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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Sport
Rob Smyth

Luton 3-4 Arsenal, Wolves 1-0 Burnley: Premier League – as it happened

Declan Rice of Arsenal celebrates scoring his side's fourth goal deep into injury time.
Declan Rice of Arsenal celebrates scoring his side's fourth goal deep into injury time. Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian

It’s time to wrap things up. I’ll leave with David Hytner’s match report from Kenilworth Road – goodnight.

Updated

The goal came in the seventh of six added minutes, which is why there were boos at the final whistle. You can understand the frustration, though the six added minutes were always a minimum. The goal came after 96 minutes 21 seconds.

Post-match reaction

Declan Rice

Luton are a top side who can’t be overlooked in this league. They made us pay at set-pieces. But to keep the momentum going like that is massive for us.

We have to take each game as it comes. I feel like we’ve learnt a lot as a group from last season, especially with me coming in and understanding the team. There are a lot of good teams in this league and anything can happen. It’s just about us, not worrying about anyone else, and just keep doing what the manager wants: ticking the games off and getting three points each week.

When the ball was rolled back to Martin [Odegaard], I shifted my marker one way and then went off his back shoulder. I attacked it and it went in the bottom corner. Those are moments you look back on… to be honest I’m taking it all in… to score the winner in a game like is an honour.

Bukayo Saka

It’s not an easy place to come but we created a lot of chances. Luton will always have their way of playing, long balls and that, but apart from two set-pieces I thought we were in control of the game.

There’s no better way to play my 200th game for Arsenal, the club that I love. To get a win like that, I’m so happy. It’s a brilliant night for me.

It may not have topped the 1988 Littlewoods Cup final, but that was still an exhilarating game. The naked clash of styles made it fascinating even before the goals started flying in. Arsenal led 1-0 and 2-1; Luton were 3-2 up after quickfire mistakes from David Raya; but Arsenal’s new midfielders, Kai Havertz (who looked like Kai Havertz again) and Declan Rice, settled a minor classic.

The Arsenal fans are celebrating deliriously in front of the away fans. Declan Rice has a big dumb grin on his face as he throws his shirt into the crowd. Rob Edwards, meanwhile, walks slowly round the field applauding the home fans. It was an emotional, physical game that swung one way then the other. Luton were out on their feet for the last 10-15 minutes but seemed to have held on. Rice, who has now scored two injury-time winners this season, had other ideas.

Goals like that, and wins like this, are classic rites of passage for emerging teams. If Arsenal win the league, and it remains a huge if, Rice’s goal will be a must for any montage.

Full time: Luton 3-4 Arsenal

It’s all over, and Arsenal are five points clear at the top of the Premier League!

It’s too cruel on Luton, who have played heroically, but what a moment for Arsenal. Even David Raya, a very relieved David Raya, has run the length of the field to join in the celebrations. Odegaard wandered from right to left, lent the ball to Zinchenko and whipped a dangerous first-time cross from a narrow position. Rice got up early, before Osho, and willed a header into the bottom corner. It was a classic captain’s goal, and he’s not even the captain.

Declan Rice of Arsenal scores the team’s fourth goal at Luton.
Declan Rice heads goalwards. Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian
Luton Town goalkeeper Thomas Kaminski dives, but fails to save a header by Declan Rice which scores Arsenal’s fourth goal.
Luton Town goalkeeper Thomas Kaminski can’t reach the ball and Arsenal have a late lead. Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian
Arsenal’s Declan Rice celebrates scoring their fourth goal with William Saliba after putting their side ahead in injury time.
Rice celebrates alongside William Saliba. Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian
Arsenal's Declan Rice (centre) celebrates scoring their fourth goal with teammates during the Premier League match at Luton Town.
Then with the rest of his teammates. Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian

Updated

GOAL! Luton 3-4 Arsenal (Rice 90+7)

Declan Rice has scored a huge goal for Arsenal!

Declan Rice of Arsenal celebrates scoring his side's fourth goal at Luton.
Look at his face, just look at his face. Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian

Updated

90+4 min: Luton 3-3 Arsenal Saka’s corner is headed away well by Mengi.

90+4 min: Luton 3-3 Arsenal Whites cross is put behind by Ogbene for yet another Arsenal corner…

90+3 min: Luton 3-3 Arsenal Giles’s cross is kicked away at the near post, and Ogbene does well to stop Saka keeping the ball in play.

90+2 min: Luton 3-3 Arsenal Zinchenko’s cross from the right is headed away to the edge of the area. Trossard charges onto the ball and wallops a shot that is superbly blocked by Chong.

