X reacts to Man City's scare against Luton
- Luton Town led Man City as late as the hour mark
- Pep Guardiola's visitors were enduring their worst league form in six years
- City came from behind without an injured Erling Haaland

Manchester City were staring down the barrel of a shock defeat when Elijah Adebayo nodded Luton Town into the lead at Kenilworth Road on Sunday afternoon.
It took a second-half salvo spearheaded by Bernardo Silva and Jack Grealish to spare City's blushes and snap an unusually barren patch.
The treble winners came into the match on the back of their worst Premier League form in more than six years, stringing together as many as four consecutive games without a win.
Pep Guardiola was without top scorer Erling Haaland, who didn't make the trip to Kenilworth Road after aggravating an existing foot injury. Although, most onlookers were more concerned with the impact of Haaland's absence on their Fantasy Football team rather than City's chances of suffering a defeat.
Haaland not playing against Luton Town?
— Carl Anka (@Ankaman616) December 10, 2023
That sound you just heard was FPL managers howling out in pain.
No Erling Haaland for Man City's trip to Luton today...
— 90min (@90min_Football) December 10, 2023
Robots can break down. 🤖🔩 pic.twitter.com/Of100ex12v
Unlike their humbling loss at Villa Park on Wednesday night, City dominated almost every stat line in the first half of Sunday's contest - even the ones that they wanted to avoid.
Gvardiol concedes a foul throw. Amazed it's taken so long for one to be given against him this season!
— Simon Bajkowski (@spbajko) December 10, 2023
City's second foul throw of the first half - which prompted chants of "that is embarrassing" from a buoyant crowd came shortly before Luton's unexpected opener. Bernardo Silva was penalised for a minimal offence if any occurred at all.
Two stars of the Premier League a decade ago combined to wound the reigning champions before the half-time whistle. Ross Barkley, five days on from his superb display in defeat to Arsenal, continued to excel from a deeper midfield role. It was his Zinedine Zidane-esque twirl that allowed Andros Townsend to get on the ball in City's final third.
Ross Barkley’s been part of my underappreciated, misunderstood players for years so that’s the only silver lining to that depressing goal to concede.
— Umir (@umirf1) December 10, 2023
Top player. Been great this season.
Ross Barkley in this new double pivot role. Sensational. He obliterates Man City’s high press. That’s the key action that makes the Luton goal.
— Premier League Panel (@PremLeaguePanel) December 10, 2023
Townsend rolled back the years on his own biological clock when eye-to-eye with Josko Gvardiol, a defender more than a decade his junior. The 32-year-old's in-swinging cross picked out Adebayo at the back post, sending City behind and Guardiola into a rage.
Townsend against Gvardiol: pic.twitter.com/AL9De2Wshr
— taahir (@tma98x) December 10, 2023
3 - Manchester City have fallen 1-0 behind in three successive Premier League games for the first time since November 2019 - which was during the last season they failed to win the title. Concern. pic.twitter.com/0MyyxU0xNq
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) December 10, 2023
City's manager, who may have been questioning the severity of Bernardo's foul throw, was a little cheerier after Bernardo swatted his side level shortly after the hour mark. Barely three minutes had elapsed before Thomas Kaminski, Luton's overworked shot-stopper, was pulling the ball out of the net again.
Unlike his late strike against Tottenham Hotspur, City managed to hold onto a lead provided by Grealish without much fuss or controversy - despite what those in Kenilworth Road may have thought.
I know the culture is broken beyond repair, but Luton fans are chanting "2-1 to the referee" and honestly I don't think one decision has been wrong. have i missed something blatant?
— Daniel Storey (@danielstorey85) December 10, 2023
City had not endured five consecutive league appearances without a win since a seven-game drought in the autumn of 2009. Guardiola had never been condemned to such a fate in his managerial career. Fortunately for the Catalan, no new history was being written on Sunday.
Normal service has been resumed.
— Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) December 10, 2023
Breaking: Guardiola’s Man City wins a Football Game
— The Pep (@GuardiolaTweets) December 10, 2023
For Luton, Rob Edwards' side had scored four goals across consecutive games against Arsenal and City - last season's top two - yet emerged with precisely zero points.
Some consolation Rob Edwards is the master of the brave, wise post-match crowd-applause walk
— Barney Ronay (@barneyronay) December 10, 2023
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