Luton surprise packages combine for 99 points across three Gameweeks – Ross Barkley most-selected with 0.4% ownership

MANY pundits thought Luton would be easy pickings in the Premier League this season.

And for while it seemed that may be the case as the Hatters found life in the top flight very difficult throughout the first three months of the campaign.

But then they drew with Liverpool at Kenilworth Road on Bonfire Night.

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That spirited result against Mohamed Salah (£6.7m), Trent Alexander-Arnold (£5.5m) and company instilled a sense of belief in Rob Edwards’ underdogs.

Not long after, Luton went toe-to-toe with Arsenal and Manchester City in consecutive games, although narrow defeats failed to improve their league position.

Since then, however, they’ve beaten Newcastle, Sheffield United, Everton and Brighton.

Most recently, they drew 4-4 with the Magpies at St James’ Park – accounting for almost 29% of the league goals Eddie Howe’s men have conceded at home this season – in one of the most-entertaining games in Premier League history.

Add in some FA Cup results and Edwards’ side are now at the point where they’ve lost just one of their last nine fixtures.

Their tally of 20 points from 22 league games remains modest but they’ve already leapfrogged the Toffees (hampered by a points deduction) and they’re within striking distance of Nottingham Forest, Brentford and Crystal Palace.

Whatever happens from now until the end of the season, Luton have already proved plenty of people wrong.

From a Dream Team perspective, several players are overdue proper appreciation.

Eijah Adebayo (£2.2m) was the star of the show in the 4-0 triumph over the Seagulls, comfortably the Hatters best result of the season.

The 26-year-old, who was playing in League Two with Walsall as recently as the 2020/21 campaign, bagged a hat-trick against Roberto De Zerbi’s men to bank 20 points in one fell swoop.

He followed that up with a goal amid the chaos at St James’ Park to add another eight points to his total.

Elsewhere, Carlton Morris (£2.7m) has notched two goals and three assists in his last five outings.

The ex-Barnsley striker was his side’s top-scorer during their historic promotion campaign last term.

And he’s averaging a goal or assist every 141.8 minutes in 2023/24 – an impressive effort.

Then there’s the rejuvenated Ross Barkley (£2.8m), who has been nothing short of talismanic in recent weeks.

Many thought the former England international’s time in the spotlight on these shores was at an end when he signed for Nice but he’s been one of the better players in his position since rediscovering his best form in Bedfordshire.

Barkley pouched 16 points against Newcastle in an all-action display: one goal, one assist, four tackles, three bonus points.

Generally operating in a deeper midfield role than he did in his youth, the 30-year-old has been an influential figure in Luton’s spirited performances against teams with far greater resources.

He pocketed ten points in the victory over Brighton as well.

Add it all up and Barkley, Adebayo and Morris have combined for 99 points across the last three Gameweeks!

Congratulations to the slim minority of Dream Team bosses (presumably partisan Luton fans) who have benefited from this trio’s healthy returns in some capacity.

Barkley is the most-popular player among his team-mates and yet his ownership sits at just 0.4%.

To put this into context, Barkley averages the same number of points-per-game across his last three outings as 44.2%-owned Phil Foden (£5m), hat-trick included.

Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk