Luton on brink of relegation after West Ham see David Moyes off in style

The atmosphere was both happy and sad at the London Stadium in the afternoon. It was a very moving moment for David Moyes who won his last game as the head of West Ham after making an impressive comeback. On the other hand, it was a disappointing day for Luton Town since they couldn't increase their lead after Albert Sambi Lokonga's early goal, which almost guarantees their relegation.

It looks like Nottingham Forest is unstoppable now. Even though Luton put up a good fight, they couldn't beat Forest. At first, Luton had a lead and thought they could make a comeback, but they just didn't have the skills to do it. It's interesting to note that West Ham won the game, even though they didn't play their best. They struggled until James Ward-Prowse scored the equalizer.

However, despite being three points behind Forest and having only won one out of their past 16 games, Luton failed to respond after being equalized. Tomas Soucek, a trusted member of Moyes's team and one of his best acquisitions, increased the score to 2-1 with an impressive shot. Additionally, George Earthy, an up-and-coming talent from the academy, brought joy to the team by scoring his debut goal in the senior team.

It's important to mention that West Ham's first half performance clearly shows why it's necessary to replace Moyes with Lopetegui. The attack was sluggish, the midfield was absent, and the defense was stationary and prone to making mistakes, which is why it was expected when Luton scored after six minutes of dominating the game.

From the beginning of the game, the visitors were in control. They easily passed through the West Ham team, who made only one change from their previous 5-0 loss to Chelsea by swapping Edson Álvarez with Ward-Prowse in midfield. The danger increased when Ross Barkley was allowed time to locate Elijah Adebayo. West Ham were too spread out and, even though Adebayo's attempt was obstructed, Alfie Doughty was able to get hold of the ball on the left, lift his head, and produce a cross that Sambi Lokonga headed in from near the goal post, past Alphonse Areola.

Where was the defense? Or the effort to block the pass? The attempt to stop Barkley? Anyone? It's better not to inquire. West Ham was incredibly unenergetic, and it took them a while to react after giving up their 71st goal of the season. The only decent shots they managed to get before halftime were from Mohammed Kudus and Jarrod Bowen, but both were off target. Moyes, walking straight into the dressing room, knew that the boos that followed the end of the first half were inevitable.

Luton team had to prepare for a better performance from West Ham as soon as the second half began. However, their playing rhythm was interrupted when Barkley got injured and was replaced by Jordan Clark. It was up to Tahith Chong to reduce the stress by using his running skills from the midfield.

The effort from West Ham was insufficient. Even though Luton was financially struggling, it appeared that West Ham didn't need to elevate their performance significantly to overcome Luton's defense.

During the 54th minute of the game, Bowen initiated a counterattack on the right side and swiftly sent a cross into the six-yard box. Although Thomas Kaminski saved it with his feet, the ball accidentally hit Reece Burke and bounced to Ward-Prowse. With an intense low shot, Ward-Prowse managed to tie the game for West Ham.

Luton's physical expression spoke volumes. Their posture was droopy and it didn't take long before West Ham took the lead. Michail Antonio, Bowen, and Emerson Palmieri all had opportunities to score, but missed. Finally, a ball was cleared and Soucek seized the opportunity, striking a powerful volley from 20 yards out, beyond Kaminski's reach.

The match seemed to be going only one way. West Ham kept pushing forward and had an opportunity to secure the win when Bowen passed the ball to Kudus after a fancy run, but unfortunately Kudus missed the shot.

The race in Luton finished, and West Ham made another offensive move with the help of Kudus. Kudus outmaneuvered Doughty, got to the byline, and created a pass-back. Earthy, who had just substituted Antonio, was there and made the finishing move. Earthy, who is only 19 years old, hadn't played since being seriously injured during his debut in a match against Fulham last month. This short guest appearance on the field will be a much better memory for him.