Arsenal Return To Top With Victory Over Luton
Arsenal overcame the absence of Bukayo Saka to move back to the top of the Premier League table with victory over struggling Luton at Emirates Stadium.
Leading scorer Saka was missing after suffering a knock against Manchester City at the weekend, but Mikel Arteta’s much-changed side did enough to defeat their hard-working opponents and move back above Liverpool at the summit.
Captain Martin Odegaard fired the hosts into the lead in the 24th minute after Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu was bundled off the ball by Emile Smith Rowe, before the Gunners doubled their advantage shortly before half-time.
Japan defender Daiki Hashioka inadvertently put past his own keeper Thomas Kaminski in the 44th minute while trying to stop Reiss Nelson after Smith Rowe was afforded too much space in the penalty area.
Luton were decimated by injuries to the extent that they had 16-year-old schoolboy defender Christian Chigozie on the substitutes bench.
They never allowed Arsenal to run away with it, while Gunners keeper David Raya was forced to keep out Ross Barkley’s free-kick on the stroke of half-time.
Arsenal, however, were largely untroubled as they moved on to 68 points – one point clear of Liverpool, who play bottom-of-the-table Sheffield United at Anfield on Thursday
Manchester City are third, also on 67 points, after they defeated Aston Villa 4-1 on Wednesday.
