Jamie Jackson was at Turf Moor. His verdict is in. Thanks for reading this MBM.
… but like all great pros, Kompany finishes with a couple of jokes. “I do appreciate apologies, though. I gotta be honest, I respect that! I have a pile like this!” He pinches an imaginary stack between thumb and forefinger and laughs heartily. Then he’s asked whether Chelsea striker David Fofana, in the stadium tonight, will be joining on loan. “I hope the refereeing has not messed that one up! He’s seen it and said: I’m not getting involved in that!” He’s here all week, try the Haffners Pie.
More from the quietly simmering Kompany. “I want people to understand how it is against my nature to complain about such things … I want to get on with the game and play football … I want to tell my lads when they’ve done a bad job and a good job … but here, what do I go and tell them? … I don’t understand what’s happened to them a couple of weeks ago, and what’s happened to them now … what’s happened to them earlier in the season … I don’t know any more how to say it to them … it’s very difficult to hide it, to digest it … but tomorrow I’ll look at what my team can do better, always … we’re a resilient team … we’ll be ready to go in the next game … but now you have to allow us to feel the frustration … we’ll get a couple of lines in a newspaper but we won’t make the headlines because it didn’t make the headlines when it happened to us earlier in the season … no consequences for no-one … tomorrow we will be positive again.”
Vincent Kompany gives, well, an explosive interview to TNT. “I was laughing a little bit about it the last time it happened to us against Aston Villa when we got the softest ever penalty given against us … we were already down to ten men for two soft yellow cards … it happened to us against Forest as well with a hand ball, we get the apology … it happened to us against Bournemouth again, a defender who does a hand ball right in front of his goal, it should be a penalty, last minute … so now it happens here against Luton, I don’t get it any more … so is it, if we get a penalty against us that is as soft as it was against Villa, then what is this here? … a clear attempt to stop the goalkeeper getting up … it doesn’t take anything away from Luton who were incredible … but the referee has got to get it right … any ex-pro will say the striker has been clearing the room for the other striker … and what now? … I expect the referee to see it, it was that obvious, none of the Luton players have celebrated … fouls are collisions … what is [VAR] looking at? … to be honest, I’m absolutely fine if we concede this goal and it’s consistent that this is allowed … I’ll tell my strikers to go and do it … we’ve just dropped points at Villa after an unbelievable performance on the softest red card and the softest penalty … it just keeps happening.”
The ever-gentlemanly Rob Edwards talks to TNT Sports. “[The equaliser] is one of those … emotions are quite high now … it’s difficult to speak about it … maybe I could be more fair … I know that’s a big moment in the game but I feel we deserved that at least … if that one’s gone for us tonight, I do feel for Vinny tonight if it is a foul … I’ll look at it back proper and I will be honest … but it’s something we deserved in the end … we changed shape a few times to try to find a way … it was a hopeful cross and we got something from it … [Ross Barkley] has brought us a really good arrogance … he’s been really humble … but he’s got a real hunger and desire … he’s allowed us to evolve … the quieter [the January window] the better for us … I’m pretty confident we’ll come out of this window in a stronger position.”
Ross Barkley, named player of the match on TNT, says the point is “massive … they’ve put in a difficult performance for us … but we showed great character and the big man got the goal in the end.”
The goalscorer Carlton Morris adds with a saucy grin: “When needs must, put the two big fellows up top and we’ll cause a bit of carnage!”
A controversial end to an entertaining game. A point was the very least Luton Town deserved – they were the better side over the entire piece – but should their dramatic late equaliser have stood? Different factions on your super soaraway internet will doubtless have strident views, but you can make a case for it both ways: nine times out of ten, goalkeepers get the benefit of the doubt in such situations. Not this time, though, and when Trafford ran into Adebayo, who simply stood his ground, you can see why the referee wasn’t minded to blow his whistle. For the record, PGMOL say it was “just a coming together of two players” and that’s why the goal wasn’t overturned. A much more satisfactory point for Luton than Burnley, who still look the more likely to battle their way out of relegation bother.
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 | Brentford | 19 | -5 | 19 |
| 17 | Everton | 20 | -4 | 16 |
| 18 | Luton | 20 | -14 | 16 |
| 19 | Burnley | 21 | -21 | 12 |
| 20 | Sheff Utd | 20 | -34 | 9 |
FULL TIME: Burnley 1-1 Luton Town
One point apiece in this relegation six-pointer. Luton relieved; Burnley simply gutted.
