Luton vs Everton – Premier League: Live rating, crew information and updates

Andros Townsend was just inches away from scoring a winner deep in stoppage time as his shot sailed through a crowd of bodies and looked destined for the bottom corner before Branthwaite stuck a decisive leg out at the ball.

The difference between remaining in the relegation zone and climbing out of it was so so close as you can see.

He might not have scored tonight, but it was a brilliant all-roudn performance from Luton’s Tahith Chong.

The 24-year-old has taken time to find his feet at Kenilworth Road after completing a permanent move from Man United last year but was in a class of his own tonight.

Everton’s deence couldn’t contain him as Chong used his pace and trickery to carve the Toffees open. All that was missing was the calmness in the final third.

Townsend’s shot off the back of that free-kick looked destined for the bottom corner, but Branthwaite makes a huge block to steer the ball away from goal and the England international celebrates like he has just scored the winner!

Nobody seems sure the game has ended as the whistle blew while Luton were continuing to attack and booes echo around Kenilworth Road.

Luton remain inside the bottom three but move level on points with Nottingham Forest who take on a Sheffield United that have already been relegated tomorrow.

Branthwaite thinks his clearance is enought to see the game brought to it’s end but a foul will give Luton another chance on the edge of the area.

That was nearly the winner for Luton as Berry’s header off the back of his head forces Pickford into a save. Luton have a corner and up comes Kaminski.

Berry tries a bicycle kick and Luton have another corner.

We have played the six minutes of added time!

Mengi drifts past one player, then another, and the centre-back fancies his chances but drags his shot tamely into the arms of Pickford. Luton are giving this everything.

Everton are deploying the dark arts of timewasting here and Andre Gomes is booked as a result while we wait for a corner to come in.

We will have six minutes of additional time and Kenilworth Road believes that is enough to find a winner that would pull them out of the relegation zone!

Luton make one final throw of the dice with a late substitution as Chong is replaced by Luke Berry. The man being brought off looks shattered and it was some shift he put in tonight!

Woodrow has quickly been trying to take lessons from Barkley in shooting from range and will want to keep doing so as his effort from 30-yards ends up in the stands.

Desperation creeping into Luton’s game now.

Pickford hasn’t had to make many stops tonight but has to remain alert as Barkley sets himself before unleashing a powerful shot. It’s hit well but straight at the Everton goalkeeper.

Everton make their final changes as manager Sean Dyche makes a double attacking change in the hopes of snatching a late goal.

On: Beto, Chermiti

Off: Calvert-Lewin, Gueye

Rob Edwards reacts with a sub of his own as Adebayo is replaced by former Everton forward Andros Townsend.

What a header, what a save, and what a moment that could be for Luton’s survival hopes!

Calvert-Lewin has been a ghost in the second half but leaps like a salmon to get a header on target that forces Kaminski into making a stunning fingertip save.

The resulting corner comes to nothing as Kenilworth Road collectively breathes a sigh of relief.

Adebayo wins Luton another corner – I’ve lost count of how many that is – and they need to make one of these count sooner or later.

The ball drops to a Luton shirt inside the box, but the shot can’t work its way through a crowd of bodies.

Chong is so annoyed at himself again as his pass that would have played Woodrow through on goal is ever so slightly overhit.

The former Man United man has bbeen brilliant tonight but has to do better in those moments.

Luton make their first substitution and it is a very attacking one by Rob Edwards as Cauley Woodrow comes on to replace Fred Onyedinma.

Everton finally get a break as they win a corner for themselves but Luton clear and suddenly Chong breaks by running the ength of the pitch but his final touch see’s the ball drift agonisingly out of play.

Young is brought off by Dyche as captain Seamus Coleman comes on to replace him. The Luton fans customarily boo the former Watford star of the pitch.

The set-pieces continue to come for the hosts as Godfrey puts another attempted cross behind the goal.

It’s one-way traffic at the moment but Everton are looking more than up to the test as Barkley heads off-target.

Doughty’s delivery is whipped in but Everton stand tall to clear the danger coolly.

Osho is incredibly close to getting on the end of a corner whipped into the box and Luton will have another set-piece chance after winning a free-kick from a decent crossing position.

What is Everton’s defence doing?! They almost gift Chong a run at goal as Tarkowski dawdles on the ball and eventually has to stab it out for a throw-in.

Luton are in the ascendancy and all they need now is another goal!

Sean Dyche is the first to use his bench as he makes a double midfield change.

Off: Doucoure, Garner

On: Gomes, Onana

Doughty’s delivery is on the money but Mengi jumps slightly too early and his header sails over the bar.

Gueye is booked after hacking down Chong on the edge of the box, What a great chance this is for Luton in a decent position just to the left corner of the box.

The crowd give a roar of approval as Luton throw bodies forward to try and break Everton’s resolve.

