Albion endured a night to forget at Kenilworth Road as Elijah Adebayo's hat-trick fired Luton to an impressive win.
The hosts never looked back after scoring twice in the opening three minutes through Adebayo and Chiedozie Ogbene and Adebayo completed his hat-trick with two goals either side of half-time at a raucous Kenilworth Road.
Luton’s work ethic and intensity was impressive and the only consolation for Roberto De Zerbi is the quick opportunity to put things right against Crystal Palace on Saturday.
Albion’s game plan was thrown out of the window within three minutes as they conceded twice – including a goal after 18 seconds.
Albion kicked off, pinged three or four passes around before Facundo Buonanotte was dispossessed in the centre circle. Luton switched it to Ogbene and his cross from the right was met by Carlton Morris, who headed goalwards, and Adebayo flicks it past Jason Steele.
The visitors had barely recovered from that shock when they conceded again. Ogbene timed his run down the right to latch onto Adebayo’s pass and beat the offside trap. As Steele came out of his goal but didn’t clear Ogbene ran the ball into an empty net. Only once in Premier League history – Leicester against Derby in 1998 – have a side gone 2-0 up quicker.
Albion responded positively. Buonanotte found Joao on the left and he crossed low but just beyond Danny Welbeck stretching at the far post. James Milner’s shot was deflected and the corner worked to Pascal Gross, who fired over from 20 yards. Joao linked up with Welbeck again but Welbeck’s shot from a tight angle drifted wide of the far post.
Milner had to be replaced by Jack Hinshelwood after picking up a knock and Steele had to make a fine save with his legs to keep out Jordan Clark’s rasper after Ross Barkley found him in space 12 yards out.
Sambi Lokonga was fortunate to only get a yellow card – which needed a lengthy VAR check - for a thigh-high challenge on Buonanotte before Albion were undone again down their left-hand side three minutes before break. After Luton won the ball back in midfield Barkley slipped a pass into the path of Adebayo who had got on the blind side of Igor and timed his run to beat the offside trap, drilling a low shot inside the near post, giving Steele no chance.
De Zerbi made two further changes at the break, bringing on Tariq Lamptey and Evan Ferguson, but Luton thought they had a fourth on 49 minutes when Carlton Morris’s shot was parried and Joe Clark netted but he was offside.
They didn’t to have to wait long to make it 4-0, though, on 57 minutes. Alfie Doughty’s corner from the right was inadvertently flicked on by Joao and Adebayo stooped in a crowded six-yard box to head home, Luton’s first top-flight hat-trick since 1990.
It was now a case of making sure the goal difference didn’t suffer any more damage. Morris curled a shot wide before Albion had their best chances of the night. Jan Paul van Hecke ran deep into Luton territory and found Welbeck. His shot was pushed out by Thomas Kaminski to Lamptey who volleyed into the side netting. Kaminski then tipped over Welbeck’s close-range header.
Roberto De Zerbi had warned that Luton away would be one of the hardest games of the season and his assessment was spot on.
Albion: Steele, Igor, Dunk, van Hecke, Estupinan (Lamptey 45); Milner (Hinshelwood 20), Gross, Gilmour (Baleba 60); Buonanotte (Ferguson 45); Joao (Moder 71), Welbeck.
Subs not used: Verbruggen, Webster, Lallana, Baker-Boaitey.
Referee: Rob Jones
Attendance: 10994 (1104 Albion)