Updated
90 min +7: Turf Moor is a bubbling cauldron of resentment. Thing is, the collision between keeper and attacker wasn’t enough for the referee to blow for a foul … and Luton surely deserve a point. So here we are.
90 min +6: Cork comes on for Ekdal. Meanwhile Trafford was booked for critiquing the referee’s part in the equaliser.
90 min +5: The goal stands! You often see keepers getting the benefit of the doubt in those circumstances. But it looked six of one, and half a dozen of the other. Trafford, who had a good game otherwise, clumsily clanked into his man, and Morris tidied up. Kompany is furious … but Adebayo didn’t do enough to make it a clear and obvious error!
90 min +4: A long look!
90 min +3: … but do they have the right to be? Vincent Kompany is fuming on the touchline, and says his piece to the fourth official. VAR will have a look.
GOAL! Burnley 1-1 Luton Town (Morris 90+2)
Burnley are sitting back. Two banks of five, pretty much. The hosts inviting trouble. And here it comes. Doughty crosses from the right. Trafford comes out to collect. He runs slap-bang into Adebayo and falls. Morris rises behind and guides a header into the empty net. No foul! Burnley are livid!
Updated
90 min: There will be five additional minutes. An age for Burnley. For Luton, they’ll go like that.
89 min: Chong finds Doughty out on the left. Doughty is caught offside. Doughty launches a volley of abuse in the direction of Chong, who had delayed the pass that spilt second too long.
87 min: There was also a suggestion that the ball had brushed Brownhill’s arm, but VAR has had a look and isn’t interested. Meanwhile Sambi Lokonga is replaced by Berry.
86 min: Some head tennis in the Burnley box. Morris attempts a bicycle kick only to accidentally toe-punt Brownhill in the face. Free kick, and the pressure’s off the hosts.
Updated
85 min: Luton pass. Luton probe. Burnley hold their shape. Turf Moor bubbles away with tension.
83 min: A double change for Burnley, as the goalscorer Amdouni and the exciting Odobert are replaced by Tresor and Bruun Larsen.
81 min: Doughty is caught offside. Burnley take the free kick quickly and Odobert is sent scampering into the space left by the full-back. Odobert enters the box, performs a couple of stepovers, then creams a shot towards the bottom right. Kaminski shovels a save around the post, and nothing comes of the resulting corner.
80 min: O’Shea and Al Dakhil take turns to confuse each other, just outside their own box. Sambi Lokonga nearly takes advantage but is brushed to the floor as he attempts to nip in between the defenders and away with the ball. He wants a free kick, but the contact was minimal and he’s not getting one. You’ve seen them given, mind you.
78 min: A loose ball bouncing on the edge of the Burnley box. Morris spins and shoots, but wildly. High and wide left. A decent half-chance, but the sub snatched at it.
77 min: Amdouni has the opportunity to release Vitinho into the box down the left, but seriously overcooks the pass. Vitinho has no chance of catching it, and it’s a goal kick. He should have been sent through on goal.
76 min: On the edge of the Luton box, Foster latches onto a dropping ball and whistles a volley straight at Kaminski. A rare shot in anger.
74 min: Odobert turns into space and sends Gudmundsson away down the right. Gudmundsson has Foster free in the Luton box, but his centre is overhit. Goal kick. What a waste. That’s Gudmundsson’s last act of the evening; he’s replaced by Roberts. Meanwhile Luton swap out Clark for Morris.
72 min: Luton press Burnley back, with Chong at the hub of most of the harrying, but the home side hold their nerve and their shape.
70 min: … in a very scrappy style. No wonder: a big 20 minutes plus stoppages coming up in this year’s relegation battle.
69 min: We go again.
68 min: Trafford looks like he’s fine to continue. But while he gets checked over and lifted back to his feet, both Vincent Kompany and Rob Edwards take the opportunity to give their men a pep-talk.
66 min: Doughty takes long. Trafford, backpedaling desperately, claims excellently. But he lands awkwardly as he falls backwards and on comes the trainer.
Updated
65 min: Ogbene and Chong combine down the right and tee up Barkley, who opens his body and shapes a shot towards the right-hand side of the goal. It deflects wide. Corner.
64 min: Chong comes on for Townsend.
63 min: Foster slips a pass down the left for Odobert, who nips inside and shoots. The ball balloons off Mengi and threatens to loop over Kaminski and into the top left. The keeper claws out for a corner, which he then deals with himself. He doesn’t inspire too much confidence, Kaminski, but he’s kept his team in the match there.
