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Hojlund double sees off Luton to earn Man Utd fourth-straight league win

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After seven minutes it looked like the points were only heading in one direction. Manchester United were 2-0 up, Rasmus Hojlund had skilfully taken both goals and United fan Harry Styles was in the directors’ box.
As was Andy Cole, who would have approved of Hojlund’s finishes and also appreciated what it is like for a striker to go on a hot scoring streak after struggling initially with a big-money move to the club.
Hojlund’s goals, a calm finish after a dreadful error by Amari’i Bell and a cleverly improvised one with his chest when Alejandro Garnacho sliced a volley, meant he became the youngest player ever – at 21 and 14 days – to score in six successive Premier League games, beating Joe Willock’s record (21 years and 272 days).
And then? United were over-run, out-fought and at times out-thought by a rampant Luton with manager Erik ten Hag forced to substitute Casemiro – who was fortunate not to be sent off – and Harry Maguire – who was also booked and struggled alarmingly against Luton goal-scorer Carlton Morris. 
Andre Onana was at fault for Morris’s header that changed the mood of the match and Luton will rue the absence of their top-scorer Elijah Adebayo, who was injured in the warm-up.
United were better when Scott McTominay and Jonny Evans came on with, worryingly, United again losing Luke Shaw to injury.
Also in the directors’ box was Ineos’ Sir Dave Brailsford and once more he will have had much to ponder as United’s best performers were undoubtedly their youngsters – Hojlund and Kobbie Mainoo – while some of their bigger names found it tough. Too tough.
Even so, it is a fourth-successive Premier League win as United moved to five points behind fourth-placed Aston Villa and three behind Tottenham Hotspur. Can they finish in the Champions League places? Not on this form, it would seem, even if Luton have also made it difficult for every ‘big’ team who have visited Kenilworth Road this season.
But they do have momentum and United will argue that for all Luton’s pressure, as they dominated the midfield, they had the better chances in the second-half when Bruno Fernandes and Garnacho spurned opportunities and goalkeeper Thomas Kaminski saved brilliantly from Marcus Rashford and Hojlund. 
In injury-time Ross Barkley clipped the top of the cross-bar with a header. Luton were that close and probably deserved it.
“I think quick up and, as you say, we had good chances with Garnacho and Rashford, it could have been three or four-nil.
“After that we lose some focus and we are not so strict in what we should do and they came more in the game. We dropped too deep and allowed them too many passes.“We gave some chances away and they got the 2-1. That’s no good. But after half-time we picked it up. We had several chances. So many chances one against one. I think it was 
“Garnacho, Rashford again, it was Bruno Fernandes. We had so many chances, it should be 3-1 in these moments.
“Their goal brought the pressure on. They had crosses into the box and shots, but not the chances we had. We had big chances and with our abilities, we should have scored.
“It can always happen, a cross or a corner, you can concede if you don’t execute the 3-1.
“We make the progress but also you see we have to stay focused during the whole game. I will not say switch off, but when you do a little bit less, than you get punished.
“We can’t afford this. We have to be all-time 100% focused. Do your job together, in and out of possession and then you can control your games. What could have been an easy win was now a difficult win.”
He was lucky not to be sent off and was substituted at half time, but Casemiro is celebrating Manchester United’s win on X:
Three points! Let’s go 💪🏽 pic.twitter.com/4dHODlI7sP
“I think Manchester United played better in the second half changing their defensive midfielder. It was all to quick for Casemiro. Luton were picking up some good positions and he didn’t seem mobile enough. Mainoo could do that – he had the youthfulness and presence. He’s the real deal.”
“A good beginning, two good and fast goals. We dropped a little bit and they got one back. We know with this crowd, 2-1 is a dangerous result. We created a lot of chances in the second half and we couldn’t score.
“We know the pressure in every away ground in the Premier League is immense. We have to deal with it, we are Manchester United.”
On first goal: 
“I thought something could happen. I have a lot of speed so I dragged it to my left foot and I could score. I was a little bit unsure after the touch but in the end it was a good goal.
