LUTON BEATEN BY WEST HAM IN FIRST HOME PREMIER LEAGUE FIXTURE

Luton Town’s first home game as a Premier League side ended in defeat as they lost 2-1 to West Ham United.

Kenilworth Road hosted Premier League football for the first time since both Luton’s promotion and the renovations made to the stadium in preparation.

But West Ham would spoil the celebrations, as a first half goal by Jarrod Bowen and a second half strike by Kurt Zouma gave David Moyes’ side the win.

Defender Mads Andersen grabbed a goal back in stoppage time but Luton were unable to get an equaliser, meaning they have lost all of their opening three Premier League matches.

The game certainly was an occasion Luton fans had been looking forward to since winning promotion in the play-off final back in May, with Kenilworth Road welcome the Premier League for the first time. The match was a first league game for the new renovations, which had debuted in the Carabao Cup against Gillingham in midweek, while the game played in the presence of the Sky Sports cameras.

West Ham arrived having picked up 7 points from their opening 3 matches, with back-to-back wins over Chelsea and Brighton in their preceding pair of games.

The hosts had an early chance when the ball fell for Ross Barkley after West Ham failed to clear, but the midfielder shot wide.

Both sides would have their moments as the first half progressed, with Barkley and Andersen missing some chances for the Hatters just before the half-hour.

West Ham began to apply more pressure as the half went on, with Said Benrahma firing a strike off target after a corner and Edson Alvarez having a shot charged down.

But it would be the away side who struck first with 8 minutes of the first half to go. A cross from deep by Lucas Paqueta picked out Bowen, who rose higher than Ryan Giles and saw a header go in despite home goalkeeper Thomas Kaminski getting a touch to the ball on the way in.

Luton almost got back into the game in the immediate aftermath, with Elijah Adebayo seeing an effort go off the target and Morris seeing a looping header ripple the roof of the net.

West Ham thought they had a second goal just after the break when Michail Antonio laid the ball off for wing-back Emerson to thump the ball into the back of the net, but VAR intervened, declaring Antonio offside and disallowing the goal.

Benrahma would then come close twice with one going wide and another kept out by Kaminski.

But it was the Hammers that moved 2-0 up with five minutes of normal time to go. Defender Zouma got away from his marker to meet James Ward-Prowse’s corner unmarked and saw a header hit the post on its way beyond Kaminski.

Luton would grab a goal back in the second minute of stoppage time, when Andersen met a flick on by Morris and headed past Alphonse Areola.

The Hatters duly had more pressure, with one penalty shout turned down, but they would run out of time.

Luton will now have a week off for the international break, before returning in two weeks time with a trip to Fulham. Kenilworth Road will next be in action on 23rd September, as Wolves make the trip to Bedfordshire.