61 min: Ogbene crosses from a deep position on the right. Adebayo, racing into the box down the middle, can’t connect with an extended leg. Luton come again, and this time it’s Adebayo crossing from the wing. Trafford flops onto the ball to claim.
60 min: Luton were excellent up until the Burnley goal. They’ve not been their same effervescent selves since.
58 min: Ogbene crosses from the right. The ball hits Al Dakhil on the elbow. Luton claim a penalty, but not with much conviction, given the defender had both arms tucked behind his back. No penalty.
57 min: … Trafford punches confidently clear. That’s fine goalkeeping, given just about every outfield player was right up in his grille.
Updated
56 min: Barkley somehow launches a counter attack while falling over backwards, pinging a pass upfield to start a move that ends with Townsend crossing from the left, Adebayo heading goalwards, and Trafford tipping over the bar. Luton crowd the Burnley six-yard box. One corner leads to another, then …
55 min: For the nth time tonight, Kaminski slices a dreadful clearance straight out of play under no pressure whatsoever.
54 min: The pace drops a bit.
52 min: Gudmundsson passes infield from the right to Cullen, who pings a glorious first-time ball down the channel. Vitinho takes up possession and cuts infield, before firing a curling shot just wide and high of the top-left corner. Fine effort, though should he have rolled a cross to Foster instead?
50 min: Ogbene scuffs a shot straight at Trafford. Luton’s first, low-octane, attack of the half. Ogbene was almost certainly offside anyway.
49 min: Foster sprays a lovely ball wide left for Odobert, who wriggles in from the wing and slips the ball back to Foster. On the edge of the box, Foster has the right to shoot, but attempts to tee up Amdouni just to his right instead. The pass is inaccurate, and it’s a goal kick. Had Foster found his man, Amdouni would have been clear, 12 yards out.
48 min: … but otherwise, it’s a fairly nondescript start to the second half.
46 min: Vitinho sashays in from the right and aims a curler goalwards. Straight at Kaminski, who saves with ease.
Luton get the second half underway. No changes.
Amdouni or Gudmundsson: clarification for the nation. A TNT slow-mo shows Gudmundsson standing right next to Kaminski. Amdouni’s shot whistles past the Burnley man. The ball is fingertipped by the keeper who can’t stop its forward momentum. It brushes off the toe of the line-bound Doughty and in. Amdouni’s goal.
Half-time entertainment. Made for you with Saturday and Sunday very much in mind.
HALF TIME: Burnley 1-0 Luton Town
Luton have been the better side, but look at the scoreline. Meanwhile it’s apparently been confirmed that Amdouni scored the goal, and that Gudmundsson didn’t get any nick that would have claimed it. So there you have it.
45 min +2: Ogbene crosses from a deep position on the right. Adebayo goes up with Trafford and claps the keeper in the chops with his forearm. Free kick.
Updated
45 min: There will be three additional first-half minutes.
44 min: Ogbene once again romps down the right. He’s got nobody up with him, though, and the move, such as it is, eventually breaks down. The Irish winger continues to carry Luton’s greatest threat.
42 min: Ogbene pelts down the right before finding Clark in the middle. Clark should shoot first time but takes a couple of touches instead, hoping to make room for a better opportunity. It doesn’t come. His eventual effort is blocked, and from the resulting corner, nothing comes.
40 min: Odobert twists and turns to make space down the left. He reaches the byline and cuts back for Amdouni, who shovels a shot over the bar while in the process of falling backwards.
38 min: Amdouni drops a shoulder down the left and buys a free kick off Townsend. The resulting set piece isn’t up to much, but suddenly Luton are rocking. How quickly the prevailing wind can change.
GOAL! Burnley 1-0 Luton Town (Amdouni 36)
They’re into the game now all right! Foster spins and turns into space down the middle, before releasing Odobert along the left touchline. Odobert bursts into the box, reaches the byline, and cuts back for Amdouni, who smashes goalwards from ten yards. The ball takes a little flick off Gudmundsson, standing in front of Kaminski. That flick deceives the keeper and sails into the net. Burnley lead against the run of play!
Updated
35 min: Odobert strides in from the left and curls towards the top-right corner. Always high, always wide, and Kaminski had it covered, but again, that’s better from Burnley, who are slowly coming into the game for the first time.
33 min: Burnley continue to enjoy a bit of possession in the Luton half, but in truth there’s not much going on. Luton hold their shape confidently.
