Digne’s late winner breaks Luton’s hearts and boosts Villa’s top-four hopes

Rob Edwards promised that Luton intend to “go down swinging” in their bid to avoid relegation but this was a real sucker punch for his side. Having mounted a stirring comeback from conceding two goals to in-form Ollie Watkins thanks to Tahith Chong and Carlton Morris, substitute Lucas Digne’s late goal knocked the wind out of their sails but left Aston Villa counting their blessings.

Earlier defeats for Everton and Nottingham Forest had given Luton an opportunity to cut the gap between them and safety and they could have snatched all three points had Morris made the most of his opportunity with the scores level.

But, under Unai Emery, Villa have developed a knack of winning tight games and Digne’s late winner ensured they still have a healthy advantage over Tottenham in the race for fourth spot.

Kenilworth Road was hosting its biggest crowd since 1992 after the opening of a section of rail seating increased capacity by 800. A disturbance in the away section during the minute’s silence for the former Luton defender Chris Nicholl drew the ire of the home fans and certainly raised the temperature before kick-off.

Luton are hoping to start work on a 17,000-seater stadium in the town centre this year but their current home’s intimidating atmosphere remains one of their most potent weapons. The departure of Amari’i Bell a few minutes into this game was not exactly what Edwards would have planned, however, and Villa started like a team that has rediscovered its attacking verve after suffering a run of three defeats in four matches.

It took a full length save from Thomas Kaminsky to tip away a curling shot from Jacob Ramsey after a powerful run from John McGinn as the visitors piled on the pressure.

The Luton goalkeeper pulled off an even better save to deny Watkins after another sweeping move via the quick feet of Leon Bailey. But he could do nothing about the pinpoint header from Bailey’s corner after Watkins found space at the near post.

The Jamaica winger now has nine assists this season and was a constant menace down Villa’s right in the first half, although Emery was forced into a change on the other flank when Ramsey limped off to be replaced by new signing Morgan Rogers. Without their injured top-scorer, Elijah Adebayo, Luton lacked their usual punch and were relieved when Watkins hit the far post when he beat the offside trap again.

There was no chance of Watkins making the same mistake latching on to a quick free-kick from Douglas Luiz, with VAR confirming he had timed his run perfectly.

Villa were almost out of sight at the break but Kaminsky kept Luton in it by saving a goalbound shot from Rogers before Andros Townsend nodded over at the other end in first-half stoppage time.

Villa picked up where they had left off at the start of the second half but Watkins could not apply the finish when his chance of a hat-trick arrived. It proved to be the turning point as Luton finally woke up, with Chong ending a period of concerted pressure when he stabbed home following a goalmouth scramble that had seen Matty Cash clear the ball off the line. Suddenly Villa looked like the team fighting against relegation.

Luton poured forward and were rewarded again when Morris headed home an Alfie Doughty free-kick, although he could only direct another header at Emilio Martínez minutes later that would have completed the turnaround. But having made four substitutions as he saw the game slipping away, Emery’s gamble paid off when Digne nodded in a cross from another replacement, Moussa Diaby, to allow the Spaniard to pump his fist in celebration at the final whistle.