Luton climb out of drop zone after Adebayo hat-trick stuns Brighton

Whatever happens during the rest of the season and wherever Luton find themselves playing football next year, they should never forget this night; if they ever come closer to perfection it will be a sight to behold.

For 71 minutes – before he departed to the most well-earned standing ovation – Elijah Adebayo appeared to channel Erling Haaland, Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappé in one. His hat-trick – the first ever scored by a Luton player in the Premier League – helped maul their illustrious opponents and escape the relegation zone in the process.

There were some who believed Luton would long ago have been dead and buried by the time the winter ice thawed on this Premier League campaign. And by some, it was of course absolutely everyone, regardless of the extent of their footballing knowledge or expertise.

Yet with February just one sunset away, Kenilworth Road exploded to the type of scenes these downbeat stadiums are not supposed to host at this level; not for the home side, in any case.

As sudden as it was unexpected, Adebayo’s 19-second opener remarkably did not trouble the top 15 fastest goals in Premier League history. No bother, because when Chiedozie Ogbene tapped in another after just two minutes and 17 seconds it meant Luton were the quickest top-flight side to gain a 2-0 lead since 1998.

Cue understandable delirium from one set of fans, with dumbfounded silence from another which has become accustomed to watching European football this season and whose manager is being mentioned in conversations around high-profile jobs at Liverpool and Barcelona.

Barely had Tom Lockyer finished fighting back the tears on an emotional first pre-match public return to Kenilworth Road since his cardiac arrest than his side were ahead in remarkably simple fashion: they kicked off, Ogbene delivered a looping cross, Carlton Morris nodded the ball goalwards and Adebayo ensured it found its target. Did you manage to find your seat on time?

Brighton had scarcely kicked a ball in anger when Jason Steele’s calamitous attempt to do so gifted Luton their second. Overly eager to cut out Albert Sambi Lokonga’s defence-splitting long-ball, the goalkeeper ventured horribly out of position, allowing Ogbene to knock it past him and place it into the vacant net.

With each passing minute, this became the type of performance Luton fans would never have dared dream of when they earned a place in the Premier League. The confidence. No, the sheer arrogance.

Every time the ball entered his orbit, Adebayo looked like a man possessing such conviction that he could part the Red Sea should he so wish. Instead, just before half-time, he merely carved open the Brighton defence, combining beautifully with Ross Barkley before stroking into the bottom corner.

Oh, to have been a fly on the wall for Roberto De Zerbi’s half-time team talk, which saw the Italian make two substitutions in a futile bid to end his team’s embarrassment. He need not have bothered; this was a night where Luton were not for stopping.

Only the assistant referee’s flag saved Brighton from conceding a fourth immediately after the break when Jordan Clark’s errant toe strayed offside moments before he fired past Steele.

But the respite was short-lived and, just 10 minutes later, Adebayo was back on the scoresheet. This time, his task was a simple one, required only to nod home Alfie Doughty’s corner from a couple of yards. “The Town are staying up,” bellowed the Luton faithful in the stands, wallowing in one of the finest performances from any Premier League striker this campaign.

Not until the 76th minute did Brighton finally hit the target, but Thomas Kaminski saved well from Danny Welbeck and Tariq Lamptey could not convert the rebound. The final whistle brought blessed relief for the shell-shocked travellers.