West Ham deal hammer blow to Luton's survival hopes with win

A fine second-half performance saw West Ham earn a 3-1 win against struggling Luton Town at the London Stadium on Saturday that pushed the visitors to the brink of relegation after one season in the top flight.

The result all but ended the Hatters' hopes of playing Premier League football next season even though Chelsea's 3-2 win over 17th placed Nottingham Forest handed Luton a lifeline -albeit an unlikely one.

Luton, 18th in the standings with 26 points, go into the final day of the season needing both a win at home to Fulham, and for Forest to lose at relegated Burnley, and to overcome a goal difference deficit of -12.

Saturday's result gavedeparting West Ham manager David Moyes a result to celebrate in his 100th and final home game as Hammers boss.

"I go away from here with great memories, the club is a brilliant club and has so much room for improvement," the Scotsman told the BBC.

West Ham announced Moyes' departure at the end of the season by mutual consent earlier in the week. He is widely expected to be replaced by Spanish manager Julen Lopetegui.

Luton went into halftime 1-0 up thanks to a header from Arsenal loanee Albert Sambi Lokonga in the sixth minute, but West Ham came back in the second half with goal from James Ward-Prowse, Czech international Tomas Soucek and a first senior goal for 19-year old academy product George Earthy.

Luton's early goal stunned the Irons, as Alfie Doughty's cross in from the left was met with a fierce header into the back of the net from Belgium's Lokonga.

Luton did not sit back after taking the lead, continuing to attack and threatening the Hammers' defence on a handful of occasions in the first half in what was an end-to-end affair at times.

Humble Luton have impressed with their approach this season, but West Ham's quality proved too much in the second half and the Hatters struggled to pick themselves up after conceding the equaliser.

"We brought a certain spirit, the underdog factor and we changed opinions of ourselves as we went. What makes me proud is how much we have improved in the hardest league in the world," Luton manager Rob Edwards told the BBC.

West Ham's equaliser came as Ward-Prowse drove low and hard into the net, pouncing on the ball after a Jarrod Bowen shot from the right was saved.

Bowen – one of Moyes' first signings and recipient of the club's Hammer of the Year award at the end of the game – again showed his attacking threat with a handful of close attempts and doing most of the work for the first goal. The England player has scored 20 goals in all competitions this year.

West Ham took the lead soon after in the 66th minute, with a beautifully-struck volley by Soucek from a poorly-cleared corner.

The Irons' win was sealed by a tap in from Earthy in the 77th minute, who buried a cut back from Mohammed Kudus after the Ghanaian winger had skilfully worked his way through Luton's defence on the right hand side.

Finishing our final home game with a win 🙌 pic.twitter.com/RfhGAzHxy1

— West Ham United (@WestHam) May 11, 2024

"George Earthy has been special for a long time. When you're that size, lightweight, you need to be given time to develop but he's a terrific football player," Moyes told the BBC.

West Ham remainninth with 52 points, having failed to secure European football for a fourth consecutive season with a poor string of results in 2024.

West Ham will travel to Premier League leaders Manchester City on the final day of the season.