Chelsea Vs Luton Premier League Football Match 2023
Luton travel to Chelsea to kickstart this weekend’s Premier League action as Mauricio Pochettino searches for his first win in charge of the Blues. The new Chelsea boss has not won either of his first two outings despite some promising moments, and a defeat to a newly-promoted Hatters side would pile the pressure on. Even at this early stage of the season, the Blues simply have to win. The optics of losing to Luton in the eyes of their fans, with all due respect to Rob Edwards and his team, are hardly worth considering. The Hatters have not played since their opening weekend defeat to Brighton but have little to lose on their trip to west London.
Where to watch Chelsea vs Luton
TV channel: The game will be broadcast on Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Premier League and Sky Sports Ultra HDR. Coverage starts at 7pm. Live stream: Subscribers will be able to watch on a live stream via the Sky Go app. Live blog: Follow all the action with Standard Sport’s dedicated match blog. Nizaar Kinsella will be providing expert analysis from the ground.
Chelsea vs Luton team news
Chelsea have racked up a nine-man injury list ahead of the game, with Mykhailo Mudryk the latest to be struck down. Carney Chukwuemeka will miss the next six weeks of action after suffering a knee injury during the loss to West Ham, joining the likes of Reece James, Christopher Nkunku, Benoit Badiashile, Wesley Fofana and Armando Broja on the treatment table. For Luton, Jordan Clark and Dan Potts aren’t available following ankle injuries picked up in pre-season. Gabe Osho and Reece Burke are also ruled out. Tim Krul could make his debut but Luke Freeman has now left the club. The 2023/24 Premier League season will resume this week, with Gameweek 3 kicking off on Friday. Chelsea vs Luton Town will be the first match to get us underway in the latest round of fixtures. And both teams will be desperate to get their first win on the board for the new campaign.
Chelsea would have hoped to have put the misery of the 2022/23 season behind them at the start of the new term. But the 2023/24 campaign has kicked off on the worst possible note, with the Mauricio Pochettino era not beginning ideally. And after playing out a 1-1 draw against Liverpool in Gameweek 1, they went down 3-1 to West Ham United last weekend. On the other hand, Luton Town gave Brighton & Hove Albion a run for their money in Gameweek 1. The Hatters went through phases where they frustrated their opponents. But the Seagulls were ultimately too good for Rob Edwards and his charges. Meanwhile, the visitors were not in action last weekend as Kenilworth Road, their home ground, is still undergoing a programme of extensive ground improvements to be ready to host Premier League football.
Chelsea and Luton Town last clashed in the FA Cup in March 2022, with the Blues eking out a 3-2 win in the fifth round. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the first-ever Premier League meeting between the two sides. The defeat to West Ham United came at a cost for Mauricio Pochettino and Chelsea. Another new fitness concern has left the Chelsea manager without as many as ten first-team players ahead of the game vs Luton Town on Friday. Carney Chukwuemeka sustained a knee injury last weekend, while Mykhailo Mudryk has picked up a knock this week. And the duo has joined Marcus Bettinelli (match fitness), Benoit Badiashile (thigh), Trevoh Chalobah (thigh), Reece James (hamstring), Wesley Fofana (knee), Christopher Nkunku (knee), and Armando Broja (knee) on the sidelines.
Meanwhile, Romeo Lavia might not have enough match fitness to be available to take on Luton Town on Saturday. Meanwhile, Robert Sanchez might retain his spot between the sticks this week, with Chelsea lining up in a 3-4-2-1 formation in front of him. Axel Disasi, Thiago Silva and Levi Colwill have been the first-choice centre-backs thus far this season. The trio will form the central defensive partnership for Chelsea vs Luton Town on Saturday. Meanwhile, there is no looking past Malo Gusto and Ben Chilwell as the two wing-backs.
As for the midfield unit, Moises Caicedo should make his first start for Chelsea after a sub-par debut last weekend against West Ham United. And the summer signing should line up alongside Enzo Fernandez in the middle of the park. Finally, Nicolas Jackson will spearhead the attack, with Raheem Sterling and Conor Gallagher completing the numbers in the final third.
