This Week's Opposition: Luton Town

We take a closer look into the key names and numbers powering The Hatters, who make the journey down from Bedfordshire to Hampshire for Championship matchday 2 this weekend.

The Blues were defeated 1-0 by Millwall under the Fratton floodlights in midweek and are out of the Carabao Cup but it’s back to league action next for John Mousinho’s side.

Relegated from the Premier League last season, Luton Town are the opponents this weekend for Pompey, who will host Championship football at Fratton Park for the first time since 2012.

Here’s more on The Hatters…

MANAGER

Former boss of rivals Watford, Rob Edwards is currently at the helm for Luton.

The 41-year-old started his playing career at Aston Villa and also went on to play centre-back for the likes of Wolves, Blackpool and Barnsley.

He retired from the professional game at the age of 30 and began his managerial career with the Wolves Under-18s side. In the last 2 months of the 2024/25 season, he was promoted to help alongside head coach Kenny Jackett.

Edwards’ own managerial career began with a job at Forest Green Rovers, where he spent 1 season and picked up 3 League Two Manager of the Month awards and was named the 2021/22 EFL League Two Manager of the Season.

In May 2022, he was announced as the new head coach of Watford, succeeding former England boss Roy Hodgson.

He then controversially became manager of Luton in November 2022 and in his first season, he managed to guide The Hatters to the Premier League via the Play-Offs, beating Coventry City in the Final last May.

ONE TO WATCH

Our one to watch on this occasion is Elijah Adebayo.

The Hatters’ number 11 started his professional career at Fulham, however failed to make his debut and was loaned out to lower league sides.

He signed for Walsall in 2019 before signing for Championship side Luton in 2021.

On the 30th of January, Adebayo became the first Luton player to score a hattrick in the Premier League during a 4-0 win over Brighton & Hove Albion.

TOP SCORER

The club’s leading goalscorer so far this season is 24-year-old Tahith Chong.

The Netherlands international, formerly of Manchester United and Birmingham City, arrived at Luton last July as The Hatters prepared for life in the top flight.

He scored his first Premier League goal in a 1-1 draw with Liverpool on the 5th of November - A date we’re sure that he’ll remember…

Chong is the top scorer because he was actually the only Luton player to score in their one and only league fixture this season. He wears the number 14 shirt.

CURRENT FORM

Despite Rob Edwards’ efforts to reach the Premier League, his team were relegated at the end of last season following a 4-2 home defeat to Fulham.

The Hatters lost their opening Championship fixture of the season by 4 goals to 1 to fellow relegated side Burnley on Monday evening.

Last season, Luton secured 6 wins from 38 matches and accumulated just 26 points, resulting in an 18th place finish and therefore relegation.

The last time these teams met was back in 2019 in League One, where the Blues were defeated 3-2. This was the season that Luton ended up winning promotion to the Championship.

So, can the Blues find their first win of the season?

Express FM will host all of the unmissable action of Portsmouth vs Luton Town in the Championship when Pompey Live returns this Saturday (August 17th) from 11:30am with Jake Smith, Kirsty Roxanne and James Wilson.

Kick-off: 12:30pm!