Luton made history by recording back-to-back Premier League wins for the first time, benefitting from two own goals in the 75th minute or later. Although the celebration was marred by allegations of a racist comment from the crowd, the team remains focused on achieving an unprecedented third consecutive Premier League win.
Carlton Morris played a pivotal role in Sheffield United's own-goal misfortune, and despite being in the relegation zone, Luton is within striking distance of teams like Everton, Crystal Palace, and Nottingham Forest.
Victory on Saturday would mark Luton's third consecutive top-flight success, echoing a feat last accomplished in December 1991, when they also defeated Chelsea. Historical patterns favor Luton, considering their past successes against Chelsea to close out calendar years in 1989 and 1990.
On the other hand, Mauricio Pochettino's Chelsea, currently in 10th place, seeks to maintain momentum after an unconvincing win over Palace. Chelsea's recent home form has been strong, securing four successive wins, but they face a challenging away record with four consecutive losses.
A defeat at Kenilworth Road would be Chelsea's first time losing their final game of the calendar year since 2011. Despite this, their August clash with Luton ended in a comfortable 3-0 victory.
INJURIES & SUSPENSION
Luton made it back from Bramall Lane without any new injuries or suspensions to worry about ahead of their upcoming match against Chelsea. Jordan Clark might be able to join the team if he recovers from his illness in the next few hours.Issa Kabore has recovered from a muscle injury, but Reece Burke (thigh), Dan Potts (thigh), and Marvelous Nakamba (knee) are likely to miss the final game of 2023 for the hosts. Captain Tom Lockyer is still on the road to recovery after a distressing cardiac arrest.
After delivering two deflected goals against Sheffield United on Boxing Day, Morris has certainly earned a chance to be back in the starting lineup for Luton. This could mean that either Elijah Adebayo or Jacob Brown might have to make way.
On the Chelsea side, both Raheem Sterling and Cole Palmer are available for selection again after serving one-game suspensions against Palace. Christopher Nkunku made his first Premier League start, and Romeo Lavia made his debut off the bench in that game.
However, Pochettino expressed concern about knocks for Lavia and Mykhaylo Mudryk after the game. If Enzo Fernandez's hernia doesn't settle down in time, Chelsea's midfield options could be further depleted for the trip to Luton.
Trevoh Chalobah (thigh), Carney Chukwuemeka (knee), Ben Chilwell (hamstring), Wesley Fofana (knee), Reece James (thigh), Marc Cucurella (ankle), and Robert Sanchez (knee) are confirmed absentees for Chelsea's Saturday showdown. Pochettino might also consider resting Nicolas Jackson given the busy schedule and a less-than-ideal performance on Wednesday.
POSSIBLE LINE-UPS
Luton Town possible starting lineup:Kaminski; Osho, Mengi, Bell; Doughty, Barkley, Lokonga, Giles; Townsend, Morris; Adebayo
Chelsea possible starting lineup:
Petrovic; Gusto, Disasi, Silva, Colwill; Caicedo, Gallagher; Madueke, Palmer, Sterling; Nkunku
EXPERT PREDICTION
Luton 1-1 Chelsea
Luton will have the advantage of an extra day of rest and should capitalize on one of their attacking moves. However, with a rejuvenated Sterling and Palmer in action, they could cause some trouble for Luton's defense, which might struggle to prevent Pochettino's team from breaking their away game curse.
