Jarrod Bowen and Kurt Zouma score as West Ham defeat Luton on Kenilworth Road Premier League Homecoming

 Headers from Jarrod Bowen and Kurt Zouma were enough to earn West Ham a 2-1 victory over Luton Town in the Hatters’ first ever Premier League home game, despite a late Mads Andersen goal. 

It was the first time Luton had played a top-flight home match since 1992, but the Hammers spoiled the party at a packed and expanded Kenilworth Road to move top of the embryonic Premier League table. 

The hosts showed positive signs early on, buoyed by the crowd and the compact conditions. Tathith Chong picked the ball up on the left side of midfield and his cross was headed clear by Nayef Aguerd, only for Ross Barkley to volley harmlessly wide. 

Next it was West Ham who probed to open the scoring. Said Benrahma danced down the left flank, adjacent to the Bobbers Stand which had been renovated and rebuilt in just three months following the Hatters’ Championship Play-off final win at Wembley. 

The Algerian’s cross was retrieved by Vladimir Coufal who returned the ball, and after his cross was flicked away by Andersen, Benrahma scuffed his right-footed volley wide. 

Barkley was again at the centre of the action moments later when Ryan Giles’ cross from the left was chested cleverly by the marauding Alfie Doughty. From the edge of the box, Barkley spun but dragged across goal and well wide with his weaker left foot. 

The Hammers moved from back to front quickly when Aguerd spotted Bowen in space and launched upfield. The forward chested and volleyed wide with his right foot, hitting the advertising hoardings behind Thomas Kaminski’s goal. 

Both West Ham and Edson Alvarez were growing in confidence, and the Mexican midfielder found himself on the edge of the Luton box when the home side failed to clear their lines, but his shot was blocked bravely by the diving Andersen. 

In midfield West Ham had seized control, and in the 37th minute made their dominance tell when the classy Lucas Paqueta crossed perfectly for Bowen. who headed through Kaminski and into the net. The Belgian, who has saved Luton so many times already this season, should have shovelled wide instead of into his own net. 

Town bounced back quickly with Carlton Morris passing into Elijah Adebayo, but the Nigerian’s snapshot sailed over Alphonse Areola’s goal and towards the scoreboard; another new addition to Luton’s antiquated stadium. 

The hosts twice came close to levelling before the break, first when Giles’ cross was met by Morris’ looping header, only for the forward’s looping header to land on the roof of Areola’s net. Next, Barkley’s corner from the left was nodded towards goal by Reece Burke, but Chong awkwardly bundled wide. 

West Ham thought they had doubled their lead early in the second half when Antonio laid off to Ederson who fired past Kaminski’s legs. VAR was called into play for the first time in the rickety old ground to disallow the goal, with Antonio adjudged to have been offside in the build up. 

Luton began to take some more risks in pursuit of an equaliser, yet a mistake by Amari’i Bell saw James Ward-Prowse break forward. The new arrival from Southampton crossed for Benrahma at the back post but Barkley and Burke combined to frantically clear the danger. 

Marvelous Nakamba had been found wanting in large parts of Luton’s first two Premier League matches, but the Zimbabwean was a bundle of energy at Kenilworth Road. His hopeful cross confused Areola and Aguerd, culminating in Adebayo bundling wide at the back post. 

Town were gathering some momentum and thought they’s cultivated a prime opportunity to equalise when the endeavour of substitutes Chiedozie Ogbene and Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu led to Morris firing into Aguerd. To the disbelief of everyone inside the ground, referee Paul Tierney signalled for a goal kick. Aguerd, who had celebrated his fine last-ditch defending, seemed surprised by the decision. 

David Moyes’ men all but sealed their victory with five minutes of normal time remaining when Ward-Prowse’s corner was delivered expertly onto the head of Kurt Zouma, who rose highest to head in off the post. The defender, who had been catcalled all evening by the home fans in reference to recent disciplinary issues, savoured the moment of celebration in front of his tormentors. 

Luton hit back in the second minute of stoppage time when Bell’s long ball was headed across goal by Morris and into the bottom left corner of the net by Andersen, reviving hopes of a first Premier League point.

The hosts were controversially denied the opportunity to equalise when substitute Cauley Woodrow’s corner was handled by Ward-Prowse at head height. Despite the appeals for a penalty, Tierney and VAR John Brooks allowed play to continue and swiftly blew for full-time, awarding West Ham a hard-fought victory and propelling them to the top of the table.