Arsenal secured a dramatic win thanks to a theater goal from Declan Rice.
Arsenal defeated Luton Town 4-3 in the 15th round of the 2023-24 Premier League (PL) at Kenilworth Road Stadium in Luton, England, at 5:15 a.m. ET on Saturday. With the three points, Arsenal remained atop the league standings.
The home team, Luton, used a 3-4-3 formation. Adebayo, Townsend, Brown, Doughty, Barkley, Ruddock, Cabrera, Bell, Osho, and Mwangi started the game. Kaminsky was in goal.
Arsenal lined up in a 4-3-3 formation. Martinelli, Jesus, Xhaka, Haberts, Rice, Ödegaard, White, Magalhaes, Saliba, and Kibior were the starters. Lallana got the goalkeeping gloves.
Arsenal, outgunned, slowly took control of the game. Instead of dropping their defense low, Luton tried to press from high up the pitch, looking to harass the Gunners. Arsenal attacked from the back, waiting for Luton’s defense to slacken.
It was the Gunners who took the early lead. In the 20th minute, Xhaka won the ball on the right flank and broke into the box before crossing to Martinelli in the center of the box. Martinelli looked to the other side of the goal and calmly slotted the ball home.
However, Arsenal would soon concede an equalizer to Luton. In the 25th minute, Osho rattled the Arsenal net with a header from Doughty’s corner kick.
After conceding the equalizer, Arsenal increased the intensity of their attack. In the 32nd minute, Martinelli tried to open the scoring with a powerful shot from the left side of the box, but was denied by the keeper. Luton pressed Arsenal more aggressively in an attempt to get back into the game. In the process, Brown made a rough tackle that brought down Magalhaes.
Arsenal continued to pound away. In the 39th minute, Xhaka shook down the right flank and cut in with his left foot, but his shot was saved by the keeper. Luton were also actively attacking and trying to get back into the game.
But their efforts were short-lived as Arsenal regained the lead. In the 45th minute, White’s cross from the flank was met by an onrushing Jesus on the other side of the box, who connected with a thunderous header to open the scoring. The goal sent Arsenal into the locker room with a 2-1 lead.
Luton equalized early in the second half. Four minutes into the second half, Adebayo rose high to head home a ball from a corner kick to equalize. With momentum in their favor, Luton pulled one back. Twelve minutes into the second half, Barkley picked up the ball down low, broke away from the pressure, and after exchanging balls with Townsend in the box, he fired a sharp shot across goal. 캡틴토토 주소
A scramble ensued. This time, it was Arsenal who scored. In the 15th minute of the second half, Xhaka’s ball found Jesus, who won a battle with the defense before crossing for Haberz, who slotted home despite being unsteady.
Both teams made substitutions. Luton used three substitutions at once, replacing Adebayor, Brown and Townsend with Morris, Chong and Ogbonna. Arsenal replaced Kibior and Martinelli with Zinchenko and Trosar. Neither team lowered the intensity of their attacks. Ludrup’s shot in the 25th minute went wide, and Ödegaard’s shot in the 30th minute was saved by the keeper.
Arsenal missed a great chance. In the 41st minute, Zinchenko’s cross was headed on by Haberts, but the keeper got a fingertip to it. From the ensuing corner, Arsenal failed to capitalize.
There were six minutes of extra time. Arsenal pounded away until the end. They raised their line high and pressed Luton. However, they were unable to create any chances in open play, let alone corners.
Arsenal’s theater goal came just before the end of the game. In the seventh minute of second-half stoppage time, an early cross from Ödegaard was headed home by Rice in the box. In the end, the game ended with a 4-3 victory for Arsenal.
