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Luton Town showed plenty of character and desire in the Premier League last campaign, but ultimately it wasn’t enough as the Hatters suffered an immediate relegation back to the Championship after winning just six games and 26 points.
Despite their 18th place finish, Rob Edwards’ side made a good account of themselves in the top-flight, and provided the Kenilworth Road faithful with memorable moments such as a 1-1 draw with Liverpool in November, and a 4-0 victory over Brighton in January.
Edwards and co can take plenty of positives from their time in the Premier League, while their aim for the 2024/25 season will be to win promotion for the second time in three years.
Tahith Chong could be key to Luton’s 2024/25 promotion push
The Hatters signed former Manchester United man Tahith Chong from Birmingham City for a reported fee of £4m last summer in an effort to survive in the top tier.
However, the 24-year-old did not set the world alight in Bedfordshire, as he scored just four goals in 33 Premier League appearances while failing to make a single assist.
But despite his top-flight record, which leaves a lot to be desired, Chong can still be a key asset for the Hatters next campaign, while he proved just how good he can be in the second tier during his time with the Blues.
The St Andrew’s outfit finished just 17th in the Championship at the end of the 2022/23 season, but the former Netherlands youth international was still able to prove his worth as he scored four goals, which he further complemented with five assists that campaign in 38 league outings.
| Tahith Chong 2022/23 Championship stats as per FotMob | |
|---|---|
| Appearances | 38 |
| Starts | 35 |
| Pass accuracy (%) | 75.3 |
| Chances created | 45 |
| Assists | 5 |
| Expected assists (xA) | 3.59 |
| Shots | 58 |
| Shots on target | 19 |
| Goals | 4 |
| Expected goals (xG) | 5.03 |
The case could also be made that if Chong plied his trade for a side competing higher up in the second tier, which the Hatters will hope to do during 2024/25, the attacking midfielder could have done even better, as he created 45 chances for a struggling Blues side two seasons ago, according to FotMob.
But last season, he created just 10 chances for his Hatters teammates in the Premier League, which highlights the disparity between his productivity in the top-flight and in the Championship.
Chong also made a positive impression of himself during the 2021/22 season, in which he was on loan at the Blues from Manchester United, before signing permanently the following summer as he scored one goal and created two assists in the second tier in just 20 appearances and 18 starts.
These contributions also came as part of a struggling Birmingham outfit who finished 20th in the Championship that year, surviving the drop by 10 points.
Chong has the ability to produce more goals and assists in the second tier than he did for Birmingham, while the opportunity to play for the Hatters at a level he has done well at in the past could help him unlock his potential.
An enjoyable season could lie ahead for the Hatters
If the Hatters can help Chong not just find his form of old, but better it, then an exciting promotion-chasing campaign could be up ahead for Edwards’ men, who should be able to keep most of their key assets despite their recent relegation from the Premier League.
The likes of Carlton Morris and Elijah Adebayo, who both made a good account of themselves last season, could prove to be menacing players in front of goal in the Championship once more.
