Luton’s first Premier League season to start at Brighton as fixtures released

Luton Town’s first-ever season in the Premier League will start with a trip to Brighton and Hove Albion, with fellow newly-promoted side Burnley their first opponents at Kenilworth Road after the fixture list was released this morning.

The Hatters confirmed their return to the top flight after a 31-year absence with a 6-5 penalty shootout victory over Coventry City in last month’s Championship final at Wembley, which ensured a place in history as the only team to have gone from the non-league to English football’s top table, a feat achieved in just nine years.

Preparations are underway with £10million worth of improvements to Luton’s Kenilworth Road stadium, which will continue over the summer right up until the last minute, so to accommodate the change, Town have been handed an away tie to kick-off the season.

It will be the first time since 2008 that the Hatters will face Brighton in the league, though Luton beat Albion in the semi-final on the way to winning the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy in 2009. The two clubs have faced each other in pre-season since, after former manager Nathan Jones left the Sussex club to join Town in 2016.

Luton’s first encounter with Pep Guardiola’s treble-winning Manchester City will take place on December 9 at Kenilworth Road, when golden boot winner Erling Haaland will have a chance to walk through Kenilworth Road’s “other shit entrance”, as chief executive Gary Sweet joked before the play-offs, when questioned about the Hatters’ home.

While the club’s outgoing captain Sonny Bradley may get his wish to be among the travelling Town fans when they travel to take on Manchester United at Old Trafford on Saturday, November 11, straight after hosting Liverpool.

Over the festive period, Luton have been given a long away trip on Boxing Day against Sheffield United, while there is no fixture scheduled on New Year’s Day. Instead, Chelsea at home will be Town’s final fixture of 2023.

Town’s season then concludes at home to Fulham on May 19, by which time they will hope to be safe from relegation, which would defy all the bookmakers that already have them favourites for an instant return to the Championship.

Luton fixtures for the 2023/24 season:

Wed Aug 9 Carabao Cup One

Sat Aug 12 Brighton & Hove Albion – A

Sat Aug 19 Burnley – H

Sat Aug 26 Chelsea – A

Wed Aug 30 Carabao Cup Two

Sat Sep 2 West Ham United – H

Sat Sep 9 International Date

Sat Sep 16 Fulham – A

Sat Sep 23 Wolverhampton Wanderers – H

Wed Sep 27 Carabao Cup Three

Sat Sep 30 Everton – A

Sat Oct 7 Tottenham Hotspur – H

Sat Oct 14 International Date

Sat Oct 21 Nottingham Forest – A

Sat Oct 28 Aston Villa – A

Wed Nov 1 Carabao Cup Four

Sat Nov 4 Liverpool – H

Sat Nov 11 Manchester United – A

Sat Nov 18 International Date

Sat Nov 25 Crystal Palace – H

Sat Dec 2 Brentford – A

Tue Dec 5 Arsenal – H

Sat Dec 9 Manchester City – H

Sat Dec 16 A.F.C. Bournemouth – A

Wed Dec 20 Carabao Cup Five

Sat Dec 23 Newcastle United – H

Tue Dec 26 Sheffield United – A

Sat Dec 30 Chelsea – H

Sat Jan 6 Emirates FA Cup 3

Wed Jan 10 Carabao Cup Semi-Final (1)

Sat Jan 13 Burnley – A

Wed Jan 24 Carabao Cup Semi-Final (2)

Sat Jan 27 Emirates FA Cup 4

Tue Jan 30 Brighton & Hove Albion – H

Sat Feb 3 Newcastle United – A

Sat Feb 10 Sheffield United – H

Sat Feb 17 Manchester United – H

Sat Feb 24 Liverpool – A

Sun Feb 25 Carabao Cup Final

Wed Feb 28 Emirates FA Cup 5

Sat Mar 2 Aston Villa – H

Sat Mar 9 Crystal Palace – A

Sat Mar 16 Nottingham Forest H (Also Emirates FA Cup Quarter-Final)

Sat Mar 23 International Date

Sat Mar 30 Tottenham Hotspur – A

Tue Apr 2 Arsenal – A

Sat Apr 6 A.F.C. Bournemouth – H

Sat Apr 13 Manchester City – A

Sat Apr 20 Brentford H (Also Emirates FA Cup Semi-Final)

Sat Apr 27 Wolverhampton Wanderers – A

Sat May 4 Everton – H

Sat May 11 West Ham United – A

Sun May 19 Fulham – H

Sat May 25 Emirates FA Cup Final