'We are in a battle' - Cherries very much fighting the same as Luton says Iraola

ANDONI Iraola believes Cherries are in the same boat as Luton, stating: “Almost all the teams, we are in a battle.”

Cherries welcome Luton Town back to Vitality Stadium for a rearranged Premier League clash tomorrow evening (7.30pm) following the abandonment of the first meeting in December after Tom Lockyer suffered a cardiac arrest.

The two sides will meet again later in the season, with the reverse fixture set for Saturday, April 6 at Kenilworth Road.

Currently, Cherries sit 13th in the league table, 11 points above Luton who occupy the final relegation spot of 17th.

Although his side already have 32 points on the board, Iraola called upon his side to keep fighting for every point available.

He began: “I think almost all the teams, we are in a battle.

“All the teams, we need the points and it's important.

“The later (on in the season) you play, the more important the points are because you don't have too many chances after.”

Iraola is also predicting a slightly different Luton side to the one his charges faced back in December during the original fixture.

He continued: “It's a team that I think they've changed a little bit since the last time we played them here.

“They are much more aggressive in the press.

“They are keeping more possession.

“They are building from the back very well. They have very good midfielders, quality and then they have a lot of pace.

“They have dangerous, dangerous players to attack the spaces.

“They cross a lot, they are always a threat in set pieces.

“We could see when we faced them - they scored the first corner they had.

“So we have to prepare for, I think, for a very different game that the one we played the other day against Sheffield United.”