Edwards insists Luton will get better and need to quickly after witnessing Brighton defeat

​Luton boss Rob Edwards is confident his side will get better after their Premier League campaign started with a 4-1 defeat at Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday.

The Hatters headed to the Amex Stadium for their opening day encounter against a Seagulls side who were buoyed by finishing sixth in the table last year and qualifying for the Europa League.

Although Moises Caicedo was absent due to his impending move to Chelsea, the hosts still had players like Kaoru Mitoma and Mahmoud Dahmoud at their disposal, while £30m summer signing Joao Pedro took his place in attack.

Despite the vast difference in terms of squad values, the visitors gave as good as they got for large parts of the game, almost getting through to half time unscathed, before going 2-0 down with 19 minutes to go.

Carlton Morris’s 80th minute penalty looked like it had set up a grandstand finish, only for some poor defending to be punished by Roberto De Zerbi’s side, Simon Adingra and Evan Ferguson adding some late gloss to the scoreline.

Although Edwards knows improvements are essential, he has a firm belief that will happen, saying: “The players said, before I said anything, that we’ve got to take confidence from a lot of that.

"You’re always learning, you’re always trying to improve and get better and we’ve got to make sure now we use some of that game to make sure we do that.

"There’s certainly areas that will give us confidence, we’ve got to compete and we’ve got to believe that and we do believe that.

“We’re going to have some tough days, but I would say from now we’re going to get better from here.

"There’s still players that aren’t quite with us at the moment who are not quite fit, one or two injuries, Ross Barkley has got to come into the group as well, so there are a few that are going to come in and help us, and we’re still not finished in the transfer market.

“So I was pleased with stuff that I saw, but I know we’re going to get better, but we’ve got to get better quickly.”

Although Brighton dominated the games in terms of opportunities, 27 shots to Luton’s nine, it took the Seagulls until the 37th minute to break through, Solly March escaping from Amari’i Bell at the back post to head Mitoma’s cross past Thomas Kaminski.

Edwards continued: “I thought the first half we were good.

"They create chances against anyone and everyone, so we said it in the build-up, they’re going to open us up at times, so your recovery runs, you’ve got to be able to sprint back and get behind the ball.

"They might chop you, chop you again, they can get into really dangerous positions, but we’ve got to make sure we get back with numbers and then try and defend.

"The first goal was disappointing, we didn't stop the cross and we didn’t mark in the box, those are details that we’re normally very good at and we value those things, but I thought the first half we were good.”

After the break, the hosts began to get more penetrative attacks going on the wings in particular, which was something Edwards tried his hardest to deal with, as he said: “Second half I thought tactically, a couple of adjustments they made were very good.

"They doubled up out wide, so made it a little bit more difficult for us to get pressure, especially on our right side, their left side and their left side is Joao Pedro and Mitoma, it’s not bad is it?

"They started getting some joy there, but we managed to stay in it."

Luton did more than stay in it as well, notching a first ever Premier League goal with 10 left, Morris sending Jason Steele the wrong way from the spot.

However, any hopes of a fightback were quickly ended once Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu’s touch let him down in the area and Adingra did the rest.

Edwards said: “At 2-1 we’re right in the game, so I’m really disappointed with the third goal.

“I’m thinking, right we’re in this now, we can get back in the game as we’d made some real positive changes and I felt that with that amount of time to go we can really cause them some problems.

"But you can’t make those mistakes in those areas of the pitch against those players.”

Luton’s next game is now at Chelsea on Friday, August 25, as their scheduled home encounter with Burnley this weekend was postponed to allow the Hatters time to ensure Kenilworth Road is ready to host a Premier League match.

Edwards feels that will be a bonus as they prepare for a trip to Stamford Bridge, adding: “I think so, definitely, and then we’re going into a really difficult game, Chelsea away.

"It gives an opportunity to work on players’ fitness, get one or two more back and have some real competition.

"Hopefully we can do a little bit more business in the market as well, so I do feel in 13 days time we’ll be in a stronger place.”