Alamy Stock Photo
2023/24 English Premier League
Matchday 8
Luton Town v Tottenham Hotspur
Kenilworth Road
Luton, England
Saturday, 7 October 2023
Kick-off is at 13h30
Tottenham will be targeting all three points when they meet Luton for the first time in the
Premier League era at Kenilworth Road on Saturday, October 7.
Spurs cut the gap to Manchester City at the top of the table to one point following their last-gasp 2-1 win over nine-man Liverpool at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on September 30.
A third victory in seven games maintained Ange Postecoglou's unbeaten start at the helm as the North Londoners moved up to second in the standings ahead of arch-rivals Arsenal only on goals scored.
The Gunners (3rd) dispatched Bournemouth 4-0 at the Vitality Stadium to also remain undefeated in 2023-24, with the Reds dropping to fourth after suffering their first loss of the campaign.
Alamy Stock Photo
Meanwhile, the newly-promoted Hatters made history when they beat Everton 2-1 at Goodison Park to record their first-ever win in the Premier League, having picked up just one point from their opening five encounters.
Rob Edwards' side are now unbeaten in their last two matches after playing out to a 1-1 draw with Wolves at home the previous weekend.
The Bedfordshire outfit, who were playing Conference football a decade ago, climbed out of the relegation zone up into 17th position, one point clear of the Cherries (18th) and three ahead of Burnley (19th) and Sheffield United (20th).
Carlton Morris played a crucial role in Luton's promotion to the top tier of English football with his 20 goals last term and the English striker produced a fine finish on the half-volley to double their lead against the Toffees last time out. It was his third goal of the season after scoring from the spot against Brighton and Wolves to go with the assist Morris provided for Mads Andersen against West Ham.
Image copyright: Getty Images
Son Heung-Min has found his goalscoring boots after breaking the deadlock against Liverpool to make it six goals in his last four games. The South Korean striker struggled in front of goal last season, scoring just 10 times in the league, having jointly won the Golden Boots in 2021-22 on the back of his 23 goals.
Edwards expressed pride at the club's achievement and was confident of coming out on top against Everton after seeing his players make progress in recent weeks.
"After that, I'm really proud of the players, really proud of our supporters today, our board and really pleased for them. But we've all got to recognise that it's just three points, it's just a win," he said.
"I genuinely expected it today. I think we've been building the right way and it's been coming."
Postecoglou felt another late winner further bolstered the belief in the team, although he admitted Liverpool posed a serious challenge despite playing the final 20 minutes with two men down.
"For some of these guys, this will be the first time they've faced that type of scenario, and for the most part, we handled it okay. Again, getting that late winner helps build the belief and spirit in the group," he told SPURSPLAY.
"I thought 11 vs 11 it was a pretty even game, we had our moments, they had theirs, they went down to 10 and until we scored we were good, then we lost our way a little, rushed things, tried to do things individually and actually allowed them back into the game with the equaliser.
"The thing about Liverpool, even with 10 men, they are equally as dangerous because the game plan is the same, they play on mistakes, they have world-class players up front who can hurt you. I thought the second half was better because we stayed a bit calmer, maintained our pressure in the right areas and got our reward."
Head-to-Head (Last Five Meetings)
Matches - 5
Luton - 0
Tottenham - 2
Draws - 3
Premier League Matchday 8 fixtures:
Saturday, October 7
13h30: Luton Town v Tottenham Hotspur
16h00: Burnley v Chelsea
16h00: Everton v Bournemouth
16h00: Fulham v Sheffield United
16h00: Manchester United v Brentford
18h30: Crystal Palace v Nottingham Forest
Sunday, October 8
15h00: Brighton & Hove Albion v Liverpool
15h00: West Ham United v Newcastle United
15h00: Wolverhampton Wanderers v Aston Villa
17h30: Arsenal v Manchester City
Bet on the English Premier League
Kick off your sports betting journey & place a winning bet with our exciting Sports Welcome Offer where you’ll get up to R1,000 as a Free Bet when you make your first deposit.
Stand to win big with Live Games
Enjoy your favourite Live Casino Games from as little as R1 per bet with massive winning potential of up to R5 million on some selected games. Unlock all your favourite Live Games today and take a seat at your favourite tables to take on the dealer head-on.
For all the latest sports news, betting tips and promotions follow Betway on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube. Download the Betway App.