Liverpool 5 – 0 Luton Town: 2008 FA Cup Postmortem | OneFootball

2008 FA Cup Postmortem

Since being founded in 1885, Luton Town Football Club have won a total of eight honours during their existence. The small-town club have often strived for survival, yet somehow, have found themselves at the Premier League’s top table, alongside some of the biggest football stars on the planet.

Below is a list of Luton Town’s noted honours, with the old iteration of those competitions stated, alongside today’s best known equivalent in brackets.

Second Division (Championship) 1981/82

Third Division (League One) 1936/37 2004/05 2018/19

Fourth Division (League Two) 1967/68

Conference Premier (Level 5) 2013/14

League Cup (EFL Cup) 1987/88

Football League Trophy 2008/09

It is the silverware won in the 2013/14 season that stands out most, as that ascension to a fabled trophy lift was carried out just ten seasons ago, whilst operating at the fifth level of the English footballing pyramid. In this very year of 2023, the mere fact that this overachieving club is presenting their 11,500-capacity stadium (Kenilworth Road) to the elite teams of the Premier League, is truly astounding and something that must be marvelled upon. By winning the Championship playoff final last season, promotion to the highest division was achieved against all odds. Though this may only be a solitary campaign within the old English First Division, it is one that all supporters (or hatters as they are better known) will rejoice in, especially as they begin the countdown to when football royalty, Liverpool FC, arrive for this weekend’s encounter.

What Is the Head-to-Head Record between Luton and LFC…?

Games played – 38 Liverpool wins – 18 Luton wins – 7 Games drawn – 13

The last time these two clubs met was on 15th January 2008, when the FA Cup drew the two sides together. This was actually the replay of their third-round tie, after drawing 1-1 at Kenilworth Road just nine days prior. That replay ended in a 5-0 win at Anfield, with the Liverpool team sheet and match information listed below.

GK – Charles Itandje RB – Álvaro Arbeloa RCB – Jamie Carragher LCB – Sami Hyypiä LB – John Arne Riise CM – Steven Gerrard (c) CM – Xabi Alonso RW – Jermaine Pennant CF – Peter Crouch CF – Fernando Torres LW – Ryan Babel

Subs Dirk Kuyt – Peter Crouch (65 mins) Lucas Leiva- Steven Gerrard (73 mins) Fabio Aurelio – Fernando Torres (73 mins)

Subs not used – Martin, Kewell

Goals Liverpool 1 – 0 – Luton Ryan Babel – 31 mins

Liverpool 2 – 0 – Luton Steven Gerrard – 52 mins

Liverpool 3 – 0 – Luton Sami Hyypiä – 57 mins

Liverpool 4 – 0 – Luton Steven Gerrard – 64 mins

Liverpool 5 – 0 – Luton Steven Gerrard – 72 mins

This was a game that showed Steven Gerrard in all his glory, as his FA Cup hat trick electrified the watching Anfield faithful, whilst eliminating lowly Luton Town. Rafael Benítez was still the manager at that point, one who apparently incorporated an attacking 4-4-2 system for that day. It is notable for me, that on that day The Reds were able to field the destructive pairing of Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres, as a duo that brought so much brilliance to their respective Liverpool team of yesteryear. This weekend will see Darwin Núñez and Dominik Szoboszlai take to the field at Kenilworth Road, with a remit to carry out the kind of destruction that their predecessors once did.

As much as I adored the legends that came before them, I eagerly anticipate the unfolding of this Liverpool 2.0 era. Perhaps in another fifteen years, I’ll pen another retrospective postmortem on how the legendary Jürgen Klopp once took his team to Kenilworth Road, where Ballon d’Or winner Dominik Szoboszlai replicated Stevie’s carnage, harking back to a bygone era.

Reflecting on these past games is something I do from time to time, as the history of this club is the foundation of what we rejoice in today. Here’s to writing more history this season, beginning with Luton away on Sunday.