90 min: Luton 3-3 Arsenal There will be six added minutes. Luton are out on their feet.

87 min: Luton 3-3 Arsenal Trossard cracks a first-time shot just wide from 25 yards. Kaminski probably had it covered.

Luton substitution: Jordan Clark and Ryan Giles replace Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu and Alfie Doughty.

86 min: Good save by Kaminski! Arsenal work the ball beautifully in a tight space on the left of the area. Eventually Zinchenko stands up a cross towards Havertz, whose header is tipped over acrobatically by Kaminski. It would probably have hit the top of the bar but Kaminski took no chances.

85 min: Luton 3-3 Arsenal It’s way too early in the season for an as-it-stands table, so here it is.

Pos Team P GD Pts
1 Arsenal 15 18 34
2 Liverpool 14 18 31
3 Man City 14 20 30
4 Aston Villa 14 13 29
5 Tottenham Hotspur 14 8 27

Match report: Wolves 1-0 Burnley

83 min: Luton 3-3 Arsenal Luton are starting to look tired, despite that triple substitution, and for the first time all night they are struggling to get out.

81 min: Luton 3-3 Arsenal A teasing, inswinging cross from White is headed on by Havertz and just evades the stretching Trossard at the far post. Arsenal are really pressing now.

80 min: No penalty! Mikel Arteta isn’t impressed. I didn’t think it was a foul, just a collision, though there was a better shout for a possible shirt-pull by Osho a couple of minutes earlier.

79 min: Luton 3-3 Arsenal Saka lays the ball off to Trossard, runs into Mengi and goes flying. Arsenal want a penalty, and it’s being checked by VAR.

77 min: Luton 3-3 Arsenal The irrepressible Saka robs Morris near the halfway line and sets off. He gets to the edge of the area, zig-zags between Bell and Morris and lays the ball off to Trossard, whose first-time shot hits Osho and flies over the bar.

Updated

76 min: Luton 3-3 Arsenal Saka’s shot is well blocked by Bell and flies behind for another Arsenal corner.

Updated

75 min: Luton 3-3 Arsenal A long-range shot from Odegaard is comfortably held to his right by Kaminski. This is a relatively quiet spell in the game, the calm between the storms.

Updated

73 min: Luton 3-3 Arsenal Doughty is the latest person to floor Saka. Luton have been very aggressive without the ball, headbutting the line as Nathan Lyon would say.

Updated

71 min At the other end Mpanzu shoots well wide from distance, having originally flattened Saka with a kind of thigh charge in the centre circle.

70 min: Luton 3-3 Arsenal Jesus turns Bell smartly in the area and is about to shoot/cross when he accidentally knocks the ball out of play with his standing foot.

Updated

67 min “That was one of the things that made de Gea such a great stopper,” says Joe Pearson. “He never bothered to jump down on the ball, just stood there and kicked it away.”

Quite. It’s funny that his ability with his feet eventually cost him his United place, because for the first 6-7 years it was one of his great strengths.

Updated

65 min: Double substitution for Arsenal Oleksandr Zinchenko and Leandro Trossard replace Jakub Kiwior and Gabriel Martinelli.

64 min “If Arteta is truly serious about treating the goalkeeper like any other position,” says Chris Lambert, “you have to expect the no. 1 to be in red lights on the board any time now.”

The Barkley goal is a mistake but I do have a bit of sympathy for Raya. I remember John Lukic conceding a very similar goal to Mark Hughes at Old Trafford in 1989. Goalkeepers want to make a proper save and end up being punished for that. You or I would have stood still and languidly welted the ball out for a throw-in.

62 min: Triple substitution for Luton Tahith Chong, Chiedozie Ogbene and Carlton Morris replace the front three of Andros Townsend, Jacob Brown and Elijah Adebayo.

Updated

GOAL! Luton 3-3 Arsenal (Havertz 60)

It’s another Premier League humdinger! Saka hooks a speculative ball towards the edge of the Luton area, where Jesus backs into Mengi to retain possession and wait for support. Eventially he lobs an angled through pass to Havertz, who makes a textbook late run and touches the bouncing ball softly past Kaminski from eight yards.

A classic Havertz finish and a fine assist from Jesus, who has been electric tonight.

A leaping Kai Havertz of Arsenal scores the third goal of his team against Luton goalkeeper Thomas Kaminski.
A leaping Kai Havertz sticks the ball past Luton goalkeeper Thomas Kaminski to get the Gunners back on level terms. Photograph: Vince Mignott/EPA
Arsenal's Kai Havertz celebrates after scoring an equaliser to make it 3-3 at Luton.
Havertz celebrates. Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian

Updated

59 min Well this is interesting.

