Opposition Lowdown: Jack Wilshere’s Luton Town

Form

Luton Town were relegated from the Championship last season after finishing 22nd in the league. They finished on the same number of points as Hull City, however their significantly worse goal difference sent them down on the final day.

It’s been a whirlwind few years for the Hatters, having secured back-to-back promotions to reach the Premier League in 2023, before suffering back-to-back relegations down to the third tier. They are currently fighting at the right end of the table, sitting seventh in the league after eight wins, five draws and seven losses.

Their recent form has been mixed, having seen one win, three draws and one loss in their last five games, but they are unbeaten in their last four league games. Their last game saw the Hatters draw 2-2 at home to Port Vale last weekend.

The two sides last faced each other in the 2022/23 Championship season, when both games ended in a draw: 0-0 at Kenilworth Road and 1-1 at the SCL Stadium. 

The boss

Jack Wilshere: Wilshere was appointed Luton manager in October this year, taking over from Matt Bloomfield, who was sacked after only nine months in charge of the Hatters.

Wilshere’s playing career started at Arsenal at the age of nine, joining their youth system from Luton. He was a star in their youth setup and made his breakthrough into the senior squad in 2008 at only 16 years old. Wilshere signed his first pro deal in 2009 and went on to spend time on loan at Bolton Wanderers.

He became a regular part of the Arsenal squad upon his return and went on to make 197 appearances for the Gunners, scoring 14 goals. At the back end of his career, Wilshere turned out for West Ham United, Bournemouth and AGF, before retiring in 2022.

His first coaching role saw him return to Arsenal to manage their under-18s, where he stayed until joining Norwich as a first-team coach last October. He had a spell as interim manager of the Canaries earlier this year before securing his first proper managerial role at Luton in October.

Since joining the Hatters, Wilshere has won six of his first 13 games in charge, giving him a win percentage of 46%. The 33-year-old likes his sides to play a patient passing game, playing the ball out from the back.  

Squad

Luton prepared for life back in League One with the signing of 14 players over the summer. They paid transfer fees for goalkeeper Josh Keeley, who signed from Tottenham Hotspur; and forwards Jerry Yates and Joseph Gbode, who signed from Swansea City and Gillingham respectively.

Other key signings included defenders Kal Naismith and Cohen Bramall, midfielders George Saville and Hakeem Odoffin and veteran striker Nakhi Wells. Loan signings also arrived in the shape of Wolverhampton Wanderers defender Nigel Lonwijk and forwards Ali Al-Hamadi and Gideon Kodua, who joined from Ipswich Town and West Ham.

Midfielder Shandon Baptiste and forwards Al-Hamadi, Elijah Adebayo and Isaiah Jones are all expected to miss out through injury, while midfielder Marvelous Nakamba will also be missing as he represents Zimbabwe at the Africa Cup of Nations.

Predicted lineup

Keeley, Lonwijk, Mengi, Andersen, Naismith, Walsh, Saville, Alli, Bramall, Kodua, Brown

Key player

23. George Saville: Midfielder Saville joined Luton in June on a free transfer, following the end of his contract at Millwall.

He had a brief spell in the youth setup at Reading before joining the Chelsea academy. Saville signed his first pro deal at the club in 2010 but never made a first-team appearance for the Blues, instead spending time on loan at Millwall and Brentford.

Saville moved to Wolves on a permanent deal in 2014, where he spent three years, while also spending time on loan at Bristol City and Millwall. He moved to Millwall on a permanent deal in 2017 before joining Middlesbrough a year later, originally on loan, but the deal was made permanent for a reported £8m.

He returned to Millwall for a fourth spell in 2021, where he stayed until this summer, ensuring he racked up 241 total appearances for the Lions. The 32-year-old Northern Ireland international has started all but one league game for the Hatters so far this season.

Saville is a combative box-to-box midfielder who has high energy. 

One to watch

17. Nigel Lonwijk: Defender Lonwijk joined Luton on a season-long loan from Premier League Wolves this summer.

He started his career in the youth system at PSV Eindhoven before joining the youth setup at Wolves in 2020. He has played for the Wolves under-18 and under-21 sides but is yet to make a first-team appearance for the club.

Lonwijk has had a number of loan spells to gain first-team experience, representing the likes of Fortuna Sittard, Plymouth Argyle, Wycombe Wanderers and Huddersfield Town, where he spent last season.

The 23-year-old has made 17 appearances for Luton so far this season. Lonwijk is a centre-back who, standing at 6 foot 5, is a physical presence, yet he is also comfortable on the ball.