Brentford secured a thumping 5-1 win over relegation battlers Luton Town, whose Premier League survival battle received a blow following a 21st league defeat this season, matching a club-record.With the sides around them in the relegation fight receiving point deductions, Luton find themselves still within a chance of Premier League survival, and they were coming up against a Brentford side struggling for form – with just one win in their last 10 league games. Despite the Bees’s recent struggles, the visiting side were firmly on top in the early stages and should have opened the scoring within 10 minutes. Keane Lewis-Potter received the ball from Mikkel Damsgaard but dragged his shot wide from inside the box.5 – Brentford have scored 5 goals in a top-flight away game for the very first time, in what is their 160th such match at this level. Famous. #LUTBRE pic.twitter.com/LSWDPiFsht— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) April 20, 2024 Brentford continued their dominant start and soon found themselves in the lead midway through the half, thanks to a sublime finish from Yoanne Wissa, whose thumping effort from the edge of the box had Luton goalkeeper Thomas Kaminski with no chance. The visitors almost doubled their lead before halftime but Lewis-Potter was denied after beating the Luton stopper but his curling strike was headed over the bar by Teden Mengi. That second goal did eventually arrive before the break as Bryan Mbeumo’s ball into the box was turned home by Wissa’s second of the afternoon.The hosts were seeking improvement after the restart but Brentford had proceedings firmly under control and netted a third on the hour-mark. Sergio Reguilón’s corner kick was met by a towering Ethan Pinnock who outmuscled his marker to head home. Any chance of a comeback was quickly diminished as Thomas Frank’s men added a fourth just two minutes later through Lewis-Potter who finally landed his goal following a host of missed chances.Four goals to the good, Frank’s men cruised through the final 20 minutes and netted a fifth goal late on through Kevin Schade who got in on the act and wrapped up back-to-back victories for the Bees who ease their relegation concerns with a seven-point gap between themselves and the bottom three. Luton however, despite a late consolation from Luke Berry, remain in 18th place with just five games to go.Elsewhere, the battle of statistically two of the worst-performing teams in Premier League history went the way of Burnley, who beat Sheffield United 4-1 to boost their own survival chances and leave Bramall Lane victorious for the first time since 2008. With a combined seven victories between them in the Premier League this season, this clash was never likely to be billed as a thriller. The fastest goal of the campaign so far arrived in the reverse fixture when Jay Rodriguez netted inside 16 seconds, and it was Sheffield United’s turn to go on the offensive from the offset today, but Arijanet Muric was equal to Oli McBurnie’s early strike. Burnley’s Kosovan stopper was soon forced into action again shortly after, producing another impressive stop to deny former Blackburn Rovers man Ben Brereton Díaz at his near post.FT: Sheffield United 1-4 BurnleyThe Blades become just the third team in English top-flight history to concede 50+ goals at home in a single season. Burnley’s slim survival hopes receive a welcome boost. pic.twitter.com/rnVqt6va6R— Opta Analyst (@OptaAnalyst) April 20, 2024 The Blades were left to rue those missed opportunities shortly before halftime when the Clarets made them pay twice in double-quick time. Both were in rather fortuitous circumstances – not that Burnley cared – with the first coming after Wilson Odobert’s deflected effort fell fortuitously to Jacob Bruun Larsen, whose volley was also deflected and squirmed home at Ivo Grbić’s near post. The Sheffield United stopper was far more culpable for the second when his weak toe on the ball only helped Lorenz Assignon’s tame effort into the corner of the net.Considering Burnley had dropped 24 points from winning positions prior to today, they were never likely to sit easy, and Muric bailed them out within five minutes of the restart when he tipped James McAtee’s top corner-bound effort away. That was only a temporary reprieve though, as a matter of minutes later Muric was picking the ball out the back of his net when Gustavo Hamer curled beyond his desperate dive. It didn’t take too long for the visitors to restore their two-goal cushion though, with Assignon again involved, weaving into the area and laying the ball on a plate for Lyle Foster to sweep home his first goal of 2024.Everything just seemed to be falling into place for Burnley today, and when Jóhann Berg Gudmundsson scored within 30 seconds of his introduction off the bench, Bramall Lane began to empty. The Icelandic international could’ve doubled his tally moments later when his volley crashed back off the post, but that was immaterial to the result, as Vincent Kompany’s side secured three points on a weekend where Luton Town lost and Everton and Nottingham Forest play each other, placing Burnley eyes firmly on Goodison Park tomorrow.PREMIER LEAGUE – MATCHDAY 34SaturdayLuton – Brentford 1-5 (0-2)/Berry 90+2 – Wissa 24, 45+1, Pinnock 62, Lewis-Potter 64, Schade 86/Sheffield Utd – Burnley 1-4 (0-2)/Hamer 52 – Bruun Larsen 38, Assignon 41, Foster 58, Gudmundsson 71/21:30: (8.50) Wolverhampton (4.80) Arsenal (1.38)Sunday15:30: (2.05) Everton (3.50) Nott.Forest (3.90)17:00: (2.20) Crystal Palace (3.50) West Ham (3.45)17:00: (1.87) Aston Villa (3.70) Bournemouth (4.00)18:30: (5.70) Fulham (4.10) Liverpool (1.58)***odds are subject to change***
