Luton 2-3 Chelsea – Premier League: Live score, team news and updates as Luton pull two goals back after going 3-0 down

It’s all over. That was some effort from Luton at the end but they just left themselves a little too much to do.

Now into added time in added time. Can Chelsea hang on?

Gusto is the latest player to go into the book.

Can Luton create one final chance in the last couple of minutes?

Luton are really pushing now and Silva has to be alert to cut out a Chong cross.

Palmer is replaced by Gilchrist as Chelsea look to see this game out.

We will have six minutes of added time!

Disasi goes into the book. Chelsea just need to keep their cool here as the Kenilworth Road crowd roar their team on.

Hang on, this game isn’t over yet!

Chelsea were cruising at 3-0, but Adebayo has just made it 3-2 and all of a sudden we have a thrilling finish in store.

Luton work the ball well down the right flank and the cross to the back post is attacked by Doughty. His header is kept out, but Adebayo taps home the rebound.

This one counts!

It’s a goal from former Chelsea man Ross Barkley as he gets on the end of Doughty’s cross.

Chelsea immediately respond by bringing on Fernandez for Madueke.

As we move towards the final 10 minutes, Chelsea are coasting to a much-needed away win.

Luton think they have a goal back as Adebayo heads home Doughty’s brilliant goal, but Doughty is just offside in the build-up and the goal is ruled out for offside by VAR.

Cruel for Luton who remains three goals behind.

Two goals and an assist for Cole Palmer. Surely that’s game over!?

Jackson turns inside the Luton half and is given time to pick his head up and feed the ball through to Palmer. He just about scrambles the ball past Kaminski and then nudges the ball over the line while under pressure from a Luton defender.

That’s better from the hosts as Barkley drives up to the edge of the area and feeds Chong out wide.

He puts in an inviting cross into the six yard box but there is no one to get on the end of it. He looks incredibly frustrated, and has every right to be.

A quiet passage of play as Chelsea look to take the sting out of the game.

They look comfortable right now, and Luton need to find something here to get back into the game.

I mentioned that Sterling and Muadryk were warming up but it’s Nkunku who comes on first for the Blues.

He replaces Broja.

Luton also make a change as Morris comes on for Townsend.

A good run from Jackson as he breezes past a couple of Luton defenders but his effort from the edge of the area is tame and straight at Kaminski.

More frustration for Luton as Doughty is caught offside when he really shouldn’t be.

Sterling and Mudryk are warming up on the sidelines, looks like they could both be introduced to the action fairly soon.

Better from Luton as they force a couple of corners in quick succession but the delivery from both is poor.

Luton still looking for their first shot in target in this game. Chelsea have had six.

Chelsea remaining on top at the start of the second half, and they are causing problems down their right hand side.

Madueke and Gusto have linked up nicely time and again today.

Lovely play down the right between Madueke and Gusto, and Chelsea look to be in again, but the cross is just cut out in time with Broja waiting for a tap-in.

Nearly a third for the Blues there.

Double change for Luton at half time. Chong and Ogbene replace Kobore and Brown.

Both teams are back out for the second half and we will be getting back underway shortly…

It will take something special for Luton to come back and get anything from this game.

What can Rob Edwards do to get his side back in the game after the break?

A strong half from the Blues and they look set to pick up their second win in just three days.

Goals from Palmer and Madueke have put Chelsea in full control and they look set to end the year on a high.

Plenty of added time here due to those couple of injuries to Chelsea players earlier in the half, although they were able to continue.

Luton trying to grab a lifeline before the break.

Now a chance for Luton as they unsettle Chelsea from a corner, but Brown’s effort is well blocked in the six yard box.

VAR checks for a possible handball but referee Paul Tierney is happy for play to go on.

More concern in the Luton penalty box as the ball pings about in the area, but they just manage to get it away.

Chelsea sensing they could kill this game off before half time.

Two in two games for Noni Madueke!

This is some finish from the winger as he picks the ball up from the edge of the area and drills his strike into the top corner with his weaker right foot.

A big uphill task for Luton now.

Another free-kick in a dangerous area for Luton but the shot on goal hits the wall and Chelsea clear their lines.

