10-man Wolves held on for a point at Luton as the hosts secured their first-ever Premier League point and were unlucky not to grab their first win.
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A red card to Jean-Ricner Bellegarde five minutes before half time for kicking out at Luton skipper Tom Lockyer gave the Hatters a great opportunity to bag their first PL win.
But it was Wolves who took the lead early in the second half as Pedro Neto cut in from the right and finished superbly to give the 10 men the lead.
However, Carlton Morris slotted home a controversial penalty kick to make it 1-1 and Luton pushed hard for a winner late on but couldn’t find one.
Rob Edwards’ team have one point from their first five games, while Wolves have four points from their first six.
Luton have enough to stay up
Look, this was a big opportunity missed but Luton showed they have more than enough to match the teams around them at the bottom of the Premier League table. We will see that in the next few weeks as they head to Everton and host Burnley. Rob Edwards’ side started so well and the excellent Carlton Morris hit the post, while they were hit on the break and against he run of play as 10-man Wolves took the lead through a superb solo effort from their man of the moment Pedro Neto. Luton rallied and kept peppering the Wolves defense with crosses and latching on to second balls first and they are a direct team who can cause problems. They deserved at least a point and although they will be frustrated they couldn’t finish off their chances to beat 10-man Wolves, there was enough in this display to prove they will go toe-to-toe with the teams in the bottom half of the table. Every single player knows their job and in Morris they have a focal point up top. If they can just keep their composure in the final third, Luton will surprise plenty of teams this season and although nobody is giving them a chance to stay up, they have enough to stay in the hunt for survival until the very end. Hats off to the Hatters.
What’s next?
Luton head to Everton on Saturday, Sept. 30 in another big scrap at the bottom of the table. Wolves host Manchester City on the same day.
How to watch Luton vs Wolves live, stream link, time
Kickoff: 10am ET, Saturday (Sept. 23)
TV channel: Peacock Premium
Stream: Watch on Peacock Premium
Luton just couldn’t break down 10-man Wolves late on but they gave it everything.
The Hatters have their first-ever Premier League point thanks to Carlton Morris’ equalizer from the penalty spot after Pedro Neto had given Wolves the lead.
Their were plenty of positive for Luton but this will feel like a big opportunity missed as Wolves had to play down a man for 60 minutes.
A deflected shot finds its way to Ogbene and he calmly slots home, but he was just offside.
Luton thought they had won it in the 90th minute.
A penalty kick is awarded to Luton as substitute Pelly Ruddock-Mpanzu’s cuts inside and his cross takes a big deflection off the knee of Joao Gomes and then hits his outstretched arm.
VAR had a check and even though the ball deflected up on to the arm, the handball was given and the penalty stands.
Carlton Morris rolls home the penalty kick calmly to make it 1-1 and there is a huge roar from the home fans. Game on with just over 25 minutes to go!
A free kick to the back post sees Lemina’s header saved by Kaminski and Kilman then can’t bundle home the rebound.
Despite being down to 10 men, Wolves are looking very dangerous and the more likely to get the second goal of this game.
Luton have to regroup, and fast.
In the 50th minute, 10-man Wolves have taken the lead with their first shot of the game.
A ball down the right finds Pedro Neto and he cuts inside past Lockyer and smashes home on his right foot.
Neto has been excellent at the start of the season and his quality will be crucial for Wolves as they aim to climb up the table.
Now, how will Luton respond to that hammer blow?
Bright start to the second half for Luton as Ogbene crosses for Morris inside the six yard box but his header is saved well by Jose Sa.
Luton starting to overrun 10-man Wolves, especially in midfield.
This looks like the sign of things to come.
A tight first half as the hosts dominated the early stages and Morris hit the post, while Wolves then composed themselves before Bellegarde had a rush of blood to his head and was shown a straight red card.
That mistake from Bellegarde to kick out at Lockyer has handed Luton a big opportunity as they will be playing with an extra man for the entire second half.
Can they make that numerical superiority count? They have certainly been dangerous whipping crosses into the box and they need to now be braver and take risks.
Straight red card shown to Wolves’ Jean-Ricner Bellegarde five minutes before half time.
After a challenge, he stayed down on the floor with Luton skipper Tom Lockyer and the legs of the duo were tangled.
Bellegarde then kicked out at Lockyer and after a VAR check, the red card stands. Gary O’Neil locks furious.
Wolves’ new signing had enjoyed such a promising start to his career in the Premier League too. The red card comes just as Wolves were starting to improve and grow into the game.
Luton have been sensational early on, whipping in crosses and pinning Wolves back and they so nearly took the lead.
Carlton Morris cut inside on his right foot and from a central area spanked a beauty of an effort towards the top corner... but it smashes the post and comes back out.
The home side have been really good but Wolves have looked dangerous on the counter a few times.
Two changes for Luton as Doughty comes in at left back and Ogbene starts.
Andersen and Chong have dropped to the bench.
Two changes for the Town! 🫡 pic.twitter.com/lEbWQ7Vxoa
— Luton Town FC (@LutonTown) September 23, 2023
Wolves are unchanged from the side which lost at home to Liverpool last time out.
Against Liverpool Bellegarde had a great debut, especially in the first half, and he and Pedro Neto will look to take the game to Luton early.
🔒 Unchanged from #WOLLIV.
— Wolves (@Wolves) September 23, 2023
How we line-up to face @LutonTown.
🐺📋 @AstroPay_OK pic.twitter.com/KmdyxhLK4H
As we’ve been mentioning, Wolves have been really unlucky so far this season as their performances aren’t being rewarded with the points they deserve.
Gary O’Neil has a very solid starting lineup in place and the likes of Pedro Neto, Mario Lemina and Craig Dawson have been excellent. They just need Matheus Cunha to finish off some chances up top and they will start to pick up more points.
Wolves don’t have the biggest squad but injuries have been kind to them so far as Rayan Ait Nouri should have recovered from muscle fatigue, while Joe Hodge is almost back.
Luton have improved in recent weeks and they’re focused on picking up their first Premier League point, or points.
The home fans will be up for this one and Luton will see this game against Wolves as a huge opportunity to properly announce their arrival in the Premier League and grab a much-needed win to boost confidence they can stay up.
Rob Edwards has a few injury issues with Ross Barkley picking up a thigh injury, while Gabriel Osho, Jordan Clark and Dan Potts all remain out.
Carlton Morris has been a real threat up top and Luton need to try and get plenty of crosses into the box for Morris and Jacob Brown to attack.
