Why is Bournemouth vs Luton Town on Wednesday and is it on TV? Cherries host Hatters in only midweek Premier League game
13/03/2024 21:42
Luton Town have the chance to escape the relegation zone when they face Bournemouth this evening.
The Hatters boosted their survival hopes of rescuing a point with a last-gasp equaliser against Crystal Palace at the weekend.
Cauley Woodrow’s 96th-minute goal ended the club’s run of five straight defeats to close the gap to Nottingham Forest to three points.
Luton know any margin of victory will be enough to leapfrog the Tricky Trees on goal difference, with even a 1-0 win – which would put both clubs on minus 16 – sending them to 17th by virtue of more goals scored.
Rob Edwards’ men will also be buoyed by fellow relegation candidates Sheffield United‘s performance away at Bournemouth.
The Cherries struggled against the Blades and also needed an injury-time equaliser to share the spoils which left them in 13th.
Bournemouth vs Luton Town: Why Wednesday?
The two teams are the only ones involved in a second fixture on Gameweek 28 having originally met in December.
The score was level at 1-1 just before the hour mark when Luton captain Tom Lockyer suffered a cardiac arrest.
The match was suspended in the 65th minute and later abandoned with Premier League chiefs opting to replay the game in full.
Lockyer previously collapsed during the Championship play-off final in May before making a full recovery after undergoing surgery.
The defender has yet to confirm whether he is planning another return to football or will retire.
He is expected to be the guest of honour when his Luton team travel back to Bournemouth this week.
- Bournemouth have won just one of their last six league games against Luton (D3 L2), beating them 2-1 at home in September 2021. This is the first ever top-flight meeting between the sides.
- Luton Town have won two of their last three league games against Bournemouth (L1), as many as they had in their previous 10 (D4 L4).
- Since their return to the competition last season, Bournemouth are unbeaten in all eight of their Premier League games against promoted sides (W5 D3), though their 2-2 draw with Sheffield United last time out was the first time they've failed to win such a match this season.
Bournemouth vs Luton Town: What has been said?
“My girlfriend was at the [original] game, and my dad,” Lockyer recalled in an interview with BBC Breakfast.
“She was looking at me when it happened, because the ball was elsewhere, and she’d seen me go down.
“She said instantly she knew that it was serious.
“Her friend, who she was with, said she let out a massive scream that would live with her forever.”
He added: “On the one hand I’m eternally grateful that, if I have to retire, I’m so lucky I’ve got to play in the Premier League, score in the Premier League, represent my country, all these incredible things.
“And on the other hand I’m like: ‘I’d love a bit more’.
“Obviously I wouldn’t go against any medical advice, but it’s far too early to say yet, and there’s bigger things on the horizon now with the baby.
“I would have to speak to the family before I’d consider returning – my focus is on the baby now.”
- Bournemouth have earned 10 points from their last four midweek (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday) Premier League games (W3 D1), as many as they had from their previous 17 such matches (W2 D4 L11).
- Luton's five midweek (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday) Premier League games this season have seen an average of 4.8 goals-per-game, with the Hatters scoring 12 and conceding 12 in these matches.
- Bournemouth are winless in all four of their Premier League home games so far in 2024 (D2 L2). They last had a longer run without a home league win from the start of a calendar year in 1994 (first 5).
Bournemouth vs Luton Town: Team news
Bournemouth XI: Neto, Smith, Mepham, Zabarnyi, Scott, Christie, Cook, Semenyo, Outtara, Sinisterra, Solanke.
Subs: Travers, Kerkez, Faivre, Tavernier, Adams, Kluivert, Hill, Enes Unal, Billing.
Luton Town XI: Kaminski, Burke, Mengi, Hashioka, Kabore, Clark, Barkley, Doughty, Ogbene, Chong, Morris.
Subs: Shea, Krul, Berry, Woodrow, Mpanzu, Townsend, Nelson, Piesold, Martins.
- Luton have scored in each of their last 15 Premier League games – it's their longest scoring streak in league football since a run of 18 between January and April 2018 in League Two.
- Bournemouth's Philip Billing has scored three goals in two home starts against Luton Town in all competitions, netting twice in an FA Cup match in January 2020, and once in the Championship in September 2021. Against no side has he scored more goals than his three against the Hatters in his career in English football.
- 13 of Luton's 38 Premier League goals this season have been headers (34.2%). It's the highest percentage of headed goals a team has scored in a single campaign since West Bromwich Albion in 2016-17 (37.2% – 16/43).
- After being involved in five goals in three Premier League games against promoted sides last season (3 goals, 2 assists), Bournemouth's Dominic Solanke has neither scored nor assisted in any of his four such matches so far this term.
Bournemouth vs Luton Town: talkSPORT coverage
This Premier League clash will take place on Wednesday, March 13.
Kick-off at the Vitality Stadium is scheduled for 7:30pm.
talkSPORT will have live and EXCLUSIVE coverage from the South Coast, presented by Adrian Durham.
The game is not available on UK TV due to the original fixture taking place during the 3pm blackout slot.
Rules state that if a non-televised fixture is rescheduled, it can still not be shown regardless of when it’s new slot takes place.
Our commentary will be on hand to cover it all, with Sam Matterface alongside former Chelsea defender Scott Minto.
