Manchester United vs Luton Town

Manchester United’s bid to return to winning ways after a disastrous trip to Denmark in midweek pits them against Premier League newcomers Luton Town at Old Trafford.

These are rough times for Manchester United fans. After Bruno Fernandes’ last-gasp winner fired Erik ten Hag’s underachievers to a 1-0 league win at Fulham, United dropped a two-goal cushion in a 4-3 defeat at Copenhagen in midweek Champions League action, slipping to the bottom of Group A. Ten Hag is under heavy scrutiny after his side lost nine of their 17 competitive games this season for the first time since 1973/74, including a dreadful 3-0 romping at the hands of Manchester City in their last league outing at Old Trafford. Luton’s visit to the town is, therefore, well-timed. The ‘Red Devils’ are unbeaten in 13 consecutive Premier League clashes against promoted clubs (W12, D1), including ten wins on the trot in the build-up to this fixture.

Visiting Luton Town came a long way from non-league football to England’s top flight in only nine years, but adjusting to the Premier League has proved difficult. However, after losing six of their opening eight league games (W1, D1), the ‘Hatters’ have gone unbeaten in two of their last three (D2), including a morale-boosting 1-1 home draw against Liverpool in the previous round. Luton’s timely resurgence comes in time to inspire much-needed confidence in the visiting camp as they go up against a side they’ve lost to in their last 18 H2Hs! It’s also worth noting that they’ve fared reasonably well on the road lately, avoiding defeat twice on their three most recent Premier League travels (W1, D1).