West Ham beats Luton for third straight win to go top of EPL

By: The Associated Press Posted: 4:10 PM CDT Friday, Sep. 1, 2023

LUTON, England (AP) — West Ham claimed its third straight win and ensured at least one night atop the English Premier League by beating Luton 2-1 thanks to headers by Jarrod Bowen and Kurt Zouma on Friday.

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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 01/09/2023 (1127 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Kenilworth Road was hosting a top-flight match for the first time since 1991-92 — the season before the Premier League was founded — but Luton couldn’t mark the occasion by earning its first points since promotion.

Bowen gave West Ham the lead in the 37th minute, meeting Lucas Paqueta’s perfectly judged cross with a header that went straight at goalkeeper Thomas Kaminski and bounced into the net.

West Ham's goalkeeper Alphonse Areola catches the ball as Luton Town's Mads Andersen, right puts pressure on West Ham's Nayef Aguerd during the English Premier League soccer match between Luton Town against West Ham United, in Luton, England, Friday, Sept. 1, 2023. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein)

Having also netted at Bournemouth and Brighton this season, the England forward became the first West Ham player since 1930-31 to score in three straight top-flight away games.

Luton, which lost its opening two league games, toiled without offering much threat up front and fell further behind in the 85th when Zouma got himself free at a corner to power in a header from James Ward-Prowse’s cross.

Luton grabbed a consolation through center back Mads Andersen in the second minute of stoppage time.

West Ham has 10 points from its four matches and is a point ahead of Manchester City, which plays its game in hand at home to Fulham on Saturday.

Luton has played only three games because its home meeting with Burnley scheduled for round two was postponed owing to Kenilworth Road not being ready to host the match.