31 min: Brownhill’s delivery isn’t much cop and is easily cleared by Barkley. But the ball comes back into the box, and drops to Odobert on the penalty spot. It’s a decent chance to get a shot on target, but he swings and misses. Then the whistle goes for a generous foul that releases the pressure on Luton. Better from Burnley, though that’s not saying much.
30 min: Burnley attempt to steady the ship with some sterile possession in the middle of the park. Then Vitinho cuts in from the right and is carelessly clipped by Osho. Free kick, and a chance to load the Luton box.
28 min: Barkley sends the relentless Ogbene on a dribble down the right. Ogbene crosses low. Sambi Lokonga swings and takes a fresh-air swipe from ten yards. That was a decent chance. Luton come again through Doughty down the left. He cuts back for … ah, but the flag goes up for offside. Burnley aren’t quite getting a chasing, but Luton are well on top.
26 min: Sambi Lokonga’s raking ball forward releases Ogbene into space. Ogbene lays off to Townsend, who hooks across for Adebayo. The striker briefly things about swivelling to shoot, but instead cushions a pass back for Barkley, whose shot is blocked. That was a highly decent sweeping move from Luton, who look the more likely by some distance.
24 min: Scrub that. Gudmundsson larrups the ball witlessly into the stand behind the goal. Miles wide right of the target.
23 min: … but they’re in good voice as Taylor chases down the right only to be skittled by Osho. A free kick near the right-hand corner of the box. Danger here.
22 min: The corner’s a non-event. But once again Luton keep Burnley pressed back, and Doughty romps down the inside-right channel only to hesitate when he should shoot from the edge of the box. The home fans getting a little restless.
21 min: Ogbene looks dangerous every time he makes good down the right. Burnley fail to deal with his cross and Bell’s presence forces a corner on the other side of the pitch. From the set piece, Barkley finds space to the left of the D. His shot is blocked. Doughty comes again down the left. Another corner coming up.
19 min: Foster requires a spot of treatment after accidentally hoofing the sole of Mengi’s boot instead of the loose ball. He’s OK to continue, though.
18 min: Townsend curls in from the right. Trafford deals with the cross, but only just, flapping under pressure before the loose ball is cleared. Luton are much the better side at the moment.
17 min: Clark is lightly shoved in the back by Gudmundsson while dithering in the Burnley box. He falls and wants a penalty, but come on and come off it. The referee waves play on.
Updated
15 min: An entertaining battle between Osho and Foster down the Burnley left. For a second, it looks like Foster has turned and burned off his opponent, but the defender regains ground and shoulders the striker off the ball. He clears. That’s good football all round.
13 min: Nothing comes of this corner, either. Luton are beginning to take control of this match.
12 min: Barkley finds Ogbene again down the right. Ogbene gains a yard on Al Dakhil with a couple of fancy stepovers, before creaming a low shot towards the bottom-right corner. Trafford again earns his corn, turning around the post.
10 min: Nothing comes of the corner. But both teams suddenly roused themselves there, with entertaining consequences. More please!
9 min: Luton come again, and wonderfully. Barkley sprays a pass wide right for Ogbene, who cuts infield and tees up … Barkley, who had kept on running. Barkley opens his body and steers a fine shot towards the top right. Trafford is equal to it. Corner.
7 min: … but then suddenly Burnley spring into life, and elegantly so. Gudmundsson exchanges passes with Brownhill down the inside-right channel only to batter his shot straight at Kaminski. Luton counter immediately, through Doughty down the left. His low cross whistles through the six-yard box, but Adebayo can’t extend a leg far enough to tap home. Action worth waiting for!
Updated
6 min: Kaminski blooters a clearance straight out of play again. The bar set low during these early stages.
5 min: Trafford’s long pass forward sails straight out of play for a goal kick. It’s been a slow start. Onwards and upwards.
3 min: A bit of promising space for Doughty on the left. Unfortunately he takes his eye off Sambi Lokonga’s pass and allows the ball to sail under his foot and out of play.
1 min: A nervous start by the Luton keeper Kaminski, who shanks a simple clearance straight out of play. The home fans, who haven’t had much to cheer about at Turf Moor this season, enjoyed that.
Burnley get the ball rolling. It’s cold at Turf Moor but at least it’s dry.
Before kick-off, a minute’s applause in memory of members of the Burnley Football Club community who passed away last year. A lovely bittersweet moment.
Updated
The teams are out! Burnley wear their famous claret and blue, while Luton sport away shirts that will look like home colours to folk brought up in the 1980s: white with orange sash. We’ll get going in couple of minutes.
