Hojlund: 'I never doubted myself but of course you can be a bit down when you don't score'

SCORING RUN: Manchester United's Rasmus Hojlund scores their side's first goal of the game during the Premier League match at Kenilworth Road, Luton. 

Premier League 

Luton 1 (Morris 14’) 

Man Utd 2 (Hojlund 1’, 7’)

Harry Styles was in the Kenilworth Road stands as Manchester United continued their unbeaten start to the new year. The Red Devils had been travelling in only one direction as 2023 came to a close - the wrong one - but six wins and a draw have lifted a cloud of pressure off manager Erik ten Hag.

Rasmus Hojlund scored twice in the first seven minutes to continue a similar upturn in personal fortunes. The Dane had to wait until after Christmas to record his first Premier League goal but has now scored in each of his last six league outings. Indeed, at 21 he became the youngest to achieve such a feat.

"I never doubted myself but of course you can be a bit down when you don't score," he said. "I knew it was just a matter of time. I was learning about my teammates and knowing their positioning."

Luton recovered quickly to pull a goal back through Carlton Morris; in truth United only had it easy in those opening few minutes.

But they are now five points off the top four and three behind fifth-placed Tottenham, who lost at on Saturday.

"I think we are back in the race and we are building momentum," ten Hag said. "We need to build pressure. Every game is a final to get closer to them."

Luton were clapped off by their fans and remain out of the bottom three but that won't be the case if Everton avoid defeat against Crystal Palace tonight.

"You can say we're performing well but it's a results business," Morris admitted. "We need to perform better in both boxes and that's something we're working hard on."

Fortune favoured United three times in the space of a handful of minutes either side of kick-off.

First striker Elijah Adebayo, Luton's main goal threat, pulled up injured in the warm-up and had to drop out.

Then, with just 37 seconds on the clock, the Hatters gifted Hojlund an opening goal through Amari'i Bell's error.

And the Dane doubled that advantage in the seventh minute by deflecting in a shot from Ajejandro Garnacho that was going wide.

Morris pulled one back in the 14th minute and Luton pummelled United until half-time but boy band icon Styles, a United fan, saw his favourites perk up in the second half and survive a Ross Barkley header clipping the bar near the end.

"We gave ourselves a mountain to climb," said Luton manager Rob Edwards. "Ultimately, 2-0 against a team like that is really difficult. But I was really pleased with how the players responded. We looked like a good team."

Adebayo's sudden departure was a blow as four of his nine goals this season had been against Arsenal, Manchester City, Chelsea and Newcastle.

But the Hatters had only themselves to blame for United's shock opener. Bell's back pass attempt succeeded only in gifting possession to Hojlund and the Dane had little difficulty rounding goalkeeper Thomas Kaminski and finding an empty net.

Goal number two saw Garnacho's misplaced shot from a half-cleared corner thump Hojlund on his chest and go in. "I did mean it, 100%," he insisted. "You can see I turned my body. I have a lot of confidence at the moment."

Deflated home hopes were given a thorough pumping by a quick reply however. A deflected shot from ex-United man Tahith Chong looped up for Morris to nod over the line from close range before Luke Shaw could stop him. Game back on, with Gabe Osho and Alfie Doughty coming close to notching equalisers before the break.

Ten Hag was sufficiently rattled to sub Harry Maguire and Casemiro as both had been booked, with Shaw already replaced because of injury. The tweaks worked; United bossed the second period and should have added to their tally.

Albert Sambi Lokonga stopped Bruno Fernandes from making it 3-1 after the Portuguese had rounded Kaminski and it was a similar story when Garnacho burst through Fernandes, having intercepted a poor pass from Kaminski, drilled an even better chance to seal victory across goal and wide. It almost proved costly as Luton forced one final chance to level - Barkley's header.

Ten Hag was hardly overjoyed afterwards. "We have to be all-time 100% focused," he said. "Do your job together, in and out of possession and then you can control your games. What could have been an easy win was now a difficult win.

"We had big chances and with our abilities, we should have scored. It can always happen, a cross or a corner, you can concede if you don't execute the 3-1."

Luton (3-4-2-1): Kaminski 6; Mengi 6, Osho 7, Bell 5; Ogbene 6, Lokonga 7, Barkley 7, Doughty 6 (Berry 82, 3); Morris 7, Chong 7 (Clark 68, 4); Woodrow 5 (Townsend 68, 4).

Manchester United (4-2-3-1): Onana 6; Dalot 7, Varane 7, Maguire 5 (Evans 46, 7), Shaw 5 (Lindelof 45, 6); Mainoo 6, Casemiro 5 (McTominay 46, 6); Garnacho 7, Fernandes 6, Rashford 6; Højlund 7 (Amrabat 86, 3).

Referee: David Coote 6