Luton Town 2-3 Chelsea: 5 hits and flops as the Blues survive a late scare from Tangerines | Premier League 2023-24
Chelsea survived a late surge from Luton Town to prevail 3-2 at the Kenilworth Road in their Premier League clash on Saturday, December 30.
The Blues started the match brightly and went in front after 12 minutes. Cole Palmer sliced an impeccable shot into the far corner from inside the box after Issa Kabore gifted him the ball. Noni Madueke made it 2-0 for the visitors in the 37th minute with a fearsome effort from a tight angle after Palmer released him inside the box.
Luton were dangerous but couldn't create solid chances to score, and it came back to bite them after the break. Palmer made it 3-0 with another incredible goal in the 70th minute. Upon receiving a pass from Madueke, Palmer raced forward and tip-toed his way around a host of orange shirts before calmly placing the ball into the net.
Chelsea seemed home and hosed, but the Hatters pulled two goals back in the final 10 minutes of the game. Former Blues midfielder Ross Barkley headed home in the 80th minute before Elijah Adebayo further reduced the deficit seven minutes later.
From being on the brink of a heavy loss, Rob Edwards' side were on the cusp of a historic comeback. But they ultimately came up short in their efforts to find the equaliser as Chelsea prevailed.
The west London outfit are in 10th place with 28 points from 20 games whereas Luton remained in 18th with just 15 points from 19 matches. Here are the five hits and flops from the match:
Hit: Cole Palmer (Chelsea)
Cole Palmer continued his meteoric rise to prominence with two incredible goals and one assist on the day. The youngster was brimming with confidence and knocked the daylights out of Luton with his attacking impetus.
Starting behind the lone striker Armando Broja, Palmer put the Blues in front with a stunning strike from inside the box into the far post. He then bagged a second after excellently controlling the ball under pressure. In between this, he also set up Noni Madueke's goal with a simple pass in the build-up.
That's now eight goals and four assists in 17 league games this season for Palmer for the Blues.
Flop: Issa Kabore (Luton Town)
Luton Town defender Issa Kabore made a huge mistake in the opening stanza that led to Chelsea's opening goal. While attempting to clear the ball out of danger, he passed it straight to Palmer, who sliced an effort into the far post.
Kabore was adept at competing for the ball and even made a few good tackles, but looked unsettled whenever Chelsea came barging at the box. He completed 17/21 passes, won 8/12 duels, lost possession eight times, and made four tackles.
He was put out of his misery at the break, being substituted for Tahith Chong.
Hit: Noni Madueke (Chelsea)
Noni Madueke was given another chance by head coach Mauricio Pochettino and he repaid it with an eye-catching performance. Buzzing in and around the Luton box like a bull in a china shop, the 21-year-old marked the occasion with a fabulous goal in the first half.
About 25 minutes after Palmer's opener, Madueke made it 2-0 for Chelsea. He bamboozled his markers with some neat footwork and then fired one into the roof of the net. He also laid three key passes and regained the ball nine times from 14 attempts.
Flop: Jacob Brown (Luton Town)
Luton Town managed to scrape in two late goals to ensure a squeaky bum time at Kenilworth Road, but neither of them came from Jacob Brown. In fact, he wasn't even on the field during those moments as the forward was taken off right at the break.
The 25-year-old was rarely involved during the opening half. He mustered two attempts, both of which were blocked, and had no crosses or key passes to show either. His inability to exert his influence in the match was one of the reasons for Luton struggling to create good chances despite looking dangerous.
Hit: Nicolas Jackson (Chelsea)
Another Chelsea attacker gets a 'hit' here and that's Nicolas Jackson. The Senegalese was involved in the thick of the things and bagged an assist for Palmer's second goal.
The 22-year-old was a big threat from the flanks, racing forward at every opportunity and holding up the ball to create a chance. He laid two key passes, one of which led to Chelsea's third goal. Jackson released Palmer with a perfectly weighted ball forward and the latter did the rest.