they take on Luton Town at Kenilworth Road on Friday.
The 2023/24 Premier League season will resume on Friday with Gameweek 4, with the dreaded international break just around the corner. The matchday also coincides with Deadline Day of the summer transfer window. The latest round of fixtures will see Kenilworth Road making its Premier League debut when Luton Town and West Ham United clash on Friday night.
Luton Town would have hoped for a better start to life in the Premier League. But they have endured a trial by fire, beginning their campaign with two three-goal defeats to Brighton & Hove Albion and Chelsea. But as the Hatters return to the home comforts of Kenilworth Road for the first time since the required refurbishments, Rob Edwards will hope for a change in fortunes.
On the other hand, West Ham United could not have hoped for a better start to the 2023/24 season, especially after the struggles of last term. But while the season-opening 1-1 draw with Bournemouth was a setback, the Hammers have jumped into the top four with back-to-back 3-1 wins, with only Manchester City ahead of them with a perfect haul from three matches.
Luton Town and West Ham United last clashed in an FA Cup quarter-final replay, with the Hatters running out 3-2 winners. The Hard Tackle runs the rule over the encounter ahead of the first-ever Premier League meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Luton Town
We would like to thank everyone involved in planning and building our new stand! 👏
We are at the heart of our local community, and we would like to thank everyone within it for their constant support throughout the process 👊 pic.twitter.com/GzgLENRCUB
— Luton Town FC (@LutonTown) August 30, 2023
Rob Edwards does not have any new injury concerns hampering his preparations ahead of his side’s first Premier League home game of the season. Against West Ham United on Friday, the Luton Town manager will be bereft of the services of three first-team players.
Dan Potts and Jordan Clark remain long-term absentees due to their respective ankle injuries. And neither player will return to action before October. Gabriel Osho is the only other absentee, with the 25-year-old recovering from a knee injury.
Thomas Kaminski has established himself as the first-choice goalkeeper for Luton Town since arriving from Blackburn Rovers. And the home side should line up in a 3-5-2 formation in front of the Belgian shot-stopper.
Reece Burke, Tom Lockyer and Amari’i Bell will form the central defensive unit, with the trio aiming to remain compact at the back. They will also receive support from the two wing-backs — Issa Kabore and Ryan Giles — to create a back-five. That will enable Luton Town to block passing lanes for West Ham.
As for the midfield unit, summer signing Ross Barkley has seemingly established himself as a first-choice midfielder for Luton Town. And the Englishman will line up alongside Marvelous Nakamba and Tahith Chong in the middle of the park. So history-maker Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu will find himself on the bench. Finally, Elijah Adebayo and Carlton Morris will be the two strikers for the home side.
Probable Lineup (3-5-2): Kaminski; Burke, Lockyer, Bell; Kabore, Chong, Nakamba, Barkley, Giles; Adebayo, Morris
West Ham United
Like his counterpart in the Luton Town dugout, David Moyes barely has any fitness issues to deal with ahead of the trip to Kenilworth Road. The West Ham United manager will be without two first-team players on Friday.
Moyes, in fact, has a player returning to action, with Nayef Aguerd available after serving a one-game suspension. But Konstantinos Mavropanos (back) and Tomas Soucek (head) might miss out for West Ham against Luton Town.
Alphonse Areola has leapfrogged Lukasz Fabianski to become the first-choice goalkeeper for West Ham, who will line up in a 4-1-4-1 formation in front of the Frenchman. Meanwhile, Aguerd will return to the starting eleven straightaway, completing the backline alongside Vladimir Coufal, Kurt Zouma, and Emerson Palmieri.
Refining our finishing ahead of Luton 🎯 pic.twitter.com/A4n06hJ4L9
— West Ham United (@WestHam) August 31, 2023
The two full-backs will have the license to charge forward, with Emerson, in particular, having the potential to wreak havoc from the left flank. And with Said Benrahma likely to veer infield, the Italian international will have plenty of overlapping opportunities.
As for the midfield unit, Edson Alvarez will be the sole holding midfielder, playing the anchor role in the middle of the park. But James Ward-Prowse and the under-fire Lucas Paqueta will provide defensive support to Alvarez. The duo will also have free roles in the final third when the visitors have the ball.
Ward-Prowse, in particular, can stamp his authority with his late runs into the box, with Moyes bringing the best out of him. Jarrod Bowen and Benrahma will be the two wide attackers, with Michail Antonio spearheading the West Ham attack against Luton Town. So Mohammed Kudus will appear off the bench to make his debut for the Hammers on Friday.
Probable Lineup (4-1-4-1): Areola; Coufal, Zouma, Aguerd, Emerson; Alvarez; Bowen, Paqueta, Ward-Prowse, Benrahma; Antonio
Key Stats
- West Ham United have not won any of their last four meetings with Luton Town in all competitions (D2 L2). But the last time they did come out on top was also the last time the two teams met in the top flight, winning 1-0 at Kenilworth Road in January 1992.
- After losing both of their Premier League matches this season, Luton Town will look to avoid suffering defeats in their opening three matches of a league campaign for the fifth time in their Football League history, after 1927/28, 1935/36, 1996/97 and 2002/03 (all in the third tier).
- Both of West Ham United’s last two Premier League games have been 3-1 wins for them. David Moyes’s men last won three consecutive league matches in January 2022. Meanwhile, not since August 2021 have they scored three or more goals in three successive top-flight games (a run of four).
- Luton Town have thus far lost 4-1 against Brighton & Hove Albion and 3-0 against Chelsea in the Premier League this season. The only team to lose their first three matches in a top-flight season by three or more goals is West Bromwich Albion, who did so in 1890/91.
- A victory for West Ham United will see them finish the day top of the Premier League table. It will be the first time they will have led the top flight after playing at least four games since October 1983 (eight games played).
Player to Watch
Michail Antonio
He might have his future mired in uncertainties following the arrival of Mohammed Kudus from Ajax. But Michail Antonio is making his mark before probably losing his spot as the first-choice striker. And he has found the back of the net twice in three games thus far.
Meanwhile, recent reports have linked the experienced striker with Fulham and Everton. But Antonio is going nowhere unless any suitor comes with an offer on Deadline Day. As for the Luton Town game, the 33-year-old will look to extend his Premier League record tally for West Ham to deliver three points for his team.
Prediction
Luton Town 1-2 West Ham United
West Ham United will make history on Friday by becoming the first team to visit Luton Town at Kenilworth Road for a Premier League game. And the Hatters should produce a much-improved showing in their first home game of the 2023/24 season.
Luton Town actually had a better record on the road last season than at Kenilworth Road. But the dimensions of their ground will produce a challenge for most Premier League opponents. And Rob Edwards’s men will look to take advantage of that.
But while the hosts will give West Ham United a run for their money, David Moyes has his team playing some brilliant football. And the adjustment to dominating possession will eventually reap the rewards. The Hard Tackle predicts a closely-contested affair, with Michail Antonio delivering the goods to guide West Ham to a 2-1 win over Luton Town.