As the Hatters continue their preparations to face Derby County, here is all you need to know about our opponents.
The Rams arrive at Kenilworth Road on the back of a five-game unbeaten run in the league – seven games including the Emirates FA Cup.
They find themselves in 16th place coming into the match knowing a victory could take them up to 12th in the table.
Derby have been victorious once on the road in the Championship this season which dates back to the first game of the campaign, when they beat Huddersfield Town 2-1.
Since we last met, the Rams have brought in England's all-time leading goalscorer Wayne Rooney as a player-coach. The former Everton and Manchester United forward has played mainly in a centre-midfield role for Derby.
The season so far
The Rams have endured quite a turbulent season but have hit form in 2020 and are yet to be defeated in all competitions.
Derby rank third in the Championship for the best home form but their away form ranks amongst the third worst in the division.
However, they remain nine points off the play-off places and could still mount a late charge if they continue to go from strength-to-strength this calendar year.
The manager
Derby County announced the appointment of Phillip Cocu in July 2019.
Cocu enjoyed a long, successful career as a player, playing for the likes of AZ Alkmaar, Vitesse Arnhem, PSV Eindhoven and Spanish giants Barcelona.
The 48-year-old also amassed 101 international appearances for the Netherlands, before retiring from playing and moving into coaching and management.
He guided PSV Eindhoven to three Eredivisie titles during five full seasons in charge between 2013 and 2018, before a brief spell in Turkey with Fenerbahce last season.
The threat last time
The Hatters suffered a 2-0 defeat at Pride Park earlier on in the season with Tom Lawrence scoring one of the goals that day. He was a potent threat throughout the match and has since claimed a further two goals and two assists this season.
Town must keep a close eye on the tricky winger, who is frequently creating opportunities for himself and his team-mates.
History
Derby County were founded in 1884 and became two-time champions of the First Division during the 1970s.
The Rams won the FA Cup in 1946, as well as winning the Watney Cup in 1971 and Texaco Cup in 1972.
They were relegated from the Premier League in 2008 and have got to the play-off final twice since – including last season, when they were beaten 2-1 by Aston Villa at Wembley.
The ground
Derby County have played at Pride Park since it opened in 1997 and the stadium holds a capacity crowd of 33,597.
The ground has hosted two international fixtures – England v Mexico in 2001 and Brazil v Ukraine, as well as being the venue for the 2009 Women’s FA Cup Final.
The stats
- Town’s top scorer is James Collins with nine goals, while Derby’s leading goal-getter is Martyn Waghorn with eight.
- The Hatters have scored 34 goals in the Championship thus far, five more than the Rams have managed.
- In the five matches they have played in 2020, Derby have kept three clean-sheets in all competitions.
- There have only been two occasions this season where the Hatters have failed to score a goal at home. (Hull City and Swansea City)