- Luton’s 4-2 home loss to Fulham resulted in their relegation from the English Premier League on the last day of the season.
Luton’s 4-2 home loss to Fulham resulted in their relegation from the English Premier League on the last day of the season.
Luton, Burnley, and Sheffield United—the three teams that were promoted the previous season—were all relegated to the Championship as a result of their loss.
There were plenty of chances in the first half of the match, but it really got exciting towards the end. Adama Traore’s half-volley goal in the 43rd minute was a masterful long-range finish. Carlton Morris then coolly took a penalty in the initial moment of extra time, which was given after Calvin Bassey brilliantly downed Chiedozie Ogbene.
However, Fulham nearly immediately regained the lead when Harry Wilson broke through the Hatters’ defense and sent Raul Jimenez up for a powerful shot into the bottom corner.
Just three minutes after the break, Jimenez scored his second goal and Fulham’s third with a glance header from a set-piece, and the madness continued when Alfie Doughty caught Bernd Leno off guard with a curling free kick that went low into the bottom corner to give the home team a point.
After that, the crossbar stopped Doughty from tying the score with another curling shot. Luton eventually regretted that opportunity and many more in the first half, as Fulham regained their two-goal lead in the 68th minute when Traore made a deft run and helped Wilson curve his shot into the top corner.
Luton’s loss and subsequent relegation means they will return to the Championship with Burnley and Sheffield United, all three of whom made the leap a year after winning promotion.
Fulham’s triumph on the last day of the season helped them move up to 13th place in the standings, finishing the season 21 points outside of the relegation zone and just two points behind the top 10.
Luton out with their chin up
Luton FC relegated. Photo/ 90 Min
Luton should be quite pleased of what they accomplished in their first Premier League season when the dust finally settles. Although they were demoted to the second tier right away, they mounted a fight that few saw coming into the campaign.
The Hatters deserve respect for fighting their relegation battle to the very end, especially as most had given up on them before a ball was ever thrown this season. They had the smallest budget, the smallest stadium, and the least amount of combined experience of any side in the division.
The Hatters had many highlights, such as their historic first-ever Premier League victory at Everton (1-2) in September, keeping Liverpool to a 1-1 draw at home, and showing real heart in losses to title rivals Arsenal and Man City, where they surprised many by leading at one point.
With 52 goals in 38 games, Luton was a constant danger in their final third and only five goals behind eighth-place Manchester United. But in the end, they were unable to produce enough good outcomes due to defensive shortcomings, especially at the end of the season when they only managed to accumulate six points out of a possible 51 since the start of
After taking some time to relax and think things through, Edwards will turn his attention to assembling a team that can contend for the Championship title the next season—possibly with the majority of players already under his control.
Fulham beat Luton town 4-2. Photo/ Fulham FC
Marco Silva turned his Fulham team into a strong Premier League team two years after they easily won the Championship. Despite this, their inability to play consistently at both ends of the field has kept them from contending this season.
They ended 2023–24 three places worse off and six points below where they finished the previous season, having mathematically no chance of matching the top-10 result from the previous season going into the last day.
Before their final-day encounter, Fulham had won only one of their last eight Premier League games and scored just four goals.
Fulham was always likely to finish in the middle of the league, and although Silva may draw some conclusions from the team’s performance, he will be hoping to add players to his roster during the summer transfer window in order to improve in 2024–25.
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