Luton are ahead after another mistake from David Raya. Barkley, 30 today, led a Luton break and fed a ball across the edge of the area to Townsend. He chopped back inside Havertz and returned the ball to Barkley on the left edge of the area. Barkley beat White with a stepover and cracked a low left-footed shot that went straight through Raya, who tried to dive when he could have just stood still and kicked the ball away.

Luton Town's Ross Barkley scores their third goal past Arsenal's David Raya.
Luton Town's Ross Barkley scores their third goal past Arsenal's David Raya. Photograph: Paul Childs/Action Images/Reuters

Updated

GOAL! Luton 3-2 Arsenal (Barkley 57)

Happy birthday Ross Barkley!

Ross Barkley of Luton Town celebrates after scoring the team's third goal with teammate Jacob Brown.
Ross Barkley celebrates. Photograph: Catherine Ivill/Getty Images

Updated

54 min Odegaard’s inswinging free-kick is headed over by Havertz. An eighth of a chance, if that.

53 min: No penalty. So on we go.

52 min Kiwior has a shot from the edge of the area that is blocked. He was also caught by Townsend after taking the shot, though it was Townsend who stayed down. There’s a VAR check for a possible Arsenal penalty. The challenge was right on the edge of the area.

Doughty, who also made the first goal, curled a lovely inswinging corner into the six-yard box. Raya came for it but was beaten emphatically by Adebayo, who got up first and headed the ball into an empty net. That wasn’t Raya’s finest hour.

Luton Town’s Elijah Adebayo scores their second goal past Arsenal’s David Raya.
Luton Town’s Elijah Adebayo scores their second goal past Arsenal’s David Raya. Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian
Luton Town's Elijah Adebayo scores their second goal past Arsenal's David Raya.
A close up view of Adebayo besting Raya. Photograph: Paul Childs/Action Images/Reuters

Updated

GOAL! Luton 2-2 Arsenal (Adebayo 49)

Luton are level from another set-piece!

Full time: Wolves 1-0 Burnley

Wolves continue their excellent home form with a nervy victory over Burnley. Hwang Hee-chan scored the only goal on the stroke of half-time, finishing coolly after Burnley lost the ball on the edge of their own area.

46 min: Luton 1-2 Arsenal Peep peep! The second half is under way at Kenilworth Road.

88 min: Wolves 1-0 Burnley Wolves are closing in on a very useful victory, which would move them 11 points clear of the relegation places (nine points if Everton’s appeal is successful).

Half time: Luton 1-2 Arsenal

A tale of three Gabriels at Kenilworth Road, where Martinelli and Jesus scored for Arsenal either side of an excellent header from Osho.

Arsenal were the better team, of course they were, but Luton worked like beasts, put themselves about and picked their moments to attack. Cliche alert: the next goal is huge.

Updated

45+3 min: Luton 1-2 Arsenal A corner is half cleared to Mengi, whose sweet long-range strike is well held by Raya.

45+2 min: Luton 1-2 Arsenal “May I ask, in all seriousness, why they bother with a quadrant at the corner flag,” says Damian Clarke. “Arsenal’s last corner wasn’t within a country mile of the lines. And don’t even start me on foul throws. Yours, a child of the 1970s.”

I’m avin oops. I used to think the same about corners but then I learned to stop worrying and love the word ‘curvature’.

45+1 min: Luton 1-2 Arsenal Jesus is booked for a cynical foul on Barkley.

Updated

It was an easy finish, thanks mainly to a superb cross from Ben White, but it caps another razor-sharp performance from a rejuvinated Jesus. Saka played a nice return pass to White, who stood up a beautiful ball to the far post. Jesus arrived late in the six-yard box, hung in the air for an age and planted a header past Kaminski.

Arsenal's Gabriel Jesus scores their second goal at Luton.
Arsenal's Gabriel Jesus waits in the air for the ball … Photograph: Paul Childs/Action Images/Reuters
Arsenal's Gabriel Jesus scores their second goal at Luton.
And plants a header into the Luton net. Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian

Updated

Half time: Luton 1-2 Arsenal (Jesus 45)

Gabriel Jesus is so damn hot right now!

Arsenal's Gabriel Jesus celebrates after scoring their second goal at Luton.
Gabriel Jesus celebrates after restoring the Gunners’ lead. Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian

Updated

44 min: Luton 1-1 Arsenal Barkley is booked for a foul on Martinelli. It’s fair to say Arsenal haven’t appreciated Luton’s physicality.

67 min: Wolves 1-0 Burnley: Brownhill sent off Still 1-0 at Molineux, where Hwang Hee-chan’s serene finish put the home team ahead just before half-time.

