For a while we dreamed, but Chelsea’s £150million worth of striking talent added a cold dose of reality and resources to an electric FA Cup evening under the lights at Kenilworth Road.
Twice Town took the lead, with Reece Burke lifting the roof of this glorious 117-year-old stadium with a towering second minute header.
When the centre half glanced Luke Berry’s corner in off the Blues’ post, you’ve never heard a roar like it. For those delirious fans, the shock was on.
And all that with five changes and the odd pre-match social media wobble about fielding a supposedly under-strength side.
That number soon became six when on loan keeper Jed Steer collapsed, punching the ground at the apparent return of an Achilles injury. He was stretchered off, his season looking under threat, to make way for third choice Harry Isted.
In five years at Luton, it was the 24-year-old’s first senior appearance in any competition that wasn’t the Checkatrade Trophy.
Though he conceded three, he made a string of fine saves and was Luton’s man of the match. It was some FA Cup debut, but that tends to get lost in the result.
He had no chance with the first when a mistake by Gabriel Osho was punished, with Saúl Ñiguez supplying a classy finish.
And just when it looked like Luton’s early enthusiasm would be extinguished, Carlos Mendes Gomes playing in Harry Cornick and the Chelsea fan ran at Kepa Arrizabalaga and drilled the ball unerringly past the Carabao Cup final fall guy.
At half time, Town were halfway to dreamland, temporarily besting the Blues with fans darting about for pints and pies singing about how their B-team was beating the World Club Champions.
It didn’t last as Chelsea’s quality told in the second period. Luton finish with 28 per cent possession, but by the hour mark there was a cautious sense of optimism that the shock was still on.
The European champions couldn’t break the Hatters down, but then Ruben Loftus-Cheek lifted an inch-perfect ball to Timo Werner, which Burke couldn’t head and the German international’s quality told as he tucked it inside the post.
Then, ten minutes, Werner teed up Romelu Lukaku and the £97.5million man couldn’t miss.
It was fun while it lasted but Luton must now look to the Championship and a big promotion-push six-pointer against Middlesbrough.
Boss Nathan Jones said: “They’re one of the biggest club in the world. They’re World Club champions, Champions League winners and they’ve had to work hard, very, very hard for their win tonight and that’s he important thing for us that we tested them.
“And we wanted to test ourselves and we wanted to test those. They have more quality than us, they have more resources than us, but I’m proud of the group, proud of the club, proud of how the supporters responded, because I wanted to give them one of these nights as you only get one of these nights when you do something a bit different and tonight, against them, was excellent.”
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There’s no 2 ways about it, that was a reserve side. That’s fine, other than maybe it was slightly annoying that season ticket holders spent up to £32 for that. But having feared a humping an hour before kick off, the team didn’t let themselves down. They’re not in the same league as Chelsea. None of them will ever likely be competing to be European champions, or earning £200k a week. So well done to them all. Especially Isted. Sorry for Steer but that’s how it goes sometimes.
The only other negatives were that Osho still hasn’t beefed up his peripheral vision, or his studs. And Muskwe still looks like he needs a loan to league 2 or 1 to learn how to play competitive football. We really did need someone who could play up front with their back to the goal.
On the politics and Tuchel’s paddy. Every Chelsea staff member knew where the money was coming from when they signed on. If they can sleep sound in beds paid for by someone who made his fortune at the behest of Putin fine. But Tuchel, don’t have another paddy when you’re asked about it again. People are being murdered by the Russian state. If you’re that hurt by the questioning, leave the club.
And let it be a lesson for anyone who might waiver over the coming years. We don’t want, nor ever need a sole benefactor. The ownership structure of 2020 needs to remain forever, even as the members of it come and go. Billionaire football investors haven’t often made their money in a way anyone would think is lovely. And eventually everyone takes their money out. Let’s continue on our sustainable path forever, wherever it takes us.
Here’s to the big matches on Saturday and Tuesday. COYH