Luton 2 – 3 A Villa
Lucas Digne’s 89th-minute header clinched a dramatic 3-2 victory for Aston Villa over Luton Town at Kenilworth Road on a breath-taking Saturday Night Football.
Rob Edwards’ side thought they had earned a point from a two-goal deficit when Carlton Morris’ controlled volley (72) added to Tahith Chong’s strike (66), but substitute Digne ran onto Moussa Diaby’s cross with a minute of normal time remaining to restore Villa’s lead.
Villa surged into a commanding position at half-time as two goals from Ollie Watkins (24, 38) had sent them on their way to victory. Luton refused to fold in the same way Sheffield United did last month but Villa dug deep and found an answer to the hosts’ battling second-half comeback.
Unai Emery’s side cemented their position in fourth, moving onto 55 points, nine ahead of Manchester United in sixth ahead of their trip to the Etihad Stadium to face neighbours Manchester City on Sunday, live on Sky Sports.
The result leaves 18th-placed Luton still in the relegation zone on 20 points, four adrift of Nottingham Forest above them in a position of safety.
How Villa won it twice
Aston Villa players celebrate Ollie Watkins’ second goal
There is a whole generation of Villa fans who have not seen their team compete at the top table of European football. But Emery has got supporters dreaming of those days returning with Villa challenging for a place in next season’s Champions League.
They last competed in the competition back in 1982/83 – one season after winning the European Cup – but in the wind and rain of Bedfordshire, there were second-half warning signs their charming manager will heed to ensure that charge does not derail.
These are exciting times under Emery, who takes his players to Amsterdam next Thursday to face Ajax in the last 16 of the Europa Conference League. That was no distraction, as Watkins put them in control by the break.
His first goal was predatory, rising to glance in Leon Bailey’s corner. It was the 25th goal involvement of another highly productive season for the striker – the outright most of any player in the Premier League.
Ollie Watkins’s well-placed header gives Aston Villa lead at Luton
Watkins might have got his second sooner when clipping the post from another Bailey pass – but he didn’t have to wait long to double his tally. Luton dithered as Douglas Luiz played a quick free-kick to release their chief marksman, who didn’t wait for a whistle to tuck his finish into the corner.
Referee Michael Oliver subsequently blew for offside but upon consultation with VAR Peter Bankes, the goal was rightly allowed to stand. The back foot of substitute Chiedozie Ogbene, an early replacement for the injured Amari’i Bell, had played him on.
Ollie Watkins at the double to put Aston Villa 2-0 up at Luton
Having witnessed Andros Townsend head over in first-half stoppage time, Sky Sports’ Jamie Redknapp said: “Luton need to make sure they get the next goal. After that, you never know what could happen, especially if they get the home fans back onside.”
At this stage, it had been too easy for Villa but Luton looked reborn from the restart, enjoying 75 per cent possession inside the opening 15 minutes.
Tahith Chong scrambles Luton back into contest
They deservedly halved the arrears when Chong was on hand to finish from close range after Matty Cash had done well to initially keep out Reece Burke’s effort from a corner.
“We’re in this fight. Together we’re in this fight and we’ll fight all the way.” Those were the words of Rob Edwards in his programme notes – and in this game of two halves, that fighting spirit was now being witnessed in spades.
Carlton Morris completes stunning Luton turnaround against Aston Villa
It was another set-piece which would be the route to Luton’s leveller just six minutes later as Alfie Doughty’s free-kick was steered back across goal by Morris for his eighth of the season.
The striker ought to have then done better when he met Ross Barkley’s cross to head straight at Emiliano Martinez. Emery looked like he had seen a ghost as he made a quadruple change, including the substitute Morgan Rogers being substituted.
Lucas Digne snatches Aston Villa victory over Luton at the death!
It was the first time Luton had played Villa here in the league in 32 years, and the visitors ensured they departed with all three points right at the death as one of those four replacements Diaby curled in a delicious cross for another substitute Digne to head into the ground and beyond Thomas Kaminski.
There was still time for Teden Mengi to head over another Doughty delivery deep into stoppage time but Villa survived.
What’s next?
Aston Villa visit Ajax in the Europa Conference League on Thursday (kick-off 5.45pm) before hosting Tottenham next Sunday for a top-four place showdown, live on Sky Sports (kick-off 1pm).
Luton travel to Crystal Palace next Saturday (kick-off 3pm).