You feel they could be punished if they keep giving these dangerous set-pieces away, though.

Another Chelsea player goes down, this time it’s Gallagher after making an important tackle to block Brown’s shot.

He receives treatment, and looks likely to be able to continue.

First booking of the game as Brown goes in late on Gallagher and is shown a yellow card.

Chelsea have given away some cheap free-kicks in this first half, and have to defend another one from the left hand side, but the ball in is overhit and cleared to safety.

Broja will continue for now, but it’s one to keep an eye on as he is not moving particularly freely.

Broja goes down and requires treatment. The Chelsea striker looks to be in a fair bit of pain.

A deflected cross looks to be dropping to Adebayo but Silva does well to get across and put him under enough pressure so he can’t get a clean header on the ball.

Luton trying to get a foothold in this game and they win a free-kick on the edge of the area but Barkley puts his effort a couple of yards over the bar.

Cole Palmer puts Chelsea in front!

Palmer starts the move with a ball over the top for Jackson. His shot is kept out at his near post by Kaminski and Luton should then clear their lines but instead play the ball straight to Palmer.

He takes a touch and then fires his shot into the bottom corner, great strike.

Luton play the ball out nicely and the ball is clipped in behind the Chelsea defence but Petrovic is quickly off his line to clear the danger.

Fairly quiet opening 10 minutes at Kenilworth Road.

First decent chance of the game and it falls to Gallagher after a cut-back.

He keeps his shot hard and low but it’s straight at Kaminski who keeps the ffort out with his feet.

Kabore goes flying into the advertising hoardings after a late challenge by Jackson.

Fortunately, he is able to get back to his feet and is unhurt.

Luton win an early free-kick after Madueke loses possession, but Chelsea manage to deal with the set-piece with no problems.

Both teams emerge from the tunnel and we will be getting underway in the next 5 minutes…

Both teams will be on the way very shortly…

Both teams are going through their warm-up routines with less than 30 minutes until kick-off.

Luton boss Rob Edwards provided an update on captain Tom Lockyer on Friday as he stated he is making ‘good progress’.

Lockyer collpased on the pitch for the second time in seven months two weeks ago at Bournemouth.

Chelsea have struggled for consistency this season, and TNT Sports pundit Rio Ferdinand thinks they would have expected to be doing a lot better after spending big in recent transfer windows.

‘I think everybody would have expected based on the amount of money almost a billion pounds spent by Chelsea you’d expect them to be up there fighting for the title,’ he told TNT Sports.

‘When your outlay is that huge and humongous but it hasn’t worked out yet for them and they’re a bit of a Jekyll and Hyde team at the moment performance-wise so it’s been difficult to kind of judge them.’

Christopher Nkunku and Enzo Fernandez are only on the bench for Chelsea.

Cole Palmer comes back into the starting line-up following suspension, while Noni Madueke gets a start after scoring in midweek.

Ross Barkley starts in midfield for the hosts aginst his former club, while Andros Townsend is on the wing after netting the winner against Newcastle last weekend.

We will bring you both starting XIs at 11.30. Stay tuned!

Barkley has been one of Luton’s standout players this season, and Mail Sport columnist Martin Keown believes the midfielder will have an eye on getting back into the England squad ahead of Euro 2024.

Nkunku made his first start for Chelsea in midweek and impressed against Crystal Palace, while Malo Gusto also shone on both flanks at Stamford Bridge.

Will the duo remain in the starting XI today?

The Blues have checked in for their final game of 2023, with kick-off now less than 90 minutes away.

Will they finish the year with a win, or will Luton cause another upset at Kenilworth Road?

Ross Barkley’s time at Chelsea did not go to plan, but he seems to have found a new lease of life at Luton this season.

Will he come back to haunt the Blues today?

It has been a bleak 2023 for Chelsea after they finished in the bottom half last season, while they are only 10th in the table this term.

But Mauricio Pochettino is adamant that very little needs to change in 2024, as he has urged his team to keep believing that they can turn a corner.

Thank you for joining us for our live coverage of today’s Premier League clash between Luton and Chelsea.

Team news will be on the way in 30 minutes, with Luton looking for a third straight win, and Chelsea aiming to build on their victory over Crystal Palace in midweek.