39 min: Luton 1-1 Arsenal: Good save by Kaminski! Saka crackles into the area from the right, teasing the backpedalling Bell. Then he shifts the ball quickly to the left and flashes a trademark curler towards the far corner. Kaminski dives to his right to make an excellent save.

Adebayo heads the resulting corner onto his own hand, thus negating any penalty appeal.

Updated

37 min: Luton 1-1 Arsenal “I’m sorry you missed the celebrity streak at Kenilworth Rd on minute 19, Rob,” says Justin Kavanagh. “Quite the spectacle. Come to think of it, perhaps why the feed was cut!”

So that’s what Luton’s finest is up to these days.

Updated

36 min: Luton 1-1 Arsenal Luton are working so hard defensively and have restricted Arsenal to maybe one and a half chances. It’s a fascinating struggle, the kind of game most of the Arsenal players will have never experienced before.

35 min: Luton 1-1 Arsenal “Today is Ross Barkley’s 30th birthday,” says Matt Burtz. “His career at Everton started with such promise (his solo run and goal at Newcastle in 2014 remaining one of the best Everton goals I’ve ever seen), but his tenure ended acrimoniously with a contentious transfer to Chelsea, and he now finds himself at Luton after a year in France. There’s still a talented player in there somewhere. I wouldn’t exactly call it a fall from grace, but I’m sure it wasn’t what he envisioned ten years ago either.”

No. It’s not as sad a story as, say, Billy Kenny but it’s certainly one of unfulfilled potential. There are gazillions dotted throughout football history.

33 min: Luton 1-1 Arsenal Brown is booked for a poor tackle on Gabriel.

32 min: Luton 1-1 Arsenal Martinelli runs onto a square pass from Jesus, who looks really sharp, in the penalty area. He takes a touch and hits an early shot that is excellently saved by Kaminski, diving to his right at the near post.

Updated

31 min: Luton 1-1 Arsenal Jesus goes down holding his face after being caught by Bell (I think). Luton, as expected, are making life pretty uncomfortable for Arsenal.

Updated

27 min: Luton 1-1 Arsenal This is getting lively. Odegaard, on the edge of the area, plays a short pass down the side of the defence for Jesus, whose fierce shot from a tight angle is forced round the near post by Kaminski.

Updated

Luton are level through a textbook set-piece. Doughty’s outswinging corner from the left was met by Gabriel Osho, who ran off Martinelli 10 yards from goal and powered a superb header past Raya.

Luton Town’s Gabriel Osho scores their first goal to make it 1-1 against Arsenal.
Luton Town’s Gabriel Osho (left) heads the Hatters level. Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian

Updated

GOAL! Luton 1-1 Arsenal (Osho 25)

That’ll do!

23 min: Luton 0-1 Arsenal A half-chance for Jesus. Havertz’s deflected shot wasn’t fully cleared, and Jesus’s snapshot from 12 yards was straight at Kaminski.

Updated

Bell’s overhit backpass was put out for a throw-in by Kaminski, who might have had time to keep the ball in play. Jesus took the throw quickly, releasing Saka in the area, and his cutback was screwed into the far corner by Martinelli. Avoidable though the goal was from Luton’s perspective, Arsenal’s front three were so sharp. Saka’s run off Doughty was superb.

Arsenal’s Gabriel Martinelli scores their first goal at Luton.
Arsenal’s Gabriel Martinelli scores their first goal at Luton. Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian

Updated

GOAL! Luton 0-1 Arsenal (Martinelli 20)

Erm, there’s been a shot on target now.

19 min: Luton 0-0 Arsenal Between us – please don’t tell the others – I lost the feed for 3-4 minutes. I don’t think we’ve missed anything though, and there have been precisely no shots on target. Luton are making the pitch very small.

Updated

14 min: Luton 0-0 Arsenal Barkley threads a promising pass into the area towards Adebayo. Saliba walks across and calmly shepherds the ball behind for a goalkick.

Updated

13 min: Luton 0-0 Arsenal “Lahm won the treble and then the World Cup (as captain) at ages 30-31,” says Zach Neeley. “I feel like that would be the optimal age, still young enough to celebrate excessively but old enough to fully appreciate it. As far as this game goes, I’m curious what you thought of Trossard as the third midfielder for Arsenal against Wolves, it seems like an interesting alternative to the more offensive (Havertz) vs defensive (Jorginho) back and forth. I guess the most important part is that whoever is the third, they get to play alongside Odegaard and Rice.”