On second goal: 
“I did mean it, 100%. You can see I turned my body and it went in. I was surprised to be honest. I have a lot of confidence at the moment.”
On lack of goals: 
“I never doubted myself but of course you can be a bit down when you don’t score. I knew it was just a matter of time. I was learning my teammates and knowing their positioning. I always try to do my best. Three points is the most important thing. I always want to score but I’ll always fight.”
On team-mates: 
“They’re quality players. I play for one of the biggest clubs in the world. I want to keep playing with them and getting better. Hopefully, they can get better as well.”
On four wins in a row: 
“This was massive today. We’ve closed the gap on Villa and Spurs. We need to keep pushing for the Champions League spot and we’re still in the FA Cup. We want to win trophies.”
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Manchester United failed to score a single goal from these two chances 😬 pic.twitter.com/sV3VdbtsBK
Manchester United failed to score a single goal from these two chances 😬 pic.twitter.com/sV3VdbtsBK
“Man Utd were relentless. Hojlund’s red-hot right now. Second half, on the counterattack, they had plenty of chances. 
“They’re getting themselves on a bit of a run. There’s a bit of confidence. They can smell the top four now, Champions League football. 
“With the likes of Spurs stuttering yesterday, it’s a huge result for them. It’s not easy to come here.”
“Manchester United don’t half make it hard for themselves. Two goals up, Hojlund outstanding, but they allowed Luton back into the game.
“After beating Villa, it’s Luton and Fulham next, they have to get six points, and they are halfway there. They are putting real pressure on Tottenham and Villa.”
Luton do make one last foray into the Manchester United box but they cannot convert and that is full time. Manchester United take the three points and they are five points behind Aston Villa in fourth. Luton remain just one place and point above the relegation zone.
The Reds make it four straight #PL wins 👏#MUFC || #LUTMUN
Berry whips it in and Barkley wins the header at the near post. It looked like it was going in but it clips the top of the bar and that was Luton’s last chance. So close for the home side.
Gah, there was the chance. How cruel for Ross Barkley, largely excellent today. That is the sort of moment which will play on your mind if the season ends in relegation, or if you had an anytime goal bet on Barkley.
One final chance for Luton as they have a corner on the left…
Manchester United are winning every header and they the counter. Garnacho wins the away side a corner as Lokonga deflects it behind. 
The delivery is too deep and is cleared away but Luton now have another corner from the other side…
Another Luton corner incoming…
It is a terrible delivery that is cleared away.
Four minutes of added time, which has not pleased the home fans.
Luton have a corner just as the 90-minute mark is ticking around…
Manchester United really should have this game wrapped up. Kaminski gives the ball away so cheaply and Fernandes has a chance inside the Luton box, but his shot goes just wide of the far post.
At some point this has tipped over from unlucky to slightly wasteful from Luton. They’ve had half a dozen presentable chances in this half but have largely failed to test Onana. Suppose they will point to injury to Adebayo as moment their day turned. United equally guilty of wastefulness, could be out of sight with some more clinical shots. Suppose they will point to retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson as moment their club turned.
Osho is booked for a foul on Rashford.
Ogbene is the next Luton player to take on a shot but once again they miss the target.
Manchester United are taking off Hojlund for Amrabat. 
Townsend cuts onto his preferred left foot and his shot deflects behind for a corner on the left with just over five minutes to go of normal time. Evans wins an important clearing header for Manchester United.
Lokonga shoots from range but it is over the bar. Lindelof is booked for a foul in the build-up to that shot.
Berry replaces Doughty for Luton.
Would love to know the stats on players being urged to “shooooot” by optimistic crowds and how often those shots result in a goal. That one, from Lokonga, never looked on and I’m sure he was tempted by the home fans giving him permission to have a go. Maybe fans should start doing it to away players when they’re in xG 0.02 positions too.
Another big chance for Manchester United to bury this game. Rashford, down the right, plays it forward to Garnacho on the right-hand side of the box. He cuts it back for Hojlund, whose shot is straight at Kaminski.
