2020–21 Luton Town F.C. season

The 2020–21 season is the 135th in the history of Luton Town Football Club, a professional association football club based in Luton, Bedfordshire, England. Their 19th-place finish in 2019–20 means it is the club's second consecutive season in the Championship and 95th season in the English Football League. Luton were eliminated in the third round of the 2020–21 EFL Cup, after being beaten 3–0 at home to Premier League club Manchester United, and lost 3–1 away to Chelsea, also of the Premier League, in the FA Cup fourth round.

Luton Town F.C.
2020–21 season
OwnerLuton Town Football Club 2020 Limited
ChairmanDavid Wilkinson
ManagerNathan Jones
StadiumKenilworth Road
Championship15th
FA CupFourth round
(eliminated by Chelsea)
EFL CupThird round
(eliminated by Manchester United)
Top goalscorerLeague: James Collins (7)
All: James Collins (10)

Background and pre-season

The 2019–20 season was Luton Town's first season back in the Championship after a 12-year absence, having won the League One title in 2018–19.[1][2] Manager Graeme Jones had his contract terminated by mutual consent in April 2020 with Luton in 23rd place, as part of a restructure of the club's football department to reduce its cost base,[3] after professional football in England was suspended in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[4] With nine matches remaining in the 2019–20 Championship season and the club six points from safety, Nathan Jones was reappointed manager in May, after leaving Stoke City in November 2019.[5] The season resumed in June,[6] and despite being in the relegation zone with one match remaining, Jones led Luton to safety from relegation with a 19th-place finish, after a 3–2 home win over Blackburn Rovers on the final day of the season.[7]

At the end of the 2019–20 season, Luton released Jacob Butterfield and Callum McManaman,[8] while Luke Berry, Danny Hylton, Elliot Lee, Kazenga LuaLua and Glen Rea were retained with new contracts.[9][10][11][12] Luton made four pre-season signings, including defenders James Bree from Aston Villa, Tom Lockyer from Charlton Athletic,[13] Rhys Norrington-Davies on loan from Sheffield United,[14] and midfielder Jordan Clark from Accrington Stanley.[15]

Pre-season match details
Date Opponents Venue Result Score
F–A
Scorers Attendance Ref.
15 August 2020 BerkhamstedA W9–0Neufville 11', Hylton (3) 16', 39' pen., 40', Bradley 23', Moncur 51', Collins (3) 60', 67', 84' 0 [16]
22 August 2020 StevenageA W1–0Cornick 79' 0 [17]
25 August 2020 WealdstoneA W3–0LuaLua 9', Clark 34', Shinnie 50' 0 [18]
29 August 2020 Northampton TownA W3–0Collins 62', LuaLua 77', Cranie 81' 0 [19]