I have even less to offer than usual as I didn’t see the game. But it’s not the first time, is it? He seems fine as a No8 in games where you expect to have lots of the ball, particularly at home. If tonight’s game was at the Emirates he may well have played, but Havertz’s extra height is useful for defending set-pieces.

Updated

12 min: Luton 0-0 Arsenal Luton are doing okay, though the home crowd are unhappy with a couple of decisions against them. Both looked like clear fouls in truth.

8 min: Luton 0-0 Arsenal Martinelli is back on, though he’s still moving a little gingerly. Arsenal are having loads of the ball as you’d expect, though Thomas Kaminski’s gloves remain unsullied.

5 min: Luton 0-0 Arsenal Martinelli stays down after getting a knee in the back from Mengi. It wasn’t vicious, but I bet it bloody well hurt. Martinelli is struggling to limp to the sideline to receive more treatment.

Half time: Wolves 1-0 Burnley

4 min: Luton 0-0 Arsenal “The heartening and reassuring thing about the discussion over Zinchenko’s defensive frailties – yes, he does try some misguided things in hazardous areas; agreed – is that it’s against the background of approval of his undoubted motivation and commitment to the Arsenal cause, tinged with sympathy for his position as a Ukrainian,” says Charles Antaki. “Compare that to the kind of opprobrium that a player like Mustafi used to attract, let alone the Willians this world. Arsenal are, as Mikel Arteta would no doubt say, in a good moment, if that’s the worst that people are worried about.”

Indeed. Tonight’s game is also a reminder of what happened to poor Gus Caesar.

1 min Peep peep! While Wolves were celebrating, Luton and Arsenal were kicking off at Kenilworth Road.

GOAL! Wolves 1-0 Burnley (Hwang 42)

Hwang Hee-chan gets his ninth goal of an increasingly good season. Burnley tried to play out from the back and got in the kind of pickle that never befell John Beck’s Cambridge. Sarabia and Cunha combined to find Hwang, who dummied Dara O’Shea and sidefooted the ball calmly past James Trafford. That’s a nice finish.

Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Hwang Hee-Chan sidefoots the ball home to give the home side the lead against Burnley.
Wolves’ Hwang Hee-Chan sidefoots the ball goalwards. Photograph: Nigel French/PA
Wolverhampton Wanderers' Hwang Hee-Chan scores their side's first goal of the game against Burnley.
Which gives the home side the lead. Photograph: Nigel French/PA
Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Hwang Hee-chan celebrates scoring their first goal against Burnley.
Then he wheels away in celebration. Photograph: Matthew Childs/Action Images/Reuters

Updated

“So, is Zinchenko the left-sided Alexander-Arnold?” says Joe Pearson. “A great asset going forward, a bit of a liability going backward.”

Well, nobody’s perfect. Apart from maybe Philipp Lahm.

Updated

22 min: Wolves 0-0 Burnley It’s goalless at Molineux, where Burnley are growing in confidence. No shots on target yet though.

“Not sure Kiwior is a left-back, or even that good at centre-back, but Zinchenko has become defensively close to unplayable,” says Andrew Hurley. “Unplayable in the sense his manager can’t play him. If Timber was fit, I think Zinchenko would be fourth in line amongst the full-backs, behind Timber, Tomiyasu and White...”

Even with everything he gives you in midfield? I suppose it depends on the game; I’m sure if Tomiyasu was fit he’d be at left-back tonight.

1 min: Wolves 0-0 Burnley Peep peep! The first match of the night, and indeed the matchweek, is under way.

I know it was you, Fredo

Luton v Arsenal team news

Rob Edwards makes four changes to his Luton side: Alfie Doughty, Andros Townsend, Jacob Brown and Elijah Adebayo come in for Tom Lockyer (injured), Tahith Chong, Chiedozie Ogbene and Carlton Morris.

Mikel Arteta has picked four centre-halves in his Arsenal team. There are three changes from the weekend win over Wolves: Ben White, Jakub Kiwior and Kai Havertz replace Takehiro Tomiyasu (injured), Oleksandr Zinchenko and Leandro Trossard.

Luton (3-4-2-1) Kaminski; Osho, Mengi, Bell; Kabore, Mpanzu, Barkley, Doughty; Townsend, Brown; Adebayo.
Substitutes: Krul, Ogbene, Berry, Morris, Chong, Clark, Giles, Johnson, Nelson.

Arsenal (4-1-2-3) Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Kiwior; Rice; Odegaard, Havertz; Saka, Jesus, Martinelli.
Substitutes: Ramsdale, Zinchenko, Cedric, Walters, Elneny, Jorginho, Trossard, Nelson, Nketiah.