Updated
Burnley manager Vincent Kompany – who arrives early and awkwardly crashes Edwards’ interview, the Luton boss forced to hang around and listen to his opposite number fielding questions, what a fiasco – has his turn. “It’s been tough learning … we’ve been in games … at the beginning of the season we felt we were not at the level but that’s not been the case for a while … what’s the point in having a career if you’re not going to have games with pressure? … it’s not the first one we’ll play like this and it won’t be the last either.”
Luton boss Rob Edwards talks to TNT. “We’re looking forward to it … we’ve had two really tough games against Burnley, in the Championship and this season, and they’ve come out on the right side, so hopefully it’s us tonight … we know how big the game is … we’ve improved and evolved … we’ve become competitive in most games … we’ve got to enjoy the pressure … we know what we’re fighting for and we’re in the mix.”
The rescheduling of this match hasn’t gone down well in some quarters. Andy Hunter had this to say in today’s Ten Things …
It is hardly breaking news that the interests of match-going fans are not given a second thought by TV companies but Luton’s 400-mile round trip to Burnley on Friday night is a staggering insult nonetheless. The game was chosen for the televised Monday night slot in October, with the caveat it could be switched to Friday or Sunday depending on whether the clubs had an FA Cup replay or Burnley reached the Carabao Cup semi-finals. Confirmation of the rearranged date arrived with Luton’s third-round draw against Bolton on Sunday. As Tony Scholes from Up the Clarets said: “To be sat waiting for the result of a game to decide the date of the next game less than a week later is totally unacceptable.” The Football Supporters’ Association added: “We’ve raised this problem with leagues, broadcasters and the authorities repeatedly but little progress has been made. We are going to keep banging this drum. TV selections should not come with multiple caveats – supporters need to have certainty about when games are being played so they can make their arrangements in good time. If a game is at risk of being moved twice or more we don’t think it should be eligible for selection – simple as that.”
… while Barry Glendenning also told it as he sees it in this afternoon’s Football Daily.
Say what you like about Bob Lord, but the man who spent the best part of the 1960s and 1970s telling the BBC and ITV to bugger off wouldn’t have hesitated for a second in telling TNT Sports where to shove their hastily rewritten schedule.
Burnley make three changes to the XI that started the 3-2 defeat at Aston Villa just before the turn of the year. Josh Cullen, Hjalmar Ekdal and Ameen Al-Dakhil replace Jordan Beyer, Charlie Taylor and Sander Berge, all of whom miss out altogether.
Luton also lost their last Premier League match 3-2, at home to Chelsea. They make two chances to the team that started that day, with Chiedozie Ogbene and Jordan Clark replacing the Africa Cup of Nations-bound Issa Kabore, and Jacob Brown, who misses out completely.
The teams
Burnley: Trafford, Vitinho, O’Shea, Al Dakhil, Ekdal, Gudmundsson, Brownhill, Cullen, Odobert, Foster, Amdouni.
Subs: Cork, Egan-Riley, Rodriguez, Benson, Roberts, Zaroury, Ndayishimiye, Bruun Larsen, Muric.
Luton Town: Kaminski, Mengi, Osho, Bell, Ogbene, Sambi Lokonga, Barkley, Doughty, Townsend, Clark, Adebayo.
Subs: Potts, Berry, Morris, Woodrow, Chong, Burke, Mpanzu, Krul, Giles.
Referee: Tony Harrington (Cleveland).
Tonight's Clarets team 💪 pic.twitter.com/MB0ljWhs6o
— Burnley FC (@BurnleyOfficial) January 12, 2024
Your Friday night Hatters. 🫡 pic.twitter.com/aUtDKOnmkh
— Luton Town FC (@LutonTown) January 12, 2024
Preamble
It’s another relegation six-pointer! Both teams have form in them this season. Luton have won at Everton and Sheffield United; Burnley have beaten Sheffield United and … Luton. But tonight’s hosts have only won two further games since winning at Kenilworth Road in early October; Luton have tasted victory three times since then, and of the two sides currently look the more likely to scramble to safety. Much resting on tonight’s game, then. Kick off is at 7.45pm GMT. It’s on!
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 | Brentford | 19 | -5 | 19 |
| 17 | Everton | 20 | -4 | 16 |
| 18 | Luton | 19 | -14 | 15 |
| 19 | Burnley | 20 | -21 | 11 |
| 20 | Sheff Utd | 20 | -34 | 9 |
