Separated by 15 places and 13 points in the embryonic Premier League table, Luton Town host Tottenham Hotspur at Kenilworth Road in Saturday's early kickoff, where the visitors can rise to the summit with victory.

The Hatters were subjected to a 2-1 beating at the hands of Burnley in midweek, while Spurs overcame Liverpool by the same scoreline thanks to an already-infamous VAR clanger.

Match preview

Entering their postponed clash with Burnley on cloud nine, having achieved their first-ever Premier League maximum away to Everton at the weekend, Rob Edwards's Luton Town were given a harsh welcome back to Kenilworth Road by a Clarets side also seeking their maiden success of the top-flight season.

Lyle Foster's strike on the stroke of half time saw Vincent Kompany's charges enter the break a goal to the good, and while Elijah Adebayo appeared to have done enough to secure a point for the Hatters against their fellow newly-promoted opponents, Burnley restored their slender advantage just 65 seconds later through Jacob Bruun Larsen.

Failure to put Burnley to the sword means that Luton are now the first team in 13 years to fail to win any of their opening three Premier League home games - the doomed 2010-11 Blackpool crop were the most recent victims of such a streak - but a particularly upbeat Edwards did not have a bad word to say about his side's valiant second-half showing.

Despite only taking one point from nine on offer at Kenilworth Road so far this season, Luton are dangling just above the dotted line in 17th place thanks to their superior goal difference over 18th-placed Burnley, and Hatters fans would certainly accept such a ranking come the close of the curtain in May.

However, the hosts have now gone nine games in all competitions without keeping a single clean sheet this season, and a fresh defensive injury blow does not provide reassurance before the visit of a Tottenham side whose two-goal hot streak under Ange Postecoglou was prolonged in the most controversial of controversial circumstances.

Even with two extra men on the field owing to Curtis Jones and Diogo Jota's contentious red cards, Tottenham - who had broken the deadlock through Son Heung-min before Cody Gakpo's leveller - found it impossible to penetrate a well-organised Reds block, until one of Jurgen Klopp's long-serving defenders undid all his side's hard work right at the death.

With the final attack of the game, Joel Matip stuck out a leg in an attempt to clear Pedro Porro's cross to safety, but the Cameroonian only succeeded in firing the ball into the roof of his own net, igniting unrestrained celebrations in North London before the PGMOL found themselves at the centre of a scandal.

Just two minutes before Son's opener, Luis Diaz had a goal wrongly ruled out for offside by the linesman and VAR official Darren England - who made a "significant human error" at Stockley Park - and Liverpool head coach Klopp has publicly called for the match to be replayed after England's inexplicable gaffe.

The German's startling request may fall on deaf ears, but as for Tottenham, the Lilywhites have quietly gone about their business on the training pitches amid the latest VAR storm, while sitting pretty in second place in the table and just one point behind Manchester City, who they will leapfrog - for a day at least - should they overcome the Hatters here.

The jury is still out over Tottenham's title credentials, but Matip's wild slice means that the North London club have still scored at least twice in all of their Premier League games under Postecoglou, who leads Spurs out for their first competitive showdown with Luton since 1992, where the two sides played out a third successive 0-0 draw at Kenilworth Road.

Team News

With just 21 minutes played in Luton's defeat to Burnley, the Hatters lost ever-present centre-back Amari'i Bell to a hamstring issue, although Edwards is hopeful that the Jamaica international has avoided a serious injury.

In any case, Reece Burke should deputise in the back five this weekend as he aims to consign his groin woes to the past, while Albert Sambi Lokonga (thigh), Gabriel Osho (knee), Dan Potts (ankle) and Jordan Clark (ankle) are still out of contention.

On a brighter note, Ross Barkley could potentially come back into the fray from a hamstring concern of his own, having resumed training in recent days, while Adebayo certainly has a case to get the nod over Jacob Brown in the final third.

Postecoglou will have sympathy for Edwards when it comes to fresh fitness concerns, as the Australian's options on the left-hand side have been weakened further by a reported knee injury to Manor Solomon, who is apparently facing two months out with a torn meniscus.

Solomon is welcomed into a packed treatment room by Ivan Perisic (ACL), Ryan Sessegnon (hamstring), Alfie Whiteman (ankle), Rodrigo Bentancur (knee) and Brennan Johnson (hamstring), but Bryan Gil and Giovani Lo Celso are back in training and could make their returns to the matchday squad.

Solomon's affliction will have little effect on Postecoglou's recognisable first XI, though, and Richarlison should continue to feed Son from the left flank following their effective linkup last weekend.

Luton Town possible starting lineup:
Kaminski; Kabore, Burke, Lockyer, Mengi, Doughty; Nakamba, Mpanzu; Ogbene, Adebayo; Morris

Tottenham Hotspur possible starting lineup:
Vicario; Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Udogie; Sarr, Bissouma; Kulusevski, Maddison, Richarlison; Son

We say: Luton Town 0-3 Tottenham Hotspur

While the last three meetings between Luton and Tottenham on the Hatters' turf have ended without the net rippling once, Postecoglou's goal-happy team should have little difficulty navigating their way past Edwards's leaky backline.

Midweek fatigue and Bell's injury should also play their part in a chastening afternoon for the hosts, as Tottenham temporarily rise to the top of the standings with another few goals in tow.


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