Osho fancies himself and tries to bend one from range but watches as his shot sails wide.

Ashley Young defends a cross played in by Barkley really well but comes off worse for wear after clashing heads with Morris. He takes a whack in the back of the head but should be ok to carry on.

Adebayo is already proving to be a nuisance at the start of the second half as he tussles with Branthwaite deep inside the Everton half.

Back underway at Kenilworth Road. Could the next 45 minutes be the difference in Luton staying up or going down this season? A win takes them above Nottingham Forest who take on Sheffield United tomorrow.

Luton go incredibly close to taking the lead as Godfrey clears a header off the line at the back-post! Everton then go on the attack but Calvert-Lewin can’t reach a ball over the top.

Morris creates space on the edge of the box and tries to bend one around an Everton defender and into the bottom corner.

Pickford woldn’t have got to it but fortunately for Everton the shot drifts wide.

Mengi gets away with one as his header bounces back off a Luton player and just drifts wide of the goal. Everton’s corner bounces around the box before the danger is cleared.

We will have six minutes of additional play at the end of the first half that I suspect is a result of the multiple VAR checks during the first 45 minutes.

Chong catches Ben Godfrey late on the halfway line and finds himself being put into the referee’s book.

Luton panic when defending the set-piece before eventually getting a clearance away.

The Hatters continue to surge forward and now Everton are on the backfoot.

Tarkowski looks annoyed as his late intervention stops what would have certainly been another goal and the Toffees look shaken after Adebayo’s equaliser.

Surely there is more goals still to come?!

Luton have their tails up and wagging as Adebayo wins the hosts another corner.

Oh how the Hatters have missed their top scorer in recent games as he battled back from injury and the 26-year-old looks hungry for more goals.

It’s brilliant centre forward play as Adebayo bullies Young at the back-post before chesting the ball down and smashing his shot past Pickford from close-range.

Young wants a foul but he won’t get it after being outmuscled. Game on!

Everton scrappily clear danger in the box after Doughty whipped a cross to the back-post.

Morris headed it down but there was a grey shirt there waiting to hoof the ball back up the other end.

Luton need to regroup and fast because another Everton goal would be an absolute disaster.

Luton started the game brightly and need to find a second gear again as Everton try to get bodies back behind the ball.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin fires Everton ahead from the spot as his shot is struck sweetly down the middle. The Toffees lead and Luton’s survival hopes have just taken a huge blow!

EVERTON PENALTY! The referee takes a long look and decides to give the penalty! It was stupid defending from Mengi and this could be a huge moment in the relegation fight.

Everton could have a penalty here as Mengi pulls Branthwaite down to the ground at Everton’s corner. The referee has gone to have a look and we all know what that usually means.

Kaminski saves Luton from going a goal behind as Mengi nearly turns the ball into his own net.

Calvert-Lewin then gets in behind and wins a corner after taking a quite exquisite first touch inside the box.

Everton are showing signs of growing in confidence as they play a series of passes around the edge of Luton’s box.

It’s back to the walls type defending and a big header is required to turn Garner’s cross behind for a corner.

David Coote is the VAR chief tonight and decides no further action should be taken. There was contact but probably not enough for McNeil to go down in the fashion he did.

Sean Dyche is convinced his side should be awarded a penalty as Dwight Mcneil skips into the area and receives a slight touch from Teden Mengi.

VAR is having a look but I would be very surprised if this is given.

We’ve discussed Luton’s quick attacking start already, but their defensive play has been just as impressive.

Elijah Adebayo moves his feet quickly to skip past James Garner and is brought down as a result.

Yellow card shown to the Everton midfielder.

Luton try to clip a ball into the box but the delivery is hit too deep and Everton clear. The Hatters are positive and on top in this one so far.

Pickford is quick off his line as Chong tries to get on a throughball, with the Luton forward going down in the box after contact was made with the Everton goalkeeper.

Play is waved on and Chong doesn’t make too many complaints about it.

Jordan Pickford comes all the way up to the halfway line to take Everton’s free-kick, but his cross is cleared well.

Meanwhile boos are ringing round the stadium every time former Watford star Ashley Young takes a touch.

Luton’s all-out attack continues to test Everton as Chong finds space down the left and fires a cross into the box.

I don’t think the visitors expected to find themselves under this much pressure so early.

Luton are direct straight from the off as Ross Barkley carries the ball through midfield before spreading it wide.

The move eventually ends with Everton winning a goal-kick but that is a good positive start from the hosts.

Underway inside Kenilworth Road. Hang on to your hats because I suspect we are in store for some fireworks tonight.

Here we go then, the players walk out inside Kenilworth Road and we are just moments away from things getting underway.

No matter what the table says, you sense this is a must-win for Luton if they want to stay in the Premier League.

The atmosphere is seriously ramping up inside Kenilworth Road and we are just five minutes away from kick off.

