(Premier League 2023/2024): Highlights Luton Town - Man City

So the Blues are at Luton Town in the unusual position of being winless in their last four league games and sitting fourth in the Premier League table. The headline news of course is the absence of Erling Haaland with a foot injury at this stage, we're not sure for how long. Jeremy Doku is still also unavailable too, but Rodri and Jack Grealish return after suspension while Nathan Ake plays his 100th City game. Vardyol up towards Alvarez who helps it on to Foden and on it goes to Bernardo Silva, a chance for City here and Foden's actually almost through on goal, he's a bit wide, he props in a cross shot and then Bernardo Silva mishits a volley that could have gone in and City really with their first attack of the game, first they force a save and then Bernardo Silva by his standards scoffs a volley. Yeah I mean it's a great turn by Phil Foden initially gives it to Silva, it's just that pass, he is on side but he's just pushed it that little bit too far, Phil Foden's touch as well just takes him a bit again away from the goal. Alvarez who is the centre forward holds the ball now, tries to work an angle up towards Bernardo Silva back to Alvarez, wide to Walker, Walker inside to Bernardo Silva in the penalty area and it goes to Rodri, Luton set up to defend, Rodri has a shot and Kaminski throws out what was almost kind of his wrong arm, it was towards his left but he threw out his other arm and parried it over, it's a good save actually from Kaminski. Yeah it was a good save, I mean he just gets the ball, he moves it to his right, it's a snapshot, it's relatively central though for the goalkeeper. About 35 metres from goal, he's fouled, free kick to City, just about on the edge of shooting position but I would imagine more likely to be across. Yeah what you were saying about Vardial as well, it's right, it's because Townsend's not even tracking him back at all so he's got the freedom down that left-hand side. In a minute as the ball is with Foden on the edge of the area, he tries a shot, good save by Kaminski and the rebound pops back into the goalkeeper's arms, well it was a low driven ball, Kaminski saved it, the rebound could have gone anywhere, he was lucky enough to find it spin back towards him, I think there would have been an offside anyway because Walker tried to get the rebound in but we'll never know for sure it is in the possession of Kaminski. Vardial plays it forward, City are going in the right direction with Alvarez heading towards the centre of the pitch, wide it goes to Grealish, chance to maybe have a go down the left-hand side, puts in a low ball, good ball, oh Alvarez, well he was caught in two minds, it came towards him on the near post, I wasn't sure if he was trying to help it on or score and in the end he kind of did neither, it kind of hit his right foot and his left foot and went harmlessly wide. Yeah Grealish has done brilliant, he's looked along the line, he's just teasing the defenders as he normally does, I think he should hit it with his left foot. The ball is with Townsend, Townsend in the crossing position, should be Ederson's, he's not going to get it and would you believe it, they've taken the lead, Adebayo with a header at the far post and right on the cusp of half-time, a cross into the area and Adebayo has headed it into the back of Ederson's goal, Steve Howie can you believe it? Absolutely not but having said that you've got to give credit, I think it's it's a lovely lovely ball in, Adebayo he's the one just at the back stick, gets above the City defence and Ederson's got no chance because it's at the point-blank range. A bit of a gap to the right hand side, Walker didn't want to play it, goes inside to Kovacic, Grealish that's a foul, through the foul really didn't he, allowed Mengi to come in and grab it indeed, brought him down with the right foot, so free kick midway inside the Luton half, City were bossing possession in the first half, they're bossing possession in the second but Luton only had really one clear cut opening in that first half and scored from it. Yeah one shot, sorry Alistair, I was just thinking just there's the build-up there, yes I know Jack Grealish is getting that free kick with Kyle Walker, had a great opportunity putting Rodri. City have the ball in the penalty area, claim of a handball and then Diaz has hit the bar, the ball went back to Diaz, he hit it and it thumps against the top of the crossbar, it was a claim of a handball amidst all of that, the referee is way play on, Rodri from distance hits it low and wide and it goes out for a goal kick, now the referee's telling them to just to wait for a moment while VAR check for a handball, after the handball was claimed for there was then a shot that broke to Diaz and he thumped it against the crossbar, don't think it was a handball was it? I don't think so, I think it's kind of hit his chest and kind of under his arm. Looking for a runner, gets beyond the camber who's on a yellow card, Rodri goes out wide to Walker, Walker in the right wing position just on the edge of the final third but not quite in it yet, now with Foden and it goes to Kovacic, Kovacic out wide to Guardiola, Guardiola on to Kovacic again, now it's to Foden and back it goes to Kovacic and Kovacic to Diaz, Diaz plays it out wide to Walker, Walker to Rodri, Rodri, well Walker looks as though he was fouled, referee's way play on because Rodri is advancing and then he lost the ball and then it's a brilliant goal, Bernardo Silva that is a wonderful left foot drive, Rodri made a darting run in towards the penalty area, he kind of got boxed off as he got into that position, it broke for Bernardo Silva and Bernardo Silva bent it and from the moment that he struck it you knew it was going in the goal and it's City 1, Luton 1, Bernardo Silva. Yeah it was a fantastic finish I think the camera was right behind Bernardo Silva, he bent it what a fantastic finish, yes the goalkeeper's being superb but I don't care what goalkeeper you are you're not saving that. The moment Bernardo Silva connected I could hear Steve Howie shouting goal in my ear because he knew that that was arrowing into the corner, that's a handball by Alvarez and Alvarez is darting forward and the ball goes across the face of the goal and Grealish puts it in, I've got a feeling this won't count, I've got a feeling this will go back and be cancelled for a handball, we're going to say that it's 2-1 to City at the moment and indeed the referee's got his hand in his ear but City lead 2-1 unless it was a handball and I just saw Grealish say to one of his teammates was that a handball and I think even he wasn't totally sure, I think it's Alvarez who handled it possibly, let's see we're going to see this is the replay, it's not it's 2-1 City, City fans everywhere you can express yourselves with joy, it wasn't a handball it just looked like it was, I think Luton clown players all thought that it was and then it broke for Foden and unless there's an offside in the build-up and I don't think there is, Alvarez plays it across, Grealish puts it in and City lead by two goals to one and the fact that even Grealish asked Alvarez if he'd handled it probably tells me that most out there weren't totally convinced but it is 2-1 to the Blues, on it goes to Ross Barkley, Barkley gets away from Foden into the final third, brilliant from Barkley, oh and then he missed it in the shot well everything up to that point was absolutely superb, he gets away from Foden, he then turns and twists away from Kovacic but he hits his shot all wrong, wide of the post, a few minutes is a very vulnerable lead, the likes of Spurs and Liverpool and the two others, as Alvarez hits a shot that fizzes over the bar, it's a really good hit by Alvarez and it was travelling at enormous speed, just fizzed over the bar, Chong tries to help it out wide, it's a good ball, Doughty round the outside, tackle by Rodri Corner, Kaminski's making his way forward, Luton fans believing, we're in the seventh minute of added time, Chong on the far side puts in another ball, Edison claims, referee sounds his whistle and City's winless run is over, there's a hug between Pep Guardiola and Rob Edwards, the Blues know they had to work for it but they have got that victory, the Blues are just four points behind the leaders Liverpool and the reality is that those who write City off better think again, Luton 1-2 City