Arsenal will look to extend their lead at the top of the Premier League table as they make the short trip to face Luton
When Brentford beat Luton Town 2-0 in League Two in May 2009, nobody could have anticipated that the clubs would face each other in the Premier League 14 years later.
It was the final day of the 2008-09 season and Brentford were crowned champions of the division while Luton, who had received a 30-point deduction for breaking rules around exiting administration and transfer irregularities, finished bottom, which meant they dropped out of the English Football League (EFL) into the semi-professional Conference Premier (today’s National League — the fifth tier of the domestic game).
Karleigh Osborne came on at half-time for Brentford and opened the scoring in the 73rd minute. “I’m not sure why I started on the bench but I remember I wasn’t happy about it,” Osborne, who is now the technical lead and head coach of Brentford Women, tells The Athletic.
Regardless of what happens with Luton this season, I would be very surprised if Edwards doesn't have plenty of admirers in the Premier League. He was refreshingly honest in his assessment after the defeat away to Brentford.
"The better side won, he said. "We were right in the game at half time at nil-nil, but we struggled to find our rhythm with the ball and we weren't able to keep it as well as we wanted to.
"We lost our captain (Lockyer) at half time and that change was big for us and to lose another centre-back (Mengi) later in the half, that made it very difficult for us.
"We were a little bit makeshift at the back and Brentford getting those goals made it tough. We kept going and found a way to get back into the game but, in truth, we didn't deserve anything today."
There aren't many matches Luton will target as genuinely winnable this season and one of those on the borderline saw them visit the Gtech Community Stadium to face Brentford on Saturday.
They came through the first half unscathed but, within 11 minutes of the restart, the hosts' dominance told in the scoreline. First, Neal Maupay finished from close range before a Ben Mee header was deflected past the despairing Thomas Kaminski.
There was brief hope for Luton when Jacob Brown finished well to halve the deficit, but it was soon extinguished as Shandon Baptiste put an end to a game of pinball in the penalty area by stroking it into the net from a few yards out.
A deserved win for the home side, as many expected before the game.
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