Manchester City needed a second-half comeback to beat Luton Town at Kenilworth Road, bringing an end to their four-match winless streak in the Premier League.
Pep Guardiola’s team faced the prospect of consecutive league defeats for the first time since December 2019 after Elijah Adebayo nodded in Andros Townsend’s cross to give Luton the lead in first-half stoppage time.
However, Bernardo Silva leveled the score for the visitors with a superbly curled effort after seizing on a loose ball in the penalty area.
Three minutes later, City completed the comeback as Jack Grealish converted Julian Alvarez’s low cross.
The victory ensures that the reigning champions maintain their fourth position, trailing leaders Liverpool by four points. Meanwhile, Luton, positioned third from the bottom, now find themselves four points adrift of safety following Everton’s triumph over Chelsea.
City record first league win in five weeks
Entering Sunday’s match, City was on their longest winless streak under Guardiola. Despite the return of key players Rodri and Grealish, who were suspended for Wednesday’s loss to Aston Villa, top scorer Erling Haaland was sidelined with a foot injury sustained in training.
At halftime, City faced the risk of falling seven points behind Liverpool, heightening the sense of urgency. However, in the second half, despite missing Haaland’s influential presence, City rediscovered their clinical form.
Shortly before scoring, they struck the crossbar with Ruben Diaz’s powerful shot following Nathan Ake’s setup. Once in the lead, they effectively kept Luton at bay, securing their first league victory since a 6-1 triumph over Bournemouth on November 4.
Luton slip further adrift
Luton has encountered the top two teams from the previous season within a span of five days, taking the lead in both matches only to succumb to second-half comebacks.
This highlights the impressive ascent of the Hatters in recent years, with the lively Kenilworth Road witnessing another instance of Luton asserting themselves against a football powerhouse.
Despite Adebayo’s goal, the hosts were mostly limited to half-chances. Despite putting in two promising performances, Rob Edwards’ team has suffered three consecutive defeats and secured only one victory in their last 10 matches.
A growing gap is becoming evident between the bottom three teams and the rest of the division. At halftime on Sunday, Luton held a precarious one-point advantage above the relegation zone in the current standings.
However, following their loss and Everton’s win, Luton finished the day even further adrift in the bottom three, urgently seeking points.