Luton Town 0-1 Aston Villa – Premier League: Live score, team news and updates as Ollie Watkins gets Unai Emery’s side off the mark as they look to strengthen grip on final Champions League place

Watkins’ header is about the first moment to quieten the Kenilworth Road crowd, but the roar of encouragement for the Hatters not 15 seconds later more than made up for it, although the home crowd are still yet to return to full voice.

Rob Edwards spoke about the importance of the fans in the run up to this one, can Luton’s secret weapon inspire a comeback in this first half?

Rough with the smooth for the goalscorers, as Ramsey is swapped for new recruit Morgan Rogers.

Disappointing news for the forward. Hopefully, it isn’t a serious one.

That’s Watkins’ 25TH Premier League goal involvement this season. He is in absolutely rip-roaring form under Emery.

Villa are beginning to show their teeth now, as McGinn, Bailey, and finally Watkins combine dangerously for the final man to leather the ball at the goalmouth just to the right of the box. Kaminski makes a flying stop, ball springing out for a corner – and Villa make hay at the second time of asking!

The corner flies in and Watkins in acres of space is highest to head the ball past Kaminski and drag Villa ahead.

Ogbene is brought down on the edge of his own box by Bailey, hunting for the breakthrough, but instead giving away a freekick, which Kaminski takes.

Doughty streaks down the left looking to spur on an attack, but he loses it passes forward, and are immediately on the backfoot, with Kaminski forced to drop into a quick-thinking save.

Burke offers an invigorating arm to the home fans as he ushers the ball up the pitch, asking them to turn up the volume once again. Cash snatching the ball back shuts down Luton’s tentative route forward, but the home side are doing well off the ball, bothering the Villa backline and forcing some wobbliness.

It’s not the cut-and-dry dominance from the last time out, as things stand.

The shoe is on the other foot now, as Ramsey goes down with a worrying-looking injury which looks dangerously close to the metatarsal injury that has plagued him throughout the season.

Luckily, he’s back on his feet, for now, but watches Villa’s corner – which Luiz sends glancing out of play – from the sidelines.

Barkley gets a poke in the eye from Ramsey after the Villa forward’s trailing arm catches him in pursuit, handing Luton a freekick.

The hosts are forcing Villa back as much as they can, and manage to pack the visitors into the deep right corner, where they’ve won a throw.

Swiping the ball deep in Villa’s half, Luton get as far as Townsend being able to send in a promising cross from the right, but Martinez leaps out to gather the ball up.

Villa take their time over a freekick, which Martinez – never in an enormous rush – finally clouts up the pitch.

Tielemans misses out on picking up the remains, but Townsend who ends up with the ball has his pocket picked by Ramsey, as Villa continue their march forward.

Townsend shimmies the ball to Chong and he unleashes a rocket heading towards goal, which Cash acts quickly to block on the edge of the box.

Luton were offside there, but it’s a good statement of intent after that forced change.

Bell only made a cameo appearance during the tie with Man City and he’s down now, having perhaps gambled his fitness due to the razor-thin squad Edwards has at his disposal.

He’s pulled to his feet by the physios, and limps to the sidelines. Terrible luck for Luton.

Ogbene, rested, gets ready to head onto the pitch after just five minutes played.

Luton shut down a brief Villa foray into their half and begin to slowly make their way up to the pitch.

The ball pings around the backline tentatively, before Luiz sends a slicing pass to Ramsey, who takes off at pace.

Mengi is forced into some last ditch defending to deny the arrow-like run.

The day’s final fixture is underway!

The former Villa captain and Luton player passed away at 77 earlier this week.

It’s marred at the last by some dissenting voices, and boos in response to the noise, which irks Townsend at the end of the line of Luton men. Disappointing.

… and he reports on the volume levels after Edwards’ clarion call yesterday.

It seems the Luton fans heard their manager’s call to action to bring the noise for today’s match. The noise at Kenilworth Road is deafening as both sets of supporters try and drown each other out.

(Torres and Konsa) They are both available to play, but how we progressed with those players to be ready to play without risk, this is the first decision. Of course, we will need both centre backs.

Today, in the end we decided with Konsa because he was progressing well this week

We want to take something here, to be successful here, and to be successful here, we have to work very hard for 90 minutes.