Competitions

EFL Championship

EFL Championship match details
Date League
position[20]
Opponents Venue Result Score
F–A
Scorers Attendance Ref.
12 September 2020 6thBarnsleyA W1–0Collins 71' 0 [21]
19 September 2020 2ndDerby CountyH W2–1Berry 34', Clark 87' 0 [22]
26 September 2020 6thWatfordA L0–1 0 [23]
3 October 2020 5thWycombe WanderersH W2–0Mpanzu 59', Lee 89' 0 [24]
17 October 2020 6thStoke CityH L0–2 0 [25]
20 October 2020 10thMillwallA L0–2 0 [26]
24 October 2020 9thSheffield WednesdayA W1–0Mpanzu 74' 0 [27]
28 October 2020 9thNottingham ForestH D1–1Rea 22' 0 [28]
31 October 2020 13thBrentfordH L0–3 0 [29]
4 November 2020 9thRotherham UnitedA W1–0Collins 70' 0 [30]
7 November 2020 10thHuddersfield TownA D1–1Moncur 21' 0 [31]
21 November 2020 10thBlackburn RoversH D1–1Berry 69' 0 [32]
24 November 2020 9thBirmingham CityH D1–1Pearson 37' 0 [33]
28 November 2020 12thCardiff CityA L0–4 0 [34]
2 December 2020 11thNorwich CityH W3–1Moncur 15', Pearson 22', Collins 47' pen. 1,000 [35]
5 December 2020 12thSwansea CityA L0–2 0 [36]
8 December 2020 13thCoventry CityA D0–0 0 [37]
12 December 2020 11thPreston North EndH W3–0Collins (3) 20', 29', 66' 2,000 [38]
16 December 2020 13thMiddlesbroughA L0–1 0 [39]
19 December 2020 14thAFC BournemouthH D0–0 0 [40]
26 December 2020 15thReadingA L1–2LuaLua 90' 0 [41]
29 December 2020 13thBristol CityH W2–1Rea 17', Dewsbury-Hall 68' 0 [42]
12 January 2021 14thQueens Park RangersH L0–2 0 [43]
16 January 2021 12thAFC BournemouthA W1–0Dewsbury-Hall 67' 0 [44]
20 January 2021 13thBrentfordA L0–1 0 [45]
30 January 2021 13thBlackburn RoversA L0–1 0 [46]
6 February 2021 15thHuddersfield TownH D1–1Collins 11' 0 [47]

League table

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
12 Barnsley 27 10 6 11 29 34 5 36
13 Millwall 28 7 14 7 26 26 0 35
14 Cardiff City 27 9 7 11 35 31 +4 34
15 Luton Town 27 9 7 11 22 29 7 34
16 Queens Park Rangers 27 8 9 10 26 32 6 33
17 Huddersfield Town 28 9 6 13 31 39 8 33
18 Nottingham Forest 28 8 8 12 25 30 5 32
Updated to match(es) played on 6 February 2021. Source: EFL Official Website
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored; 4) Head-to-head results; 5) Wins; 6) Away goals; 7) Penalty points (sec 9.5); 8) 12-point sending off offences[48]

Results summary

OverallHomeAway
PldWDLGFGAGDPtsWDLGFGAGDWDLGFGAGD
27 9 7 11 22 29  −7 34 5 5 3 16 14  +2 4 2 8 6 15  −9

Last updated: 6 February 2021.
Source: [20]

FA Cup

FA Cup match details
Round Date Opponents Venue Result Score
F–A
Scorers Attendance Ref.
Third round 9 January 2021 ReadingH W1–0Moncur 30' 0 [49]
Fourth round 24 January 2021 ChelseaA L1–3Clark 30' 0 [50]

EFL Cup

EFL Cup match details
Round Date Opponents Venue Result Score
F–A
Scorers Attendance Ref.
First round 5 September 2020 Norwich CityH W3–1Collins (3) 79' pen., 83', 90+5' 0 [51]
Second round 15 September 2020 ReadingA W1–0Clark 24' 0 [52]
Third round 22 September 2020 Manchester UnitedH L0–3 0 [53]

Transfers

In

Date Player Club Fee Ref.
5 August 2020 Jordan Clark (Accrington Stanley) Free
[15]
1 September 2020 James Bree Aston Villa Undisclosed
[13]
1 September 2020 Tom Lockyer (Charlton Athletic) Free
[54]
15 October 2020 Joe Morrell Bristol City Undisclosed
[55]
18 November 2020 Gabriel Osho (Reading) Free
[56]
15 January 2021 Kal Naismith (Wigan Athletic) Free
[57]
1 February 2021 Elijah Adebayo Walsall Undisclosed
[58]
Brackets around club names indicate the player's contract with that club had expired before he joined Luton.

