Adebayo adding power to Luton's relegation fight

Elijah Adebayo has not taken long to adjust to life in the Premier League.

For a striker who was plying his trade with League Two side Walsall as recently as 2021, his rise with Luton has been very impressive.

After leading the line brilliantly in the Championship last term, Adebayo is looking increasingly influential in the top flight.

We take a closer look at his performances so far in 2023-24 ahead of the Hatters' trip to Burnley tonight.

Up and running

Adebayo's start to the season was slow with no goals in his first six appearances but he has gradually found his feet, scoring three times in his last five Premier League matches.

Even more impressively, the latest strikes have come against Arsenal, Manchester City and Chelsea.

Aside from his growing efficiency, now boasting a tally of five Premier League goals for the campaign, Adebayo is a real presence up front for Luton.

At 6ft 4in, he often towers above opponents and a total of 29 successful aerial duels puts him inside the division's top 10 for that metric.

There is an unrefined quality to Adebayo's game and he is certainly not the most polished forward in the top flight.

But he is a perfect fit in Luton's system under Rob Edwards, often benefitting from direct passes into the final third and then bringing team-mates into play.

Team player

Since joining the club in February 2021, Adebayo has encapsulated the selfless team values of this Luton outfit — and Edwards has certainly taken notice.

The Hatters boss said last month: "It's his [Adebayo's] all-round game that has been very pleasing for us as well. I always talk about that, what else he's given.

"It's not just what they do with the ball. I know that gets the headlines, the goals, assists, dribbles and all that sort of stuff.

"But the pressing is really important for us as we're not a team that's always going to dominate with the ball.

"We want to try and grow and evolve and be better with the ball, which we're doing but the work rate out of possession is key and also I thought his ball retention has been really, really good as well.

"That's been a big focus for him, so delighted with what he's doing."

Persistence pays off

What has made Adebayo's recent productive spell more commendable is the fact he was not a guaranteed starter at the beginning of the season.

He was named as part of the XI in just four of Luton's first 14 league games before forcing his way back into the side.

And the Hatters' No11 is showing no signs of loosening his grip on a starting berth, with Carlton Morris — who scored 20 Championship goals last term — now being used primarily as a substitute.

Edwards will hope he can get both strikers firing at some point during the campaign but for now, Adebayo is the main man.