We’re stretched but I feel confident in the team. Couple of goalkeepers on the bench, so we’re alright.

We want to start with real intensity, and i think we’ve got a couple of people that will help us change the game if needed. We’re alright.

Villa are a brilliant team, they can control things, they’re strong in all aspects of their game, (but) we can have a clear game plan as well.

We have a plan for them, and it comes down to (how well we enact it).

We’re live on Sky Sports, and Lee Hendrie thinks that Barkley is Luton’s danger man for Aston Villa.

I think so. Ross Barkley is effective. I think he’s had a point to prove going to Luton Town.

He’s one that can instigate things, and get Luton on the front foot.

For anyone travelling forward in time from say… June 2023… shock is an understatement.

But Barkley has been a promising addition to Edwards’ squad and a serial bright spot in a challenging season… Could his form take him all the way to Old Trafford?

The Jamaica international was electric against Nottingham Forest, and features once again for Emery at Kenilworth Road.

You can read Tom Collomosse’s assessment after last week’s clash below.

… posted ahead of today’s fixture.

Some fearsome stats on the visitors – and food for thought for Gareth Southgate with regard to free-scoring Watkins.

Speaking ahead of today’s clash, the Hatters manager thanked the Kenilworth Road faithful for turning up during their FA Cup thumping at the hands of Man City, and has another request for them in the face of a number of key injuries.

If ever there was a game to highlight the importance of supporters encouraging their team, that was it. Our fans have shown their passionate and loyal backing of us throughout this season – through good times and bad – so I ask them to keep it up.

The players have spoken about how much they feed off the atmosphere and you only have to look at the noise levels generated at Kenilworth Road this season to see why.

Our fans have been brilliant and we’re going to need them again on Saturday.

Four changes from their last run-out in the league against Liverpool for Luton, with Andros Townsend among those coming back into the fold for the home side.

Wherever Emery makes just the smallest tweak after defeating Forest, bringing Ezri Konsa back in the starting XI in exchange for Pau Torres.

Look away now, Luton fans – that’s if the first iteration of this fixture doesn’t loom large in your memory.

It was no night to remember for Edwards’ players, encountering a Villa side at their confident best. 3-1 was the final scoreline at Villa Park, but the hosts might have felt as if the result didn’t fully flatter them.

You can reminisce with Tom Collomosse’s report below.

The Spanish manager is expecting a toughie on the road – which of course, he would say – and he’s prepped his players for the demands of Rob Edwards’ side.

(We expect the match to be) very, very difficult. It is a very demanding match in 90 minutes. Even they were losing 3-0 to Man City and they scored two goals. Even when they were losing to Liverpool at home against Chelsea, they scored two goals and they had chances to draw the match.

This is our opponent and analysing them my respect has increased. Really, I appreciated them how they are playing.

While we count down to this evening’s fixture, why not keep yourself entertained with the business end of the myriad fixtures currently in play?

You can follow along with Mail Sport’s live coverage of the untelevised ties via the link below.

Aston Villa have the chance to strengthen their grip on that crucial fourth place spot after firming up the wobble in firm that plagued them at the start of the month. A brisk 4-2 defeat against Nottingham Forest – currently holding Liverpool to a draw – should have got the blood pumping last weekend, as they prepare to continue their adventure in Europe next week.

Luton are facing a mirror-image issue: after briefly smartening up and getting some points on the board, they’re sitting 18th after defeats to Sheffield United, Man United, and Liverpool.

Of course, their position in the race to stay up for another season will likely be impacted by potential punishments levied at Everton and Forest by the Premier League… but holding Villa at home would be a good start.

Aston Villa could yet join the top-flight stars in Europe’s premier competition next season, but sharks have already started circling in a bid to lure away some of their biggest stars ahead of the summer transfer window.

Mail Sport’s TOM COLLOMOSSE has the latest below.

Doesn’t look like… the worst day for it in Luton.

Hello and welcome to Mail Sport’s live coverage of this afternoon’s Premier League showpiece clash, as Aston Villa travel to Kenilworth Road to face Luton Town.

Kick-off is at 5.30pm, but we’ll be bringing you team news and more as we build-up to this evening’s affair.