• Luton scored twice inside the opening three minutes in a remarkable victory
  • Adebayo opened the scoring after 19 seconds and went on to score a hat-trick
  • How do you replace a giant like Jurgen Klopp? It’s the end of an era… Mo Salah will move on, will they lose Virgil van Djik, too? It’s All Kicking Off

Luton were blown away by Brighton on their introduction to the Premier League back in August.

Fast forward almost six months and they showed how far they have come by getting some emphatic, record-breaking revenge.

Two goals in the first two minutes and 17 seconds – the quickest a team has raced into a 2-0 lead since Leicester v Derby in 1998 – was the first piece of history made and set Rob Edwards’s side on their way to giving Brighton, 4-1 winners in the reverse fixture on the opening day, a taste of their own medicine.

The second was a first ever Premier League hat-trick for Luton, and the club’s first in the top-flight since 1990, scored by their striker Elijah Adebayo who inspired the Hatters to the victory that lifted them out of the bottom three.

Brighton could not handle Adebayo, a player who has epitomised Luton’s improvement as the season has progressed and now has eight league goals.

Elijah Adebayo scored a hat-trick to lift Luton out of the bottom three in Premier League

Elijah Adebayo scored a hat-trick to lift Luton out of the bottom three in Premier League

The Luton striker nodded the home side in front with just 19 seconds on the clock

The Luton striker nodded the home side in front with just 19 seconds on the clock

The sight of captain Tom Lockyer was another inspiration for Luton. He was back at Kenilworth Road to watch Luton for the first time since suffering a cardiac arrest at Bournemouth in December.

Lockyer was given a heroes’ welcome ahead of kick-off, whipping up the supporters as he headed back down the tunnel.

His return lifted the crowd. Luton’s start took the roof off Kenilworth Road.

Within 19 seconds they were ahead when Adebayo turned Carlton Morris’s knock down past Jason Steele.

Just under two minutes later and it was 2-0, Chiedozie Ogbene beating Steele to Albert Samba Lokonga’s pass and running clear to score into an empty net.

The ground was rocking but Brighton responded quickly with a string of chances to dampen the atmosphere though Joao Pedro, James Milner and Danny Welbeck failed to make the most of them.

Retaining their cushion gave Luton a chance to regain composure.

They continued to look dangerous whenever they poured forward and a Steele save was needed to prevent Jordan Clark making it three before a deflection did the same as half-time approached.

Chiedozie Ogbene beat the Brighton offside trap to double Luton's lead in the third minute

Chiedozie Ogbene beat the Brighton offside trap to double Luton’s lead in the third minute

Adebayo struck his second and Luton's third of the game late in the first half on Tuesday night

Adebayo struck his second and Luton’s third of the game late in the first half on Tuesday night

Adebayo nodded home an Alfie Doughty corner to complete his hat-trick in  56th minute

Adebayo nodded home an Alfie Doughty corner to complete his hat-trick in  56th minute

MATCH FACTS

LUTON (3-4-1-2): Kaminski 7.5; Burke 7.5, Osho 7.5, Bell 7.5; Ogbene 7, Barkley 8 (Berry 82), Lokonga 8 (Mpanzu 68, 6), Doughty 8; Clark 8 (Townsend 68, 6); Morris 7.5 (Woodrow 82), Adebayo 10 (Chong 71, 6).

Subs not used: Krul, Potts, Johnson, Nelson.

Scorer: Adebayo 1, 42, 56, Ogbene 3

Booked: Lokonga, Clark

Manager: Rob Edwards 9

BRIGHTON (3-4-3): Steele 5.5; Van Hecke 6, Dunk 6, Julio 6; Milner 6 (Hinshelwood 20, 6), Gilmour 7 (Baleba 61, 6), Gross 6.5, Estupinian 6 (Lamptey 46, 6); Buonanotte 5 (Ferguson 46, 6), Welbeck 7, Pedro 6 (Moder 72, 6).

Subs not used: Verbruggen, Webster, Lallana, Baker-Boaitey.

Booked: Julio, Baleba

Manager: Roberto De Zerbi 5

Referee: Robert Jones 6

But Brighton could not hold out. Adebayo and Ross Barkley exchanged passes twice before the former ran through and convincingly beat Steele.

Luton were far from finished with that. Ogbene extended Steele at the start of the second half before Clark had what would have been a deserved goal ruled out.

Adebayo, though, was not to be denied and nodded in his hat-trick goal after Alfie Doughty’s cross was unintentionally flicked on by Pedro.

And Brighton’s night was summed up when Welbeck was denied twice in quick succession by Thomas Kaminski and Tariq Lamptey volleyed the rebound from his teammates first effort into the side-netting, as their run without a league goal extended to three games.

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Post source: Daily mail

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