- Luton Town have been relegated to League One after losing 5-3 to West Brom
- They become the fourth side to suffer back-to-back relegations from top-flight
- LISTEN NOW: It’s All Kicking Off! Ian Ladyman reveals his pick for best goalkeeper this season – and it’s NOT Alisson Becker
Luton Town have been relegated from the Championship, confirming a historic back-to-back relegation from the Premier League, after losing 5-3 to West Brom.
The Hatters, who earned promotion to the top-flight in 2023, will find themselves in League One next year, following defeat on the final day of the Championship season.
They join Swindon Town (1994-1995), Wolves (2012-2013), and Sunderland (2017-2018) in this unfortunate record.
The Hatters needed to match Hull’s result at Portsmouth to avoid a second successive relegation.
Instead, first career braces from Tom Fellows and Callum Styles and one from Daryl Dike put paid to their hopes.
After the results were confirmed, Luton’s sell-out 2,500 following sang ‘You’re not fit to wear the shirt’.
Luton have been relegated to League One after suffering defeat on the final day of the season
The Hatters fell to a 5-3 defeat against West Brom which confirmed their relegation
The Baggies ran riot on Saturday afternoon – with Tom Fellows scoring a first-half brace
Despite going into the game on the back of three straight wins, Luton never looked like extending that run once Albion regained the lead.
The Hatters became the first club since Sunderland in 2018 to drop from the top flight to League One in consecutive seasons and only the fourth in the Premier League era after Swindon in 1994-95 and Wolves in 2012-13.
In a dramatic start, the fans were rewarded as both teams scored early goals. Fellows put Albion ahead in the seventh minute following a mistake by goalkeeper Thomas Kaminski.
The winger cut inside Amari’i Bell and Kaminski could only get a hand to Fellows’ left-footed drive, the ball squirming behind him into the opposite side of the net.
Luton levelled within two minutes when Millenic Alli, who scored the recent winner against Derby, cut inside Kyle Bartley far too easily before stroking home low to Josh Griffiths’ left.
Two Albion goals in four minutes silenced the Luton fans and left their team relegated at that point, with Hull and Preston both ahead.
USA striker Dike climbed above Bell to head Albion back in front from Styles’ deep cross on the half-hour.
Dike turned provider three minutes later, sending Fellows through the middle for a neat, chipped finish over Kaminski.
The defeat sees Luton become the fourth side to be relegated back-to-back from the top-flight
Emotions were running high as the Hatters’ future in the English third-tier was confirmed
Luton manager Matt Bloomfield made two half-time changes with Tahith Chong and Reece Burke replacing Carlton Morris and Christ Makosso.
Alex Mowatt went within a whisker of making it 4-1 in the 51st minute when his sliced volley swerved just wide from 25 yards.
Styles tapped home Albion’s fourth on 57 minutes from Darnell Furlong’s cross after Fellows released him in space.
It was almost 5-1 but Karlan Grant’s header from Dike’s cross hit a post.
But Albion didn’t have long to wait for a fifth goal as Styles’ 25-yard drive deflected off Thelo Aasgaard to beat Kaminski for the left-back’s second goal of the game.
Jordan Clark pulled one back for Luton on 65 minutes with a low, curling effort from 22 yards and they were almost gifted a third when Isaac Price’s clearance hit a post.
Alli made it 5-3 in the 88th minute when he curled home from just inside the box but Luton celebrations were understandably muted.
A few minutes after full-time, the result came through from Fratton Park, with Hull claiming a point, to confirm the Hatters’ fate.