Another big moment for Kaminski to deny Hojlund his hat-trick. A brief glimpse of the sparkle between United’s front three in that attack, which has been largely absent since the opening minutes. Garnacho and Rashford have swapped wings now in an attempt to get them over the line.
Evans wins a crucial header. The ball is sent back in and Osho’s shot is blocked crucially by both Varane and then Fernandes.
Some fairly predictable tit-for-tat chanting exchanges between the fans, as the game enters a less pulsating phase. “Conference champions, you’ll never sing that” is the unanswerable final blow from the Luton support.
Clark charges forward towards the Manchester United box and Mainoo is booked for a foul on Clark. Looking at the replays, that looks a poor decision as Mainoo got the ball. Good position for the Luton free-kick, which will be taken by Doughty.
Townsend fouls Rashford near the edge of his own box and receives a yellow card. He has only been on the pitch a few moments. Fernandes takes and his powerful effort is saved by Kaminski.
How has Garnacho missed? Another huge chance missed for Manchester United to go 3-1 up. The ball is played in behind to him by Rashford and he is one-on-one with Kaminski. He goes around him but then does not shoot immediately. He takes way too long and his shot is eventually blocked.
Luton have made two changes as Townsend and Clark come on for Chong and Woodrow.
Thomas Kaminski, not for the first time, horribly exposed by his defensive line being miles away. Distance-wise, not distracted. Rashford’s through ball to Garnacho looked highly likely to end in a goal but Kaminski did just enough to hold him up and he fluffed his subsequent shot. Luton fans singing “Come on Luton” to Auld Lang’s Syne, which is universally the song you sing when you’re beginning to get a bit frustrated by your team. 
Doughty’s cross is blocked by Dalot and Luton have a corner on the left. It is headed out to Ogbene, who attempts a curler from the edge of the box but it is straight at Onana.
From a corner Garnacho has it just inside the Luton box and he fires towards goal, but it is a fairly easy save for Kaminski.
What are you doing Kaminski? Garnacho feeds it into Fernandes and Kaminski decides he is going to come miles out of his goal. Fernandes goes around the Luton goalkeeper and it looks like he is just going to roll it into the net. But Lokonga is on hand to slide it and block Fernandes’ shot.
Wonder how important that Lokonga block on Fernandes’ shot will be by the end of this game. Sky have a fancy new replay system this season which theoretically can show you any incident from the view of any player in the pitch. Not sure Fernandes would have seen Lokonga at any point in that attack until he came from nowhere to slide in front of his shot at the last. 
Barkley shoots from range with his left foot but his effort does not trouble Onana’s goal.
Tahith Chong having a good game against the club he left two years ago, has got a knack of making enough space for a shot in unpromising circumstances and teeing up team-mates quickly if it’s not on. Just the actual shooting bit which needs some work. Luton still on top but looking a touch toothless. Get Mick Harford on. 
Chong pulls it back from left-hand side of the box after beating Garnacho but Morris cannot get good contact on it.
Manchester United then counter and Rashford shoots from just outside the Luton penalty area. Kaminski does well to get down to his left to make the save.
Doughty sends it in but Varane wins a crucial header.
Chong shoots from just outside the Manchester United box and it deflects behind for a corner…
Doughty whips in a ball from the left across the face of the box but it probably has too much power on it as it evades all of his teammates.
Maguire and Casemiro both on yellow cards in a potentially volatile game so no great surprise both have been hooked at half time. Addition of McTominay would, you think, have the added bonus of bringing some extra height to the United team. Luton pose a threat out wide, perhaps that is lessened now. 
Garnacho is sent free sprinting into the Luton box on the right. He cuts back inside and finds Hojlund. He cannot get his shot off properly and the ball falls to Fernandes, whose shot is blocked.
Moments later a ball is played over the top to an on-running Dalot, who makes a run from right to left. He goes round Kaminski but the Luton goalkeeper re-gathers to get his hands on the ball.
Manchester United are making a double change at the break. Unsurprisingly Casemiro, who was lucky to be on the pitch, is hooked off for McTominay. Maguire is also off, replaced by Evans.
