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2023/24 English Premier League
Matchday 12
Manchester United v Luton Town
Old Trafford
Manchester, England
Saturday, 11 November 2023
Kick-off is at 17h00
Manchester United will be searching for only their fourth home win of the season when Luton visit Old Trafford for the first time in the
Premier League on Saturday, November 11.
The Red Devils turned the Theatre of Dreams into a fortress last term as they went 20 games unbeaten on home soil before losing 3-1 to Brighton on September 16.
However, Erik ten Hag's side have struggled in front of their home fans in 2023-24 and a 3-0 derby defeat to Manchester City on October 29 was their third loss in four games at Old Trafford.
United edged Fulham 1-0 at Craven Cottage on Saturday, November 4 to close within six points of the top four in eighth spot after the Seagulls (7th), Aston Villa (5th) and Liverpool (4th) all failed to pick up maximum points on matchday 11.
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The Hatters took two points off the Reds in a 1-1 draw at Kenilworth Road, which lifted them out of the relegation zone up to 17th position as they capitalised on defeats for Bournemouth (18th) and Burnley (19th).
But Rob Edwards's side remain winless in their last five matches and are only kept out of the bottom three on goal difference as they have the same number of points as the Cherries (6).
Bruno Fernandes has been criticised for his performances as United captain this season and he'll be hoping his late winner against the Cottagers will be a sign of more good things to come. The Portuguese playmaker halted a four-match barren spell in front of goal and has only found the back of the net three times in 11 appearances this term - well below his high standards.
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Chiedozie Ogbene had Trent Alexander-Arnold in his pocket at Kenilworth Road as he tormented the England right-back on numerous occasions with his pace and power. Diogo Dalot will be wary of pushing too far up the right flank to create space for the Republic of Ireland winger to potentially hurt a fragile United defence, who have conceded 16 goals already in the top flight.
Ten Hag equalled a 118-year club record with his 50th win at the helm of United, reaching the milestone in his 79th game. Ernest Mangnall achieved the feat all the way in 1905 and would lead the Red Devils to their first major trophy with the 1908 First Division title.
When asked about the record, the Dutchman said: "We have to win every game. With this win, it's OK. We take it with us [for] 24 hours. Then we focus on the next game.
"I think it was a solid performance, so I am pleased with it. I am pleased especially with the spirit of the team. I was pleased with the way we pressed. We were very good in the pressing and winning second balls."
Edwards expressed pride in his players after they came close to beating the Merseyside giants and revealed that some tweaks have been made recently to ensure Luton stay in games.
"The overriding feeling is pride. We're all winners, ambitious, want to win games of football, and when you're 1-0 up against Liverpool with a few minutes to go, of course you want to win the game," he said.
"They're going to be the dominant team, the players committed to it and we came close. It's pride not disappointment. It's not what if, it's if only. They're Liverpool Football Club, they found a way to get a result from a difficult position.
"Since [losing to] Brighton and Chelsea, there's been an adjustment, to make sure we're in games. We haven't got enough points so far. But we've been in games recently, I know last week Villa were too good on the day and we were 3-0 down in 60 minutes. If we are going to achieve something this year, we have to stay in the game."
Head-to-Head (Last Five Meetings)
Matches - 5
Man United - 4
Luton - 0
Draws - 1
Premier League Matchday 12 fixtures:
Saturday, November 11
14h30: Wolverhampton Wanderers v Tottenham Hotspur
17h00: Arsenal v Burnley
17h00: Crystal Palace v Everton
17h00: Manchester United v Luton Town
19h30: Bournemouth v Newcastle United
Sunday, November 12
16h00: Aston Villa v Fulham
16h00: Brighton & Hove Albion v Sheffield United
16h00: Liverpool v Brentford
16h00: West Ham United v Nottingham Forest
18h30: Chelsea v Manchester City
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