Marked man Adebayo knew expectancy levels would be far greater this year after setting the bar high in his debut campaign

Luton striker Elijah Adebayo always knew he would become a marked man in the Championship this season, with expectancy levels on him raised, following his superb first full campaign in the second tier last term.

The 24-year signed for the Hatters back in February 2021 and after displacing James Collins in Town’s attack, went on to score five goals in 18 appearances.

With Collins moving on to Cardiff in the summer, Adebayo then became Town’s premier striker last season, finding the net 17 times in goals in 42 outings, finishing as the club’s top scorer and seeing interest in his services begin to ramp up, with Major League Soccer side DC United making an enquiry, which was knocked back.

However this campaign things haven’t quite gone the way of the former Fulham youngster just yet, goalless in his opening 10 appearances until ending that barren spell on Tuesday night when bagged a brace in the 3-3 draw against Huddersfield Town.

Speaking about the added pressure on his shoulders now, as defences look to keep a firm eye on him, Adebayo, who also admitted to being hindered by some off-field problems that gave him sleepless nights, said: “Last year I set the bar quite high for myself.

"The way I’d come to Luton and the good season I had last year, I think it was always going to be the case of people were going to be more familiar with me and they were going to expect what I was producing last year.

“For me, it was just about replicating it.

“The niggles and the stuff that’s happened off the field hasn’t helped in a way but, again it’s just about, when people try to stop you, you’ve got to find a different way of scoring.

“I feel like, eventually, it was going to fall.

“I wasn’t going to keep carry on putting in bad performances, or not the good performances I was putting in last year.

“But eventually, I know I’m always going to keep working hard and doing the basics right, in terms of running hard for the team, and eventually the chances would start falling.”

Adebayo’s season was to ultimately finish in disappointment as he picked up a hamstring injury during the 1-1 draw with Blackpool when setting up a goal for Admiral Muskwe that was was wrongly disallowed for a for a foule by the forward.

It saw him miss the final two games of the season and was then absent from the play-off semi-final first leg with Huddersfield, a 1-1 draw at Kenilworth Road, before being named on the bench for the second leg.

He was thrown on in the closing stages after Town had fallen behind, but barely able to move, he was unsurprisingly unable to help find an equaliser as Luton’s hopes of reaching Wembley were dashed.

On his frustrating end to the campaign, Adebayo continued: “The goal got disallowed for a foul that wasn’t foul, but it was fatigue.

“I played a lot of games last year and the Championship is a relentless league, but again it was just gutting to not be there with the boys.

“I did everything, I was in oxygen chambers and doing ice baths to try and get myself back and it was just a step too far.

“If we had made the final, I probably would have been back for that, it was just gutting as I think over two legs we should have gone through.

"We just keep seem to be letting Huddersfield off the hook, we should have been out of sight by half time today, but again those things happen.”

Although he did get two on the night, Adebayo admitted it was a bitterly disappointed dressing room following the midweek result against the Terriers, a game the Hatters once more let a lead slip in the second half, as they were pegged back when Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu followed Carlton Morris by putting through his own net as the visitors bagged a point.

Having seen Huddersfield get all three of their goals from Sorba Thomas’s corners, the striker added: “We’re gutted in there.

"The gaffer has come in saying, ‘listen I should be coming in saying it’s a fantastic performance, but you’ve let yourself down on three occasions.’

“They’ve had three shots on target, and those are the three set-pieces that they’ve had.

"We’re not a team that gives people anything from set-pieces usually, but today was just one of those days.

"I think I have to look at myself for the first goal as well as the position is not correct, but it was just one of those days where every time the ball came in the box, we just looked like we weren’t going to defend it properly.

“Again, that’s the basics. If we defend those three set-pieces better, we win 3-0 comfortably and it’s an easier night.”