We are back under way.
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David Coote blows his whistle for the end of the first half and Manchester United lead 2-1 at the break.
First time I’ve seen Mainoo in person today and have been hugely impressed. So tidy in tight areas, just seems to glide away from trouble and do the sensible, possession-preserving thing. United should get him on the ball more. Doughty’s dragged-wide shot another reprieve. They have been breached far too easily since Luton’s goal.
Luton should be level. Doughty has it centrally just inside the Manchester United box, but he drags his shot just wide.
Manchester United are forced into a change as Shaw goes off injured and is replaced by Lindelof. Clearly Shaw was not fully fit as he was a doubt going into the game with an injury picked up last weekend against Aston Villa.
Rashford goes down after minimal contact to his head. To say the Luton fans are not happy with him would be a huge understatement.
There are four added minutes.
Doughty’s free-kick hits the wall.
Maguire is the next Manchester United player booked. After great play in the middle of the pitch by Barkley, he feeds it into Morris. He runs at Maguire near the edge of the Manchester United box and goes past him. Maguire takes him down and is rightly booked. Luton have the free-kick in a dangerous position…
Casemiro is so, so lucky. His challenge is late on Barkley but referee David Coote opts against a second yellow. If he had not been booked already you would imagine he would have seen yellow there. 
Luton have adjusted brilliantly in central midfield after the game threatened to explode on them in the opening minutes. Barkley and Chong bright going forward and fluid with their positions, Lokonga looks capable of breaking lines at will. Just being let down with their play in the box at the moment. A sustained and furious appeal for a second yellow for Casemiro from the fans in front of me. Would have been harsh. But a sense United are riding this out until half time now.
Morris comes close to his second and the equaliser. He dispossesses Garnacho inside the Manchester United half and from around 25 yards, he lets fly. His effort goes just wide of Onana’s left post. Luton look much more likely to get the next goal at the moment.
Casemiro is booked for taking out Bell. He is not happy with the decision but that looked a fair call, especially considering he had just committed another foul.
Maguire is very, very lucky. His terrible pass deep in his own half is intercepted. Barkley feeds the pass onto Woodrow in the box, but his effort is deflected behind for a corner. Woodrow should have buried that chance.
Osho wins the header but it goes wide.
Hojlund goes down inside the Luton box wanting a penalty, but there was no contact from Bell. That was a dive and he should have been booked. Moments before Fernandes was charging through the middle but his ball to Garnacho to his right was too heavy. Had he done better there Manchester United would have been in a very threatening position.
Game feels quite thrillingly up for grabs now. United playing more conservatively than their breakneck start. They have been trying to make the best of transitions during their recent uptick and you are seeing that a bit more, their players charging forward en masse when they have won the ball to try to gain quick numerical advantages. Luton are plugging the gaps better and have taken note of Onana’s laughable attempt to challenge Morris for the ball which led to the goal, a lot being pumped high into the box to test United’s keeper.
Doughty whips a ball in from the left-hand touchline into the centre of the box. Morris wins the header but his effort does not trouble Onana’s goal.
Shaw, who was a doubt for the game, is booked for cynically taking out Ogbene as the Luton man pushed it past him. Luton have a free-kick in a good area on the right which Barkley will take. Osho wins a header but his effort goes well wide.
Rashford is lucky not to join Woodrow in the book for a late challenge.
Woodrow is the first man into the book this afternoon for not retreating from a Manchester United free-kick.
What a crazy start to this game. Manchester United have been all over Luton so far and could have scored more than twice but Luton are back in the game. Former Manchester United man Chong shoots inside the box and it deflects into the air. Luton captain Morris gets to it first and heads past Onana. Three goals in the opening 15 minutes.
There’s that crowd! It is a monstrous roar to greet Morris’ goal, aided I suspect by how it came out of nowhere. Shortly before there was a gorgeous nutmeg from Mainoo right in front of me on the touchline, to get past Alfie Doughty. This is the sort of thing which apparently ends careers these days, if you believe hyperventilatory online football chat. Minutes later Doughty, unbothered, put in the cross which led to Tahith Chong’s shot just before the goal. Styles-y applauding in the directors box but looking pretty stoic. Mick Harford happier.
