Luton Town pulled off a sensational 4-0 victory against Brighton & Hove Albion, propelling themselves out of the Premier League relegation zone.
The Hatters were in scintillating form at Kenilworth Road on Tuesday, with Elijah Adebayo scoring a remarkable hat-trick.
The home side made a blistering start to the game, taking a 2-0 lead within the first three minutes of the match.
Adebayo got the ball rolling with a close-range header just 18 seconds into the game before Chiedozie Ogbene doubled the lead with a well-placed shot after two minutes and 17 seconds.
Adebayo continued his scoring spree in the 42nd minute, slotting home the ball at the near post to grab his second of the night.
He completed his first-ever top-flight hat-trick with a clinical finish from a corner in the 56th minute.
Luton’s electrifying start was the second-fastest in Premier League history, with only Leicester City managing to score two goals quicker in their match against Derby County in 1998.
Speaking to Sky Sports television after the game, Adebayo expressed his delight at the team’s performance, saying “It’s a wonderful feeling…we said we needed to start sharp and two goals in two minutes was the right way to start. We just kept our foot on the gas. When you come here, it’s tough, especially under the lights, and the fans make it a fortress for us.”
The result left Brighton in eighth place, level on 32 points with Manchester United, while Luton climbed one spot to 17th, a point clear of Everton, who drew 0-0 at Fulham.
The Hatters’ fans were overjoyed with the win and left the ground singing “The Hatters are staying up”.
Before the game, there was an emotional moment when Luton captain Tom Lockyer, who suffered a cardiac arrest during a match last month, walked around the pitch saluting the applauding crowd.
This seemed to have inspired the team, with Adebayo revealing that Lockyer’s presence at the training ground the day before the game gave everyone a boost.
“The gaffer said just go and play how he would, which is brave, desire, character,” he said.
“We want to keep showing and proving to people that we can compete at this level.”
Adebayo’s sensational performance made him the first Luton player to score a top-flight hat-trick since Lars Elstrup’s hat-trick against Norwich City in September 1990.