Make sure to stick with us throughout the evening as we bring you all the key updates and post-match reaction.

Luton have only won six games all season and tonight are up against an opponent that handed them their very first of those in the Premier League.

Football has a funny way of rewriting history and Luton will be desperate to do the double over the Toffees tonight on what is a huge game for their survival hopes.

It’s been a very strange season for Everton to say the least. Takeover uncertainty, a new stadium being constructed and points deductions have been just some of the distractions that Sean Dyche and his team have had to deal with.

The big relief for him is that they are safe in the Premier League for another season at least.

Dyche has demanded a lot from his players over the course of what has been a difficult season, but reserved some rare praise for them pre-match tonight.

The Hatters captain hasn’t been able to play again for Luton ever since he suffered a cardiac arrest on the pitch at the Vitality Stadium in December’s clash against Bournemouth.

However, Tom Lockyer hasn’t let that deterred him and has still been an ever-present figure around the club since.

He previously showcased his broadcasting skills when making his punditry debut earlier in the season and has revealed he has now been given permission by first-team manager Rob Edwards to start doing more with players at the club.

The fact that Luton are even still in with a chance of staying up is quite frankly a miracle. The Hatters have won just ONE of their last 14 Premier League fixtures – a 2-1 home win victory over Bournemouth at the start of April – and only two games in 2024.

Their last home match saw them thrashed 5-1 by relegation rivals Brentford at Kenilworth Road and if they can’t get three points against Everton tonight then it’s more than likely the Hatters will be waving goodbye to the Premier League.

Luton goakeeper Thomas Kaminski has been speaking pre-match and revealed Luton’s players are fully dialled in with what is at stake tonight. Win and they climb out the relegation zone, lose and their survival hopes will be left in tatters.

The Luton star has revitalised his career this season after being drafted in by the Hatters in the summer after a previous unsuccessful spell at Nice.

Barkley was once the jewel in Everton’s crown before moving to Chelsea in a £15m deal in 2018, but things didn’t work out and the 30-year-old found himself falling off the English top-flight’s radar.

The playmaker has been back to his best with five goals and six assists in 35 appearances this season and has a huge role to play in unlocking Everton’s defence tonight.

EVERTON XI: Pickford, Godfrey, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Young, Gana, Garner, Doucoure, Harrison, McNeil, Calvert-Lewin.

LUTON XI: Kaminski, Onyedinma, Burke, Mengi, Osho, Doughty, Lokonga, Barkley, Chong, Morris, Adebayo.

Three games remaining, relegation on the line and teams scrambling for every point they can get their hands on makes this a huge match at the bottom of the table.

Everton are safe, Brentford virtually are as well, Sheffield United are already relegated and Burnley are just a point behind Luton.

It looks like the survival scrap could go right down to the wire and even goal difference might have a part to play.

Everton fans are likely already looking around for any news of potential new recruits arriving at Goodison Park in the summer after their Premier League status was confirmed for another season, but that isn’t the case amidst uncertainty surrounding the club’s takeover.

Tonight marks the penultimate home game of the season for Luton as Everton fans take their place in the away end at Kenilworth Road for what could be one of the final times in the Premier League.

Fulham travel to Luton on the final day of the season and if the Hatters are relegated from the top-flight then this could be the last time Premier League fans make a trip to the iconic stadium.

Luton are working through plans for a new ground and if they are approved then another classic English football ground will be gone for good.

The Toffees looked like they would be involved in a three-team relegation battle until the final day of the season like they have in previous years – and weren’t helped in their bid to avoid the drop by points deductions imposed by the Premier League.

That looked to be their destiny before a win against Nottingham Forest was followed up by taking three points from arch rivals Liverpool in the Merseyside derby and another victory against Brentford secured their survival.

Sean Dyche will be hoping his players aren’t already on holiday and still have a huge part to play in the relegation battle tonight.

Parts of England have been blessed with some sunny weather this week as spring finally blossomed into life, but for Luton it has been more of the same; rain and wind.

The Hatters are used to this weather though and fans will be hoping the ‘home’ conditions can play their part in getting a vital win over Everton.

Tonight could be the game that defines Luton’s season. Defeat and they have to then get a win against either Fulham or West Ham in their final two reamining games to stand any chance of survival.

Should they beat the Toffees then Luton will climb out of the relegation zone and above Nottingham Forest – who play bottom-of-the-table Sheffield United tomorrow.

Hello, thanks for joining us and welcome to Mail Sport’s Friday night coverage of what is a massive Premier League clash at the bottom of the table.

Everton are safe from relegation for another season after beating Brentford in their latest game, while the Hatters are just a point adrift of safety and can leapfrog Nottingham Forest out of the drop zone with victory tonight.

Kick off is at 8pm and we have plenty to get through before then!