The perfect response.pic.twitter.com/BhFS74rijS
Garnacho has an effort from distance but his shot is straight at Kaminski.
Manchester United are not far off making it 3-0 inside the opening 10 minutes. Rashford drives and drives to the edge of the Luton box. His shot goes wide and he perhaps should have passed rather than shot.
Only six minutes into the game and Manchester United have their third corner of the match. Shaw delivers and it ends up with Garnacho on the edge of the box. His volley hits Hojlund and ends up rolling into the far corner. Initially it felt like it just came off Hojlund without him knowing but looking at the replays it may have been more deliberate than first thought.
Some disagreement among my colleagues about whether that was actually a very clever chest-based finish from Hojlund or his second massive stroke of luck in the opening seven minutes after Bell’s howler. I wonder if he was actually trying to get out of the way. It makes no difference now and completes an incredibly bright start from United. All of the interchanges between their forward players are happening with a speed of thought and deed that Luton cannot cope with. Game over? Hope not. Crowd is very muted, which feels like half the battle for any  away team here.
Manchester United have the first corner of the afternoon. Luton just about clear away but not long after Rashford has a first-time effort from the edge of the box, which goes straight at Kaminski.
Yikes, horrible start for Luton and Amari’i Bell. Hojlund becomes only the fourth Man Utd player to score six goals in six PL games The other three are Eric Cantona, Ruud van Nistelrooy and Cristiano Ronaldo. Mount Rushmore mock-up on United’s social channels in 5….4…..3….
Inside the opening minute and Manchester United are gifted the opening goal. The ball is hoofed clear and Bell makes an absolute mess of the clearance. It gives Hojlund a simple one-on-one, he goes around Kaminski and slots home after just 36 seconds. A horror show for Bell and the worst possible start for the hosts.
We are under way at Kenilworth Road.
Both sides have emerged from the cramped tunnel at Kenilworth Road and we are just moments away from kick-off.
An unusual amount of attention diverted towards the press box here. As much as I’d like to think it’s Luton fans trying to catch a glimpse of Jason Burt and me, I believe it is the presence of Harry Styles in the directors’ box just behind us which is the main draw. Mick Harford has just given Harry Styles some of his chewing gum. Not a sentence anyone expected to be reading or typing this time last year. 
Luton: Kaminski, Mengi, Osho, Bell, Ogbene, Barkley, Sambi Lokonga, Doughty, Chong, Morris, Woodrow.
Subs: Krul, Berry, Potts, Kaboré, Burke, Mpanzu, Clark, Townsend, Nelson.
Manchester Utd: Onana, Dalot, Maguire, Varane, Shaw, Casemiro, Mainoo, Fernandes, Rashford, Garnacho, Højlund.
Subs: Bayindir, Lindelöf, Amrabat, Eriksen, Diallo, Antony, Evans, McTominay, Forson.
United end is packed out already, so you can only assume it was a very efficient process ensuring every fan got their legally mandated selfie on the way into the stand. As you may have read several hundred times since Luton were promoted, the entrance is in between terraced houses and the route takes you through some back gardens. Difficult to explain just how unusual this stadium is unless you’ve been. Obviously it is on an unusual scale for the top flight, but it is the asymmetry which is really striking in person. Well worth a visit in the two years before Luton move. 
All set and ready for action in Luton 🙌#MUFC || #LUTMUN
Luton have suffered a setback in the warm-ups. Elijah Adebayo, who scored a hat-trick against Brighton recently, has picked up an injury in the warm-up and has had to pull out of the Luton starting line-up. Cauley Woodrow has replaced him.
