Luton Town and Brighton & Hove Albion will be eager to return to winning ways when they meet at Kenilworth Road on Tuesday.
The 2023/24 Premier League season resumes this midweek after a ten-day gap, with Gameweek 22 kicking off on Tuesday. One of the less eye-catching fixtures on the day will have Luton Town welcoming Brighton & Hove Albion to Kenilworth Road.
Luton Town might not have been outside the relegation zone for much of the 2023/24 season thus far. But the Hatters have given a good account of themselves and have been the most impressive promoted club. Their recent run in the Premier League has been superb, losing only once in four outings to get within a point of 17th-placed Everton.
On the other hand, Brighton & Hove Albion have not been as good as last season. The Seagulls have been the draw specialists in the Premier League this term, with eight of their matches ending level at full-time. But European qualification is not out of the question, with sixth-placed West Ham United only three points ahead.
The reverse fixture saw Brighton & Hove Albion cruising to a 4-1 win over Luton Town, with Carlton Morris scoring the consolation goal for the Hatters. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Luton Town
Rob Edwards does not have any new roster issues hampering his preparations ahead of his side’s latest fixture. Against Brighton & Hove Albion on Tuesday, the Luton Town manager will be bereft of the services of five first-team players.
Tom Lockyer remains out indefinitely due to his heart ailment. Meanwhile, Marvelous Nakamba is a long-term absentee due to a knee injury. Mads Andersen and Jacob Brown should return soon. But Tuesday’s game has come too soon for the duo. Meanwhile, Issa Kabore remains at the Africa Cup of Nations with Burkina Faso.
Luton will line up in a 3-4-3 formation against Brighton on Tuesday, with Thomas Kaminski taking his usual spot between the sticks. The central defensive trifecta should feature Teden Mengi, Gabriel Osho, and Amari’i Bell. Chiedozie Ogbene and Alfie Doughty should be the two wing-backs, with the duo providing the width in the final third.
As for the midfield unit, Ross Barkley and Albert Sambi Lokonga will look to keep things tight in the middle of the park. Finally, Elijah Adebayo will spearhead the Luton attack against Brighton, with Andros Townsend and Carlton Morris supporting him in the offensive department.
Probable Lineup (3-4-3): Kaminski; Mengi, Osho, Bell; Ogbene, Barkley, Lokonga, Doughty; Townsend, Adebayo, Morris
Brighton & Hove Albion
Like his counterpart in the Luton Town dugout, Roberto De Zerbi does not have any new issues to deal with ahead of the trip to Kenilworth Road. The Brighton & Hove Albion manager will be without six first-team players on Tuesday.
Joel Veltman, Julio Enciso, and Solomon March remain long-term absentees due to their knee injuries. In addition, Kaoru Mitoma is still at the AFC Asian Cup, while Simon Adingra remains on international duty at the Africa Cup of Nations.
Meanwhile, Ansu Fati is closing in on returning from his hamstring injury. But Roberto De Zerbi has confirmed that Brighton will not take risks with the Barcelona loanee and ease him back into the thick of the action.
Jason Steele should take his spot between the sticks ahead of Bart Verbruggen, with Brighton lining up in a 3-4-3 formation in front of him. The central defensive unit should feature Adam Webster, Lewis Dunk, and the fit-again Igor.
Jack Hinshelwood will continue his incredible debut campaign, taking the right wing-back berth, with Pervis Estupinan manning the other flank. The duo will flank Pascal Gross and Billy Gilmour in the middle of the park. Finally, Danny Welbeck should spearhead the Brighton attack against Luton Town, with Facundo Buonanotte and Joao Pedro completing the numbers in the offensive department.
Probable Lineup (3-4-3): Steele; Webster, Dunk, Igor; Hinshelwood, Gross, Gilmour, Estupinan; Buonanotte, Welbeck, Pedro
Key Stats
- Brighton & Hove Albion have won only one of their last 14 away league games against Luton Town (D2 L11), although it was the most recent outing. Meanwhile, the Seagulls have emerged victorious in three successive league matches against Luton, including the 4-1 triumph on the opening weekend of this season, their longest winning run against the Hatters.
- Luton Town have lost only once in their last seven games in all competitions. But the Hatters are yet to score in the opening 15 minutes of a Premier League fixture this season.
- Brighton & Hove Albion have only won three of their last 15 top-flight matches, including one of eight away fixtures.
- Luton Town have only kept one clean sheet in ten league games at Kenilworth Road this season but have only failed to score in one of those matches.
- Pascal Gross has created 55 chances this season, a joint league-high with Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes.
Player to Watch
Joao Pedro
With Roberto De Zerbi having a tremendous personnel issue, especially in the offensive unit, someone has to shoulder the bulk of the responsibility. So, we have picked Joao Pedro as the player for this section, with Brighton & Hove Albion needing him to step up.
The Brazilian attacker has scored 18 goals this season in all competitions, second only to Erling Haaland (19) among Premier League players. Topping that list will be an incredible achievement for Pedro, especially in his debut season. So, he will be eager to make his mark on Tuesday.
Prediction
Luton Town 1-1 Brighton & Hove Albion
Luton Town’s defensive record at home is nothing to write home about; they have kept only one clean sheet at Kenilworth Road thus far this term in the Premier League. But the Hatters have failed to score only once in those outings and should fancy their prospects against a vulnerable Brighton defence.
The Seagulls will have Joao Pedro for ending their Premier League drought in 2024. But they are not the draw specialists for nothing and will concede two more points this midweek. The Hard Tackle predicts a spirited Luton Town to hold Brighton & Hove Albion to a 1-1 draw at home on Tuesday.