Luton chief hopes Adebayo remains a problem for Premier League teams to work out

Luton boss Rob Edwards hopes striker Elijah Adebayo can continue to prove a real conundrum for visiting defences in the Premier League this season.

The 25-year-old hasn’t had the game time he would have liked so far since the Hatters won promotion, as after starting the first three top flight fixtures, he then found himself on the bench as Edwards switched formations, going with just one upfront, that being last year’s leading marksman Carlton Morris.

Restricted to a substitute role, Adebayo had one begun one game until the 4-3 defeat to Arsenal on Tuesday night, that coming against north London rivals Tottenham Hotspur on October 7, although had found the net twice in his 223 minutes of action, on target in the matches with Burnley and Nottingham Forest

Back in the side that took on the Gunners in midweek though, Morris on the bench for the first time this term, the former Fulham youngster responded with an excellent display against an established centre half pairing of William Saliba and Gabriel, as with the visitors having only conceded three goals on the road all season, that was doubled at Kenilworth Road, Adebayo responsible for the second.

Having seen team-mate Gabe Osho thump home an Alfie Doughty corner, it was the forward’s turn with four minutes gone of the second half, rising above under-fire keeper David Raya to nod another Doughty set-piece delivery into the net.

That made it 2-2, with Ross Barkley soon putting Luton in front, although the title-challengers hit back to cruelly claim victory with the very last kick, but on Adebayo’s efforts in leading the line himself, Edwards said: “I’m delighted with him, he was really good. I thought he was really intelligent with his pressing, really aggressive with his pressing as well, then he was a real handful.

"Eli can be really hard to work out for the opposition in a really good way for us anyway and I thought he was excellent. His goal, people are having a go at the goalkeeper but I just thought he was incredibly brave, got up really well and I want to see it as a positive for us. I thought it was a terrific header.

"It adds great competition to the group too which is what we want and what’s really pleasing for me is I’m not scratching around thinking ‘oh god who’s in form?’ Or ‘do I play him?’

"I’m thinking do I play him because they’re good players and I’m confident in them as well which is a real plus for us.”

Adebayo wasn’t the only change that Edwards made for the match in midweek, as he also altered the entire front three, Jacob Brown and Andros Townsend coming in for Tahith Chong and Chiedozie Ogbene.

They all played their parts in what was a fantastic display from the Hatters, Townsend setting up Barkley for his first Luton goal, while Brown was typically all action and never stopped running throughout his hour on the pitch.

On his decision, Edwards continued: “We knew we had that as well, so I just felt it was the right call, that freshness. We had to run, you’ve got to run and run hard against Arsenal and City, well any team if you’re going to get anything, especially at this level.

"But after a tough game against Brentford, to go a few days later against Arsenal and for us to ask them to play the way we did, we felt the change in the front three was important, it was great.”

Although the trio were taken off on the 60 minute mark, with Adebayo appearing to have a slight knock, asked about his fitness ahead of tomorrow’s game with Manchester City, Edwards said on Friday: “He’s all right, he’s fine, trained fine today, no problem.”