Luton 2-3 Chelsea – An away win, ruthless finishing and Ross Barkley – remember him?

Ruthless finishing, an away win and holding on despite a late Luton comeback: can this really be Chelsea we’re talking about?

Mauricio Pochettino’s side had lost each of their last four Premier League away games but claimed three points at Kenilworth Road to close out 2023.

Two moments of quality told in the first half for Chelsea, with first Cole Palmer and then Noni Madueke finding the back of the net, before Palmer showed outstanding composure to make it 3-0 to the visitors in the 70th minute.

Luton chances were in short supply in the first half but the hosts certainly gave Chelsea a nervy finish. An Elijah Adebayo goal was disallowed for offside after a VAR review, then Chelsea old boy Ross Barkley scored, Luton hit the crossbar twice and Adebayo made it 3-2 with three minutes of normal time remaining.

Simon Johnson analyses the action after Chelsea held on… just.

Chelsea win away!

When Chelsea were at their pomp, they would find little reason to celebrate a routine win over a newly promoted side like Luton. But this Chelsea side are a pale imitation of the ones that used to win trophies on a regular basis.

Chelsea went into this match having lost their previous four away matches, their worst run for 23 years. The 1,151 Chelsea supporters who made the short trip north would have done so more out of hope rather than expectation, especially as Luton had won their last two matches and made life very difficult for Arsenal and Manchester City when they played here.

But you have to give them credit for the ease in which they swept Luton aside in the first half — and held on, despite the late onslaught.

Crucially, they were strong at both ends of the pitch. First, they were clinical, with their finishes for all three goals of the very highest quality.

But unusually, Chelsea were initially very strong at the back, defending well from Luton’s strength at set pieces until all-too-familiar lapses of concentration late on ended hope of a first clean sheet on the road for nearly three months.

Still, there was enough here for Pochettino to build on in 2024.

Good luck at AFCON, Nicolas

This was Jackson’s last Premier League game for Chelsea before he reports for international duty with Senegal and the break could be just what he needs.

The 22-year-old has lost some of the self-belief he had in abundance in pre-season, although a return of eight goals so far in his first campaign at Chelsea is more than respectable.

A lack of spark has been evident in recent weeks though and there were more examples of this at Kenilworth Road, albeit he did spend most of the fixture on the left-hand side of Chelsea’s attack rather than directly through the middle.

Chelsea’s opening goal actually came from a good run he made, but instead of finding a team-mate, Jackson shot tamely from a narrow angle. Fortunately, Luton gave possession straight to Palmer, who found the bottom corner.

But a terrible foul throw-in, and then a careless pass straight out into touch, were the kind of incidents which get the Chelsea fans on his back every week. Luton supporters grew increasingly frustrated with the ease in which he regularly fell to ground, too.

It was not all bad and he improved after the break. A nice run led to a shot from outside the area in the second half, although it was a pretty easy save for keeper Thomas Kaminski, and it was his nicely weighted through ball which set up Palmer for Chelsea’s third goal.

But perhaps a strong showing with Senegal over the next month or so will lift Jackson’s game back to a higher standard.

Ross Barkley. Remember him?

It may have been in a losing cause, but this game showed how much more comfortable Barkley is wearing a Luton shirt than a Chelsea one.

Barkley flattered to deceive at Chelsea after joining from Everton for £15million in 2018. The six-year anniversary of his transfer south is coming next month and the midfielder will not have many happy memories of the 100 appearances he made for the London club.

GO DEEPER

Barkley has been a revelation for Luton – his new, deeper role seems to suit him

Playing for Chelsea overawed him but you cannot say the same now at Luton. He has been in fine form for them in the Premier League having joined as a free agent in the summer following a spell at Nice.

There were many lovely touches in Luton’s midfield this afternoon and he seemed to enjoy getting the better of his opponents. One turn sent Conor Gallagher spinning, another first time flicked ball brought roars of approval from the home fans. One charging run from Levi Colwill was brought to an end; the kind of intervention you did not see at Stamford Bridge. A fine free kick was sent just over the bar.

With time running out and Luton 3-0 down, it was Barkley’s fine header which gave the hosts some hope of a dramatic late comeback.

What did Pochettino say?

We will bring you this after he has spoken at the post-match press conference.

What next for Chelsea?

Saturday, January 6: Preston North End (H), FA Cup, 5.30pm GMT, 12.30pm ET

A rare meeting with Preston, who are making just their second visit to Stamford Bridge since 1980. Preston got off to a great start this season, topping the Championship after going unbeaten in the first seven games and while their form has dipped a bit since, they are still on the fringes of the play-off picture.

GO DEEPER

The plan to take proud Preston into the Premier League

Tuesday, January 9: Middlesbrough (A), Carabao Cup, 8pm GMT, 3pm ET

Great memories for fans of a certain age, recalling Roberto Di Matteo’s early goal in that 1997 FA Cup final win, as Chelsea head north to face Middlesbrough in the first leg of this semi-final.

The Championship side made the play-offs last season but are mid-table this time as they play catch-up having failed to win any of their first seven league games.

The return is on January 23, with the winners playing Liverpool or Fulham at Wembley next month.

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(Top photo: Shaun Botterill/Getty Images))