Luton Town vs Manchester City

Kenilworth Road forms the backdrop for a high-stakes Premier League encounter between Luton Town and Manchester City.

Fate cruelly played with Luton in midweek Premier League action as they thought they would walk away with a precious home point against pacesetters Arsenal, only to concede a 97th-minute goal, which condemned them to a 4-3 defeat. With three losses in their last four league outings (W1), the ‘Hatters’ have slipped back into the relegation zone, albeit only one point off 17th-placed Everton. Manager Rob Edwards saw promising signs from his team against the ‘Gunners,’ yet they lacked that cutting-edge again, dropping points for the fourth time in seven home league matches this season (W1, D2, L4). If nothing, Luton’s recent fixtures have been a pleasure to watch as the last three have featured over 2.5 goals and both teams scoring, highlighting the potential for a high-scoring contest.

On the other hand, Manchester City’s struggles without Rodri continued in midweek as Aston Villa knocked them down from an underwhelming run of three consecutive Premier League draws with a 1-0 home win, condemning Pep Guardiola’s side to a fourth defeat in as many games without Rodri. Keen to arrest their joint-longest winless run in the top flight since November 2009, the reigning champions come into this meeting looking to atone for three defeats in just eight away league matches this season (W4, D1). Nothing less would do after dropping six points behind table-topping Arsenal. Having cast significant doubt on their bid to become the first-ever side to win four consecutive Premier League titles, Man City can’t afford a mistake at Kenilworth Road, where they’ve drawn their last three top-flight fixtures.