Premier League: Red Devils battle to win over Luton
Luton Town 1 - 2 Manchester United
Manchester United edged closer to the Premier League's top five after an impressive display from Rasmus Hojlund inspired Erik ten Hag's team to a 2-1 win against Luton Town.
The Danish player scored twice early in the game at Kenilworth Road, giving the Red Devils control as they aimed to strengthen their chances of qualifying for the Champions League towards the end of the season.
Despite Carlton Morris giving Luton hope with a close-range header, Manchester United held on for victory, with Hojlund extending his impressive scoring streak to seven goals in his last six Premier League matches.
As the reds go marching on: More news from Manchester United can be found here
United started at a fast pace but Luton recovered
Manchester United took the lead within just 36 seconds as Hojlund scored after rounding Luton goalkeeper Thomas Kaminski.
The early goal lifted the spirits of the Red Devils, and eager to capitalise on their lead, Marcus Rashford tested Kaminski with a shot from the edge of the penalty area that deflected off a defender.
Ten Hag's team took advantage of their early dominance, with Hojlund scoring his second goal just seven minutes into the game, redirecting Alejandro Garnacho's volley into the net. This left Luton stunned as they tried to recover.
However, the Hatters quickly responded in a lively opening fifteen minutes at Kenilworth Road, with Morris seizing the opportunity presented by Tahith Chong's deflected shot and heading home from close range.
United's Danish striker impresses again
Rasmus Hojlund had more touches (57) & completed more passes (28) against Luton than he has ever managed in a single game in his entire career.
— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) February 19, 2024
Underrated baller. ⚽️⚽️⚽️ pic.twitter.com/tmDrTYVtGY
Hojlund is starting to justify Manchester United's significant investment in him during the summer transfer window. He's proving his critics wrong, especially after a long wait for his first Premier League goal.
After finally breaking his duck in the comeback victory against Aston Villa on December 26th, the Danish player has now scored in each of his last six top-flight matches. His consistent scoring streak, including his brace at Kenilworth Road, highlights his importance to the team. His goals will be crucial if United are to break into the top five and potentially secure a Champions League qualification spot.
Luton players show signs that they are up for survival fight.
Despite being considered one of the teams likely to face relegation this season after their promotion via the Championship play-offs last year, Edwards' squad has demonstrated resilience and determination to stay in the Premier League.
After their initial challenges against Manchester United, they showed resilience, dominating much of the first half and large portions of the second. Their performance indicated that they can avoid an immediate return to the Championship.
Best United reaction from across the web.
Kobbie's growing with every game 📈#MUFC || #PL
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) February 19, 2024
The user Sir Anderson posted on the the Red Cafe forum: "We did well in the end to get the win. Good result, iffy performance at times, we should be doing better at finishing off teams and not letting them get through so much."
Another user posted on the same forum: "There is a team there to build around. Mainoo, Hojlund, Garnacho all look like they could be the reason why we may get back to where we need to be."
What do Luton Town fans think?
On the Luton Town blog, We are Luton, they were positive about some aspects of the match. They said: "Such a shame! What a game, but what a shame we missed the chance to take some points again. It's gutting, because we were really impressive in terms of fight, build up, desire and character, but unfortunately we weren't able to get that clear cut chance to regain parity in the game."
Frankie, another Luton fan, added: "We had a poor start to the game but recovered well. I thought we just lacked a bit of quality in the final third. That's probably what cost us in the end."
