(Football news) No more goals were scored in the afternoon despite a plethora of opportunities on both sides. Manchester United took a two-goal lead inside the first seven minutes, and Carlton Morris cut the deficit in half in the fourteenth.
With three points separating them from fifth-place Tottenham Hotspur and five from fourth-place Aston Villa, Manchester United is currently sixth in the Premier League standings after winning their past four games. The team battling to avoid relegation, Luton, is now ranked 17th in the division, only one point ahead of Everton, who is ranked 18th.
In the very first minute at Kenilworth Road, Hojlund gave Luton the lead. The Danish international received a horrendous back pass from Amari’i Bell, the defender for Luton, and then he rounded goalkeeper Thomas Kaminski to find the back of the net.
In the fifth minute, Marcus Rashford had a chance to extend Manchester United’s lead when the ball was put in his path outside the box, but Kaminski stopped his hard shot.
Nevertheless, in the seventh minute, Alejandro Garnacho’s strike—his second of the game and eighth in his previous eight appearances—was superbly chested into the bottom corner of the net by Hojlund, giving the Red Devils a second goal.
Manchester United were flying, and Rashford fired just wide of the target in the 10th minute, before Garnacho tested Kaminski with another strike in the 14th minute after excellent work from Kobbie Mainoo.
Luton, again the run of play, had one back in the 14th minute, though, with Morris heading home from close range after Tahith Chong’s deflected effort fell kindly for the centre-forward.
Morris headed over the Manchester United crossbar in the 24th minute, with Luton more than matching their opponents after a poor start, and the chances had started to dry up for Erik ten Hag’s side. A mistake from Harry Maguire presented Cauley Woodrow with a chance to level the scores in the 31st minute, but the striker’s effort was deflected wide of the post by Raphael Varane.
In the 37th minute, Morris again almost missed the mark with a strong shot, and Casemiro was lucky to avoid receiving a second yellow card for a late challenge on Ross Barkley in the middle of midfield.
Victor Lindelof replaced Luke Shaw at left-back as he was forced off the field again due to injury. Alfie Doughty had another great opportunity in the final moments of the first period, but his low strike missed the mark.
Following the interval, Manchester United made two more changes: Jonny Evans and Scott McTominay were brought on in place of Casemiro and Maguire, who had both received bookings in the opening frame.
Kaminski did well to smother at Diogo Dalot’s feet early in the second period, before Man United goalkeeper Andre Onana made a save to keep out Woodrow during an open start to the second 45 minutes.
Luton’s goalkeeper then did brilliantly in the 57th minute to keep out a rasping effort from Rashford, with the visitors having a rare chance to counter-attack after coming under a host of pressure.
Barkley whistled another effort wide just before the hour, before Albert Sambi Lokonga made a goal-saving block on Fernandes after the Portugal international had rounded Kaminski, who then kept out Garnacho.
Manchester United again had Kaminski rounded in the 67th minute, this time through Garnacho, who went one-on-one with the goalkeeper, but the Argentine was pushed too wide and just could not finish it off. Kaminski then did well to keep out a free kick from Fernandes in the 70th minute, before Garnacho had one deflected wide during a difficult period for the home side.
After Gabriel Osho of Luton had a shot blocked by Varane, Onana was able to gather the ball within the box in the 77th minute. Kaminski then denied Hojlund in another one-on-one.
Following a poor ball from Kaminski, Fernandes flashed one just wide of the Luton goal in the 88th minute. In the closing moments of play, Barkley nearly leveled the score with a header, but Barkley’s shot struck the top of the crossbar, and the Red Devils managed to secure yet another three points.
While Luton travels to Anfield on Wednesday night to take on league leaders Liverpool, Manchester United will play their next match of the season at home against Fulham.