We have a change to our starting line-up, as Elijah Adebayo has picked up a knock and has been replaced by Cauley Woodrow.Dan Potts has taken Woodrow’s place on the bench. pic.twitter.com/ge7QCqekEw
This feels like a key game in determining Luton’s fate. Of course there is plenty of time left to claw back ground, even if thumped this afternoon, but they feel on the cusp of two well-trodden paths. Either the triumphant nose-bloodiers who beat the odds, financial limitations and stadium capacity stats to stay up (your Bournemouths, your Wigans, your Huddersfields) or the team who spend much of the season impressing only to go down in the end anyway (your Blackpool 2011s, your Cardiff 2019s, your Ipswich 2002s). Any sort of result today and the Everton point deduction seems imposing again, Palace, Forest and Brentford start feeling twitchy. Could be a springboard. Could equally be the sort of tight, cruel defeat which tells a team that they can try as hard as they like but their task is basically impossible.  
Most of the focus on United this week has been off-field. The arrival of lord and saviour Sir Jim Ratcliffe, the pursuit of Dan Ashworth, his plans for a Wembley of the north. Not quite sold on the last of those three, given the frequent feeling after games at Wembley of being fleeced by the concession stands and aurally assaulted by the soundsystem, but Ratcliffe has a head start in that Old Trafford is just as poorly served by public transport as the national stadium. Things actually looking pretty bright on the pitch, especially in the promising dovetailing of the front three, five goals in five games for Rasmus Hojlund and Kobbie Mainoo’s impressive form in central midfield. All very well, but can they do it on a fairly mild Sunday evening in Luton?
👋 Afternoon, lads!#MUFC || #LUTMUN
An impeccably-printed team sheet has just been handed to me in the press room. Teden Mengi back into Luton’s back three with Reece Burke dropping to the bench. Tim Krul also on the bench, to be filed under players you did not realise were now employed by Luton. Andros Townsend alongside him, listed as Andros Townsend Sr, raising an interesting query about when we can expect to see Andros Townsend Jr. He’s only four so we could be waiting a while. United unchanged from their win at Villa, despite concerns for Luke Shaw who came off at half time in that match. 
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📣 TEAM NEWS! 📣The Reds are unchanged from last weekend’s win at Villa, with @LukeShaw23 passed fit to start 👊#MUFC || #LUTMUN
Your Super Sunday Hatters 🫡 pic.twitter.com/d6KvN4vdQK
Good to see you, @Harry_Styles! 👋pic.twitter.com/UrwIT2AeT1
Love you, Locks 🧡pic.twitter.com/tp18P4zp9h
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”Kenilworth Road is unique” 🧡 pic.twitter.com/udq58V7SxT
Hello and welcome to our live blog of Luton against Manchester United from Kenilworth Road. Manchester United go into today’s game eight points off the top four, whilst Luton just one place and point above the relegation zone.
Manchester United manager Erik Ten Hag has confirmed that Luke Shaw is a doubt for the game, whilst Aaron Wan-Bissaka will definitely miss out.
“Luke is doubtful for the weekend but we are positive he can make it. He came off (against Aston Villa) as a precaution,” he said.
“Wan-Bissaka will take some weeks because he picked up another injury in training last week. Mason (Mount) and Tyrell (Malacia) will take some more weeks.”
Manchester United are looking to win five consecutive matches in all competitions for the first time since January 2023. They start today’s game in sixth place in the Premier League, eight points off the top four after Aston Villa won at Fulham yesterday.
Today marks a reunion for Luton defender Teden Mengi, who used to be on the books at Manchester United. Luton manager Rob Edwards has been full of praise for the young defender.
“For a younger player to step up, come away from home, out of his comfort zone and performed at the highest level – as he has – is astounding.
“I’m not surprised with anything he does, but perhaps I was surprised by how quickly he adapted to his surroundings and his team-mates.
“Hopefully he’ll continue that. He has a high ceiling and I know he will be desperate to play this weekend.”
Luton are one place and one point above the relegation zone but they have the chance to move four points clear with a victory this afternoon.
The reverse fixture back in November was won 1-0 by Manchester United. The last time these two sides met in the league at Kenilworth Road was in April 1992, with the game ending in a 1-1 draw.
Team news to follow shortly.

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