Rob Edwards was left in disbelief after watching Bournemouth come back from 3-0 down at half time to go on and beat Luton 4-3.
The re-arranged Premier League fixture saw the Hatters had been 3-0 up at the break, but two goals from Antoine Semenyo and one each from Dominic Solanke and Illia Zabarnyi completed a stunning comeback, making it only the fifth occasion in Premier League history a team has come from three goals down to win.
Luton quickly surged ahead with a surprising 3-0 lead at the Vitality Stadium, Tahith Chong scoring opener, with Chiedozie Ogbene getting the second and Ross Barkley adding a third before the break, with the home fans voicing their displeasure by booing Andoni Iraola’s team off the pitch.
But the second half no one saw coming. Dominic Solanke got one back with Illia Zabarnyi grabbing another, before Antoine Semenyo’s brilliant double left Luton shell-shocked.
The other four times teams have come from three goals down to win in Premier League (per Opta)…
Leeds 4-3 Derby – 1997/98
West Ham 3-4 Wimbledon – 1998/99
Tottenham 3-5 Man Utd – 2001/02
Wolves 4-3 Leicester – 2003/04
Luton had looked set to move out of the relegation zone and above Nottingham Forest when they were ahead, but instead, they remain 18th, three points from safety with 10 games to play while Bournemouth boost hopes of a first top-half finish since the 2016/17 season, moving to within five points of Newcastle in 10th.
Player ratings (per Sky Sports)
Bournemouth: Neto (5), Smith (6), Mepham (7), Zabarnyi (7), Outtara (6), Christie (8), Cook (7), Semenyo (9), Scott (6), Sinisterra (7), Solanke (8).
Subs: Enes Unal (7), Tavernier (6), Adams (6), Hill (n/a), Billing (n/a)
Luton: Kaminski (5), Burke (6), Mengi (5), Hashioka (4), Kabore (7), Clark (7), Barkley (7), Doughty (8), Ogbene (7), Chong (7), Morris (6).
Subs: Mpanzu (6), Woodrow (6).
Player of the Match: Antoine Semenyo.
Luton boss Rob Edwards, speaking to Sky Sports: “We didn’t win enough individual duels [in the second half]. They have either overpowered us or we’ve not defended well enough. I seem to be saying similar things.
“We put ourselves in a good position. Of course it hurts. We had an opportunity to win a Premier League game. I don’t want to make excuses. We had enough quality and to go 3-0 up.
“We gave them the encouragement to get an early goal back. We were the ones to blame. Me. We should have seen the game out.
“We’re still in the fight. Clearly now you start running out of games and the pressure will build. We have got to accept that. But if we win on Saturday we’re out of the bottom three.”
Edwards, speaking to BBC Match of the Day: “We went 3-0 up, then we gave them encouragement. They have brilliant quality, especially in one v one situations and we didn’t defend those moments well enough. You can look at similarities, build up to the first goal, build up to the second goal, not winning first contact on set pieces, not winning duels…
“Similar situations for the third and fourth [goals] too, we have to learn to defend better in those key moments. Lots for us to look back at and dissect. We’ll have to review it and look back.
“Of course I’ve got to take responsibility.”
On being ruthless and comfortable in the first half: “We played really well but the warning signs were still there. They are a good team and there were still some things were were unhappy with at half time.
“We felt that we allowed the ball to come into our box too often and too easily in the first half, but you are right, there was some brilliant goals and brilliant play. We looked a real threat going forward.
“We gave them the encouragement, the crowd got up and we have to defend those situations a lot better.”
Edwards speaking to BBC Match of the Day: “It’s going to hurt but we have to pick ourselves up. We have another huge game in a few days time and we’ve got no other option but to pick ourselves up and go again.
“It’s still the same going into this next game and there is still a long way to go after Saturday as well. We are not out of this fight. We are three points behind the team above us and our job is to try and win the game on Saturday.
“We’ll patch ourselves up and see where we are at numbers and bodies-wise at the weekend and we will go again.”
On growing injury list: “We refuse to talk about it. I believe in the group of players we have. Out on the pitch today they showed they are more than good enough to be 3-0 and showed a lot of quality.
“We have a number of players missing of course but it is not an excuse. We’ve got a squad, this is an opportunity for other people and that is the way I see it. A lot of the lads that are out are going to be out for the rest of the season.
