Cardiff City, riding high in the league, will host Luton Town at Cardiff City Stadium on Saturday at 15:00 GMT, with manager Brian Barry-Murphy mindful of the impending challenge.
The Bluebirds currently lead the league, sitting two points ahead after a commanding 3-0 victory over Rotherham, even after being reduced to ten men early in the match.
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Barry-Murphy acknowledged Luton’s strength and anticipates a difficult encounter.
“Their quality is clear. They have been in the Premier League not long ago, which shows in their play. They possess exceptional talent in every position,” Barry-Murphy commented.
“Our primary focus remains on ourselves. We are looking forward to the upcoming matches, and training this week has been excellent.
“A challenge like this sharpens our focus perfectly, and it’s exactly what we want; we’re all very excited about it.”
Although Luton trails Cardiff by 20 points, they are just four points shy of the playoff spots after winning their last two league matches. They will be eager to rectify their previous 1-0 defeat to Cardiff last August, which was decided by a goal from Chris Willock.
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Barry-Murphy added: “The point difference is irrelevant. They are a strong team with remarkably skilled players.
“We need to live in the moment and stay grounded, not getting ahead of ourselves. Last Saturday exemplified that mindset.
“Our goal is to approach Saturday’s game in the same manner as we did last week. If we perform at our best and continue to improve, we will be in a solid position.”
Cardiff City defender Callum Chambers is also looking forward to facing the Hatters. As the Bluebirds’ captain, he shares a history with Jack Wilshere from their time at Arsenal and hopes to emerge victorious on Saturday.
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“I’m certain we’ll catch up after the match,” Chambers said. “I haven’t seen him in quite a while. But we have a good friendship from our time at Arsenal. He’s a fantastic guy, and I’m eagerly anticipating the game.”