Loan in

Date Player Club Return Ref.
3 September 2020 Rhys Norrington-Davies Sheffield United Recalled 12 January 2021
[14][59]
16 October 2020 Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall Leicester City End of season
[60]
16 October 2020 Sam Nombe Milton Keynes Dons End of season
[61]
1 February 2021 Tom Ince Stoke City End of season
[62]

Loan out

Date Player Club Return Ref.
11 September 2020 Harry Isted Wealdstone Recalled 30 November 2020
[63][64]
29 September 2020 Tiernan Parker Hitchin Town One month
[65]
15 October 2020 Peter Kioso Bolton Wanderers Recalled 11 January 2021
[66][67]
16 October 2020 Andrew Shinnie Charlton Athletic End of season
[68]
1 December 2020 Josh Neufville Yeovil Town End of season
[69][70]
1 December 2020 Gabriel Osho Yeovil Town Recalled 2 January 2021
[69][71]
21 January 2021 Gabriel Osho Rochdale End of season
[72]
25 January 2021 Peter Kioso Northampton Town End of season
[73]
30 January 2021 Harry Isted Wealdstone End of season
[74]
1 February 2021 Elliot Lee Oxford United End of season
[75]

Appearances and goals

Source:[76][77]
Numbers in parentheses denote appearances as substitute.
Players with names struck through and marked left the club during the playing season.
Players with names in italics and marked * were on loan from another club for the whole of their season with Luton.
Players listed with no appearances have been in the matchday squad but only as unused substitutes.
Key to positions: GK Goalkeeper; DF Defender; MF Midfielder; FW Forward
Players included in matchday squads
No. Pos. Nat. Name League FA Cup EFL Cup Total Discipline
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
1GK ENG James Shea 70003010010
2DF ENG Martin Cranie 15 (1)0001 (1)016 (2)050
3DF ENG Dan Potts 11 (2)01 (1)00012 (3)010
4MF ENG Ryan Tunnicliffe 4 (6)020208 (6)010
5DF ENG Sonny Bradley 250103029030
6DF ENG Matty Pearson 21 (2)2001022 (2)231
7FW ENG Harry Cornick 19 (3)0101 (1)021 (4)010
8MF ENG Luke Berry 19 (4)20 (2)01020 (6)230
9FW ENG Danny Hylton 5 (9)010208 (9)050
10FW ENG Elliot Lee 8 (4)1101 (2)010 (6)100
11MF SCO Andrew Shinnie 0000202000
12GK CRO Simon Sluga 200200022000
14MF ENG George Moncur 8 (7)21 (1)12011 (8)300
15DF WAL Tom Lockyer 16 (2)0102019 (2)001
16MF IRL Glen Rea 22 (1)2101024 (1)270
17MF ENG Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu 23 (2)2101025 (2)240
18MF ENG Jordan Clark 9 (10)11 (1)12 (1)112 (12)310
19FW IRL James Collins 22 (2)70 (1)01323 (3)1020
20DF IRL Peter Kioso 00001 (1)01 (1)010
21GK ENG Harry Isted 0000000000
22MF ENG Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall * 18 (2)2100019 (2)220
23DF ENG Brendan Galloway 0010001000
24DF WAL Rhys Norrington-Davies * 16 (2)00 (1)03019 (3)020
24MF SCO Kal Naismith 0 (4)010001 (4)000
25MF DRC Kazenga LuaLua 2 (13)10 (2)02 (1)04 (16)130
26DF ENG James Bree 4 (6)020107 (6)000
27FW ENG Sam Nombe * 0 (6)010001 (6)000
28MF WAL Joe Morrell 3 (4)010004 (4)000
29FW ENG Elijah Adebayo 0000000000
30MF ENG Dion Pereira 0000000000
33MF ENG Sam Beckwith 0000000000
38DF ENG Gabriel Osho 0010001000
39MF ENG Tom Ince * 0 (1)000000 (1)000
Players not included in matchday squads
No. Pos. Nat. Name
31GK NIR Tiernan Parker
32DF ENG Avan Jones
34MF ENG Jake Peck
35DF ENG Corey Panter
37FW ENG Josh Neufville

References

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