“We can’t moan or worry about that now. We have to look at what we have here and now and solve the problems.”
Edwards, speaking to BBC Sport on Tom Lockyer’s return to Bournemouth: “I’m not sure what it was like for him out on the pitch, I didn’t see that. But I did see him speaking to the paramedics that helped to save his life. It really brings home what is important in this life, what life is.
“It is brilliant to see him back here and able to thank those people that made such a difference to him. He is here now and can hold his little baby tonight and make sure he can look after his family because of the brilliant work of some real heroes.
“It was emotional. There are some things that are more important and football is important to a lot of people, everyone cares and we care. We are hurt right now. Sometimes a bit of realism is important.”
Rob Edwards, Andoni Iraola and Antoine Semenyo react to an INCREDIBLE game at Bournemouth 🙌 pic.twitter.com/zTDqShyoHe
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) March 13, 2024
Iraola, speaking to BBC Match of the Day: “It was a great win for us. We finished the game very happy obviously, but there were moments during the game where we were struggling and it was difficult to keep believing. The players did it and we could finish the comeback in the end.
On if he believed a comeback was possible: “It was good for us that we did something similar the other day. Against Sheffield United we scored two late goals and felt we could even win it at the end. We couldn’t do it but there was a real feeling that we could do that again.
“Everything went for Luton in the first half, they were really clinical, every time they arrived [in the box] they scored. We needed something to happen early in the second half, the first goal from Dom was key. Then everyone started believing, we kept putting up the pressure and in the end we came back.
On his half time message: “We wanted to get back playing as soon as possible. We ended the first half feeling very bad, they had just scored a third goal. We changed some things, made adjustments, changed some players. We dealt much better with the long balls, Morris hurt us a lot in the first half and we controlled that in the second.
“From there we attacked much better and then the goals came from that point onwards.”
Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo, speaking to Sky Sports: “I haven’t been involved in a game like that before.”
On half time words: “He just said keep playing the way we are playing, pressing. We will get them, they will make a few mistakes. So we came out early in the second half raring to go, and it speaks for itself.
On getting the first goal: “Yes, it gave us so much momentum. We knew that there would be chances in the game, so as soon as that one went in we knew that there were going to be many more. We just had to continue playing the way we were playing.
On getting a brace tonight: “I had a few chances in the previous games that I had missed and was frustrated with, but I knew I would get another chance or two. So I took the two that I got today so personally it was great.
On a second comeback in a week: “Even when we are down at half time we know that man to man our game is about bravery. So in the second half whether we are down or up we are going to be pressing the same way. We know that were are going to have chances and second half today was amazing.
On all but securing Premier League status: “I hope so. We are aiming to win two more games so hopefully when we come back from international duty we get one more win and that secures us.”
This is how fans reacted with Rob Edwards in disbelief after Bournemouth come back from 3-0 down to beat Luton 4-3…
@DeggyUK: That was bloody dreadful second half. Terrible game management and the perfect way to crush a mindset going into a massive 6 pointer Saturday. We all went into today hoping for at least a draw. 3-0 up… No excuses there.
@KeslerSZN: I mean you deserve to be relegated after that
@cpfcmac: bottling a 3 goal lead 😂😂😂😂 all good though because you drew your cup final last week, enjoy the championship fellas, back where you belong 😂😂😂😂
@wizard_season: Deserve to get relegated after that.
@UpperGwladysBlu: Please defend like that vs us in a few months time, we might actually score a goal. 😂
@liamb0117: Not exaggerating to say that’s enough to relegate a team
@LewisT_Williams: Only got ourselves to blame. Did the hard part by scoring the goals and gaining the lead, but can’t do basic defending. If we go down, it will be because of the latter. #LTFC
@reidy_nffc: What a 3 points for Luton town!!! (They’re going to fucking batter us)
@TheBladette: Is it bad to laugh?
@imsoboreddude41L It sucks how the second half went but damn if the lads didn’t fight like hell to secure the win. They did but came up just short. Saturday is another game and no reason to not be confident that we can win.
@liam_birks: How can you let that happen 👀 go ten at the back or something just donwhat you need to do. #BOULUT
@AniHarish1: It’s not the result itself sometimes… it’s the manner and consequently, the psychological impact it has on the manager and the players. That is surely a really tough one to come back from for Luton
@MilesR502: That’s Luton down unfortunately. Mentally impossible to come back from that surely
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