Two consecutive draws had cast a shadow over Luton's prospects in the Championship.
"...Without a doubt, Luton isn't fully prepared for the League One. Compared to League Two, the level here is undoubtedly higher, which means it will be difficult for Luton to win using the same methods they used in League Two. They've been in the limelight too much recently, to the point where almost every team has to take this promoted team seriously," Sky Sports reported.
"....Luton might be the most successful promoted team in Divisions history. They've faced two consecutive matches where the opponent has practically stacked all their players in the penalty area to defend. Facing such a dense defense, even though Luton has had two draws, their fans can already be proud, The league's teams almost all treat them as a strong enemy that surpasses this league," reported L'Équipe.
More media outlets believe that Luton will face similar situations more often in the League. After selling Charlie Austin, Luton's attacking power has noticeably declined.
Gao Bo scoffed at this, they don't know how terrifying this kid will be once Griezmann adapts to the league here!
Sure enough, three days later, on August 22nd, Luton faced Hartlepool at home, and Griezmann's performance was much more active than in the previous two games.
The game had just begun when Griezmann, after getting the ball, provided an assist to Adam in the penalty area. Adam cut to his right with his right foot, then shot with his left foot, the ball going out of bounds off the far post.
Hartlepool also used a dense defense to deal with Luton, but the effect was obviously not very good. They stacked players in the backfield, deploying almost all the defensive players they could, with only one goal, to get a point at Kenilworth Road.
But Hartlepool's luck was obviously not very good, because they happened to run into Griezmann's great explosion.
From the through ball assist at the very beginning of the game, Griezmann felt that he was in very good condition. Of course, he didn't know that this was the influence of the card, for this game, Gao Bo used the card on the offensive end!
Moreover, Gao Bo, who was sitting in the stands for the previous two games, couldn't even use the card, which made Gao Bo very frustrated. On the one hand, he couldn't personally direct the game, and on the other hand, he couldn't even use the card, which was also an important factor in the team's two consecutive draws.
Kenilworth Road, shrouded in drizzle, was filled with songs from the beginning of the game. In the singing of the fans, Luton's players launched a siege on Hartlepool.
The goal came quickly.
In the 13th minute of the game, Griezmann first retreated to the attacking midfielder position to get the ball, then he passed the ball straight to Vardy, Vardy passed the ball back to the arc of the penalty area!
Griezmann, who rushed up, adjusted his pace and took a shot himself from the arc of the penalty area. The ball roared towards the goal, and Hartlepool's goalkeeper was helpless!
After the first goal was scored, the game completely entered Luton's rhythm.
Hartlepool's strategy was to defend and get a draw away from home, but their strategy was broken in the 13th minute of the game. The poor Hartlepool players didn't know what to do now. They don't have many offensive players on the field now.
Their coach was also holding his forehead on the sidelines. He decided to use this method after watching Luton's first two games, but what can they do now?
Bring on offensive players?
It's a little too early.
So Hartlepool's coach made a gesture of pressing down with both hands, signaling the players to stabilize. After all, they are only one goal behind now, and even if they want to attack, they have to wait until the second half to bring on offensive players.
Gao Bo glanced at the opponent's coach's actions. To be honest, the opponent's choice was actually not wrong, but the only problem was, can they really guarantee not to concede another goal in the first half?
The answer is no!!
In the 32nd minute of the game,
Luton's goal came again.
This time it wasn't Griezmann's goal, but it was his assist.
Griezmann lobbed the ball into the penalty area, Adam quickly cut in and gently unloaded the ball. This time his shot didn't go wide again, and the ball rolled into the net.
Kenilworth Road was completely boiling.
The fans were jumping up and down in the stands, making the entire stand seem to be experiencing an earthquake.
The players embraced and celebrated on the field.
Gao Bo also raised his arms on the sidelines.
Two goals ahead!! This made Gao Bo breathe a sigh of relief.
The two consecutive draws at the start of the league put a lot of pressure on the team, and now this game has basically been won. Two goals ahead, Luton will not give Hartlepool any chance.
The best player in the first half was undoubtedly Griezmann, who has now completely become the offensive core in the frontcourt.
From taking the ball in midfield to organizing the attack, to scoring in the frontcourt, Griezmann can be regarded as outstanding in the Championship.
Gao Bo believes that it won't be long before this guy will become the most dazzling star in the entire league.
Mendes can be considered to have picked up a big bargain... because Griezmann signed a contract with Mendes' agency a few days ago. Of course, this company was co-founded by Mendes and Gao Bo.
In addition to Griezmann, all the young players Gao Bo brought in have signed with this agency. Gao Bo knows that he is not good at doing business, but he has good vision, so his cooperation with Mendes can be regarded as a match made in heaven.
Gao Bo felt a little proud when he thought of this. It seems that finding some young players who will develop well in the future is not just to make money for David Morton...
In the second half, Hartlepool brought on several offensive players to try to counterattack.
The result was that their defense completely became a prairie for Luton's players to gallop on.
In the 53rd minute of the game, Adam was tripped while cutting inside on the wing, and Luton got a free kick on the edge of the penalty area!
Griezmann's free kick bypassed the wall and also bypassed the goalkeeper's fingertips!!!!
Three to zero!!
Luton completely broke out in this game.
It's not over yet!!
In the 60th minute, from a corner kick opportunity, Vardy headed the ball into the goal, his first league goal!
Only two minutes after this goal, Griezmann received a cross from Adam in the penalty area and sent the ball into the goal at the near post.
Griezmann staged a hat-trick, and these three goals each had their own characteristics: long shot, free kick, and near-post Grab the spot. In addition to these three goals, the assists for the other two goals also came from Griezmann.
In this game, Griezmann almost completely vented the frustration of the previous two games, and he ushered in a big explosion!
In the 88th minute of the game, Gao Bo replaced Griezmann, letting him receive the applause of the entire stadium alone. Just this game alone was enough for Griezmann to conquer Luton's fans.
"Well done, Anthony!!" Gao Bo hugged Griezmann.
In the end, Luton defeated Hartlepool five to zero in this game, winning their first game in the League one.
The victory in this game relieved the whole team.
As a promoted team, experiencing two consecutive draws at the start of the season did put a lot of pressure on the team.
The fans also breathed a sigh of relief. Their expectations for this season are different from last season. In various predictions before the season, Luton was a promotion favorite in the League.
This has also raised the expectations of the fans. Maybe after this season, the team can return to the Championship?