Chelsea vs Luton LIVE commentary: Pochettino aims for first win of season against Premier League newcomers – kick-off time, team news and how to follow

Chelsea will be aiming to find their first victory of the new Premier League season when they host Luton Town tonight, LIVE on talkSPORT.

The Blues have failed to win either of their opening two games, drawing 1-1 with Liverpool before being beaten 3-1 by London rivals West Ham last weekend. 

Manager Mauricio Pochettino has since called for his side to ‘believe in the process’ as the club’s array of new big-money signings look to gel together. 

But the fans at Stamford Bridge will be hoping that process improves this week with their best chance of a first victory coming against Luton. 

The Hatters are in the top-flight for the first time but were beaten heavily in their opening game against Brighton and face another tough task in the capital. 

Chelsea vs Luton: talkSPORT coverage 

This Premier League clash will take place on Friday, August 25. 

Kick-off at Stamford Bridge is scheduled for 8pm.

talkSPORT will have exclusive live coverage of the game presented by Hugh Woozencroft. 

Commentary will come from Joe Shennan and former Chelsea defender Scott Minto. 

To tune in to talkSPORT or talkSPORT 2 through the website, click HERE for the live stream.

You can also listen via the talkSPORT app, on DAB digital radio, through your smart speaker and on 1089 or 1053 AM.

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Chelsea vs Luton: Team news 

Carney Chukwuemeka has been ruled out for up to six weeks after undergoing surgery on his knee injury picked up against West Ham. 

He joins Reece James, Christopher Nkunku, Benoit Badiashile, Wesley Fofana, Trevoh Chalobah and Armando Broja in the treatment room. 

Mykhailo Mudryk has now also been ruled out of this clash with an injury picked up in training.

The Blues’ £115million signing Moises Caicedo had a nightmare debut last time out but could be handed a start on Friday evening.

Romeo Lavia is not fit enough to feature for Chelsea yet.

As for Luton, former Chelsea midfielder Ross Barkley could make his debut at Stamford Bridge. 

Dan Potts, Gabriel Osho, Jordan Clark and Reece Burke are all expected to miss out through injury.  

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Chelsea vs Luton: What has been said? 

Pochettino is not expecting an easy ride against Luton.

Speaking in his pre-match press conference, he said: “It is going to be a tough game. We were watching them and analysing them and I think they are a strong team.

“It is so clear in the way that they play 1-3-5-2, they run really fast in transition and are strong in set pieces.

“It is a team we need to respect and we need to be humble and ready to match them in how they are going to be.

“We play the way we can play.”

The Chelsea boss has also confirmed that Caicedo will potentially make his debut at Stamford Bridge.

“Moises, yes, is ready to start,” he revealed. “Lavia no. He needs a few weeks to be ready to be involved with the team.

“He is working to try and catch his teammates. For Romeo we need to wait a few weeks but Moises is ready.”

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Chelsea vs Luton: Match facts

• Since the start of the 2020-21 season, Raheem Sterling has been involved in 15 goals in 15 Premier League appearances against newly promoted sides (11 goals, 4 assists), including five goal involvements in five games against such opposition for Chelsea last term (3 goals, 2 assists).
• Following his penalty against Brighton on MD1, Carlton Morris could become the first player to score in a team’s first two ever Premier League games since Ricardo Fuller for Stoke in 2008-09.
• Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino has won 85% of his Premier League games in charge against promoted sides (W34 D4 L2), the joint-best win rate of any manager with 10+ such games. Both of his defeats have come in home games, however (1-3 v Wolves in December 2018, 0-1 v Cardiff in April 2014).
• Chelsea have fallen 1-0 behind in six consecutive Premier League games, never conceding the opening goal in seven successive matches in the competition.
• Luton are winless in their last 27 top-flight away matches (D6 L21) since beating Aston Villa 2-1 back in March 1991 courtesy of a Derek Mountfield own goal and a Mark Pembridge strike.
• Following their draw with Liverpool on MD1 (1-1) and defeat at West Ham on MD2 (3-1), Chelsea could begin a Premier League campaign without winning any of their first three games for the first time since 1998-99 (D2 L1).
• Luton are set to become just the second side to see each of their first two Premier League games come away from home, after Blackpool in August 2010.
• Chelsea have won just one of their last 14 Premier League games (D5 L8) and are winless in their last eight at home (D5 L3), drawing each of the last three. They last went longer without a league victory at Stamford Bridge between November 1994 – April 1995 (a run of 12), while they last drew four consecutive league games on home soil in February 2016 under Guus Hiddink.
• This is the first league meeting between Chelsea and Luton since December 1991, and a 2-0 win for the Hatters at Kenilworth Road in the top-flight.
• Chelsea have won their last three meetings with Luton in all competitions, with all of these games coming in the FA Cup between 1994 and 2022.

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