ERIK TEN HAG credits Rasmus Hojlund and referee David Coote with Manchester United’s fourth straight Premier League victory, despite the fire and brimstone of Kenilworth Road. 

Hojlund scored his first Premier League brace in the first seven minutes, extending his scoring streak to seven goals in six games.

Rasmus Hojlund became the youngest-ever player to score in six straight league games.

In the opening seven minutes, Hojlund scored twice. However, Coote’s decision not to dismiss Casemiro for a second yellow card was crucial in keeping United’s head above water against Luton at their home field.  

United are now unbeaten in seven games in 2024, having won six, and are only five points away from the Champions League positions. 

However, after the Hatters dominated much of the first period, Ten Hag was forced to remove Casemiro and Harry Maguire before half-time, with Carlton Morris answering with a header. 

If Everton avoid loss at home to Crystal Palace on Monday, Rob Edwards’ Luton would fall into the relegation zone, but there was plenty to give the Luton manager hope that his side can stay in the Premier League.

There was a genuine cultural clash in the directors’ box, with pop star Harry Styles sharing peppermints with Luton veteran Mick Harford, who is possibly even harder than Nobby Stiles.

The Hatters’ fortunes took a turn for the worse during the warm-up when leading scorer Elijah Adebayo was injured and replaced by Cauley Woodrow in the starting lineup. 

Then, after only 37 seconds, they fell behind when Amari’i Bell’s botched effort at a square pass gave Hojlund an open run at goal, and the in-form Dane scored after rounding keeper Thomas Kaminski. 

After failing to score in his first 14 Premier League games, Hojlund has scored for the sixth time in a row.

United smelled blood and were soon two up thanks to another bizarre Hojlund goal.

This time, a Luke Shaw corner was cleared as far as Alejandro Garnacho, whose errant volley was met by United’s alert centre-forward, who swivelled to chest it into the goal.   

But Luton has a tendency of fighting back deficits, and after 14 minutes, they were back in the game.

Tahith Chong, a former United player, had a shot deflected off Maguire, looping up to the far post where Morris reacted faster than Shaw to nod beyond Andre Onana. 

Luton suddenly dominated possession, causing issues for Ten Hag’s team.

Shaw was punished for viciously flooring Chiedozie Ogbene, and Maguire’s sluggish free-kick on the edge of the United area found Ross Barkley, who supplied Woodrow for a deflected shot.

United were now being subjected to the full Kenilworth Road experience, as the Hatters replied to the cries of their ecstatic fans inside this tightest of top-flight arenas.

Casemiro had just been arrested for bringing down Bell when he made a frantic lunge at Barkley.

Coote immediately awarded a foul but failed to issue a second yellow card, despite the fact that it seemed evident he would have cautioned the Brazilian if he hadn’t already been booked. 

The home crowd was understandably enraged, and they were even angrier when Maguire delivered a vicious body-check to floor Morris, who had earlier driven one just wide.  

On a rare United attempt, Rashford had a decent penalty appeal knocked down, but Alfie Doughty guided an effort just wide after more impressive work from Chong.

Shaw was pulled off injured in first-half stoppage time and replaced by Victor Lindelof.

Ten Hag’s half-time double switch of Casemiro for Scott McTominay and Maguire for Jonny Evans reflected Luton’s unrelenting pressure. 

The Dutchman clearly afraid that Casemiro or Maguire might receive a second yellow card if they continued.

Nonetheless, Luton continued to press forward at the opening of the half without troubling Onana, and on a United counter-attack, Rashford was stopped by a tumbling Kaminski. 

The Hatters goalie was quickly caught out of position and about to be rounded by Fernandes when Albert Sambi Lokonga came to his rescue with a stunning saving effort. 

United were looking more stable now, with Evans stabilising the defence, Mainoo excelling in midfield, and Hojlund delivering some fantastic link play up front.

Soon after, the Bell rescued Kaminski when a fantastic Rashford ball unleashed Garnacho, who dribbled past the keeper twice before having his shot stopped by the Luton defender.

Coote’s quirky refereeing continued as he booked Mainoo for winning a terrific challenge to rob Jordan Clark.  

Luton applied plenty of late pressure without forcing a save from Onana, but Barkley headed against the crossbar from a corner deep into injury time.