West Ham boss David Moyes likes the sound of his Hammers side being at the top of the Premier League table as they returned to the summit with a 2-1 win at Luton.
Goals from Jarrod Bowen and Kurt Zouma were enough for the visitors to claim all three points, with Mads Andersen’s stoppage-time header a consolation at Kenilworth Road.
Moyes said: “It’s Luton at home, the first game back in the Premier League and once we got into it, we did well enough.
“For a little while (we’re top), but it’s nice for people to say that – it’s good, I like the sound of it and long may it continue.
“It was a really good ball from (Lucas) Paqueta and a finish from Jarrod, so really pleased.
“It’s not easy to come here in the first Premier League game of the season, so overall we did well.
“Kurt’s goal took the game away from them, we were the better team and we probably should have been further in front.
“Two or three counter-attacking moments where we have been so slick with it recently.
“Our away form had been poor, but our away form is brilliant now.
“Today was a bit of the same, we played better, had to defend really as well as their style of play will cause a lot of teams problems and I thought our defenders did really well.”
A quiet first half saw Ross Barkley drag two chances wide for Luton, with Said Benrahma off target for the Hammers, who went ahead after 37 minutes when Paqueta’s cross was powered home by Bowen.
Elijah Adebayo and Tahith Chong fired wide for Luton after the break before Emerson’s effort was ruled offside by VAR at the other end.
With four minutes left, Zouma’s downward header doubled West Ham’s lead before Andersen pulled one back in stoppage time.
Luton might have had a chance to equalise but a possible James Ward-Prowse handball from a corner in the dying seconds was not awarded.
Luton boss Rob Edwards said of the late drama: “A lot of people are telling me that (it’s handball).
“I’ve only seen a still, a freeze frame at the moment; I’ve not had a chance to see it back.
“If it was, I’m disappointed, if it’s gone against us as those are the moments you need to go our way especially at this level to get results.
“But I’m not going to complain about that now, or blame that, we’ve got to look at ourselves.
“Me, myself as well, how we can keep getting better, I don’t want to keep saying the same things after the game.
“Fine moments, basics, one cross into the box we didn’t deal with it well enough in the first half and a set-piece.
“I will say that corner came from a corner that probably should have been our corner before that and then we conceded from it.
“But I saw a team that was a lot more compact than in the last two games and I saw a team that was still aggressive and created chances.”
After the game Luton announced the signing of Albert Sambi Lokonga on a season-long loan deal from Arsenal.
The 23-year-old made 15 appearances in all competitions for the Gunners last season and was in attendance at Kenilworth Road.
Nuno demands Premier League resolves PSR 'mess' as Forest await appeal verdict
Nuno Espirito Santo has called for the Premier League to provide clarity as Nottingham Forest wait on their appeal against a four-point deduction for breaching profit and sustainability rules, describing the situation as a "mess".
Forest were deducted four points in March after being found to have breached the competition's financial rules in the assessment period culminating in the end of the 2022-23 season.
Everton have also had a total of eight points deducted for two separate breaches, but with the Toffees pulling clear of the relegation zone, it is Forest who are looking over their shoulders.
Nuno's team sit just one point clear of 18th-placed Luton Town as they await the outcome of an appeal against their penalty, and he says the lack of clarity is affecting several clubs.
Asked whether he had received an update on Forest's appeal on Thursday, Nuno said: "Unfortunately we haven't heard yet.
"We are expecting to, but not yet. It is very difficult. We have been dealing with this situation for a while.
"We all expected the decision to come sooner, so we would know exactly how many points we have. Do we have 30, 29, 28, 27? We need it as fast as possible.
"To have 30 points would be fantastic, because this is the number of points that the boys achieved on the pitch.
"It is a mess. It should have been decided before. They have had enough time. It is very difficult for us but also for the rest of the league. It is very hard to be in this situation."
Forest visit already-relegated Sheffield United on Saturday, having taken just one point from four Premier League games since beating Fulham 3-1 in early April.
They could be in the relegation zone by the time that match kicks off, with Luton hosting Everton in a huge clash at Kenilworth Road on Friday.
France defender Hernandez to miss Euro 2024 after suffering ACL injury
Lucas Hernandez will miss France's Euro 2024 campaign after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament during Paris Saint-Germain's 1-0 Champions League defeat to Borussia Dortmund.
Dortmund will take a slender lead to the Parc des Princes for next week's semi-final second leg after Niclas Fullkrug's strike powered them past PSG in Wednesday's first leg in Germany.
Hernandez sustained a knee injury while chasing after Fullkrug in the build-up to the goal and was substituted after a brief attempt to play on.
On Thursday, PSG announced an MRI scan had revealed an ACL tear in his left knee, which will require surgery in the coming days.
Hernandez, who has 37 senior international caps, will now miss Euro 2024, with France set to open their Group D campaign against Austria in Dusseldorf on June 17.
Didier Deschamps' side then face the Netherlands in Leipzig four days later, before taking on Poland in Dortmund on June 25.
Hernandez was part of France's squad for the 2022 World Cup but sustained another ligament injury during Les Bleus' opening match against Australia, missing the rest of the tournament and not returning to club football until the start of 2023-24.
Tonali set for August return after receiving suspended two-month ban from FA
Sandro Tonali has been given a suspended two-month ban by the Football Association (FA) after admitting to breaching gambling rules.
The sanction means the Newcastle United midfielder will be eligible to return to action on August 27, 2024, when his 10-month suspension issued by the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) expires.
FIFA ratified that ban, causing it to become applicable worldwide, after Tonali admitted to placing bets on matches as part of an investigation into unregulated betting platforms in Italy.
In March, the FA charged Tonali with breaching English football's gambling rules 50 times between August and October last year, leading to fears his spell out of the game could be extended.
However, on Thursday it was confirmed that the FA had suspended Tonali's punishment for the duration of the 2024-25 season, meaning he can return in August if he does not reoffend.
In a statement, Newcastle said: "Sandro Tonali has been given a suspended two-month ban from competitive football by an independent regulatory commission after self-declaring breaches of FA betting rules.
"He has also been fined £20,000 and warned by the FA as to his future conduct.
"Provided that he does not commit any further breach of the FA betting rules during the suspension period, Sandro will not serve any part of the two-month sanction.
"As acknowledged by the FA in the independent regulatory commission's written reasons, the level of assistance Sandro has provided by self-referring and fully cooperating with a subsequent investigation is extraordinary and unprecedented.
"Sandro is continuing to follow a therapeutic plan and educational programme with the club's full support and will continue to train with his team-mates."
Tonali's initial ban has limited him to just eight Premier League appearances since he joined Newcastle from Milan in a £55million deal, while he will also miss Italy's Euro 2024 campaign.
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