Manchester United secured their fourth consecutive Premier League win on Sunday, as they edged past Luton Town 2-1 at Kenilworth Road. Rasmus Hojlund scored twice in the opening seven minutes to give the visitors a comfortable lead, but Carlton Morris pulled one back for the hosts in a frantic first quarter. Luton had several chances to equalize, but United held on to move within three points of fifth-placed Tottenham.
Hojlund makes history with early double
The star of the show was undoubtedly Hojlund, who became the youngest player to score in six consecutive Premier League games at the age of 21. The Danish striker, who joined United from Ajax in the summer, showed his clinical finishing and predatory instincts to punish Luton’s mistakes.
He opened the scoring after just 36 seconds, when he pounced on a loose pass from Amari’i Bell and slotted the ball past Thomas Kaminski. He doubled his tally in the seventh minute, when he reacted quickly to chest in Alejandro Garnacho’s shot from a corner. Hojlund now has 15 goals in 23 league appearances, and is the joint-top scorer in the division with Harry Kane.
Morris gives Luton hope with stunning strike
Luton did not let their heads drop after conceding two early goals, and they responded with a superb goal of their own in the 14th minute. Morris, who joined Luton from Norwich in January, unleashed a powerful volley from the edge of the box that flew past Dean Henderson and into the top corner.
The goal gave Luton a boost of confidence, and they started to create more chances. Ross Barkley, who is on loan from Chelsea, tested Henderson with a low drive, while Morris headed over from a corner. United were lucky not to be reduced to 10 men, when Casemiro escaped a second yellow card for a reckless challenge on Barkley.
United survive Luton’s pressure and miss chances of their own
United manager Erik ten Hag made a tactical change at half-time, replacing Casemiro with Fred to shore up the midfield. United looked more composed in the second half, and had opportunities to extend their lead. Bruno Fernandes and Garnacho both missed one-on-one chances, as they rounded Kaminski but failed to find the net.
Luton did not give up, and kept pushing for an equalizer. They came close in the final minutes, when Barkley hit the bar with a free-kick, and Morris had a header cleared off the line by Victor Lindelof. United breathed a sigh of relief, as they secured a hard-fought win that keeps them in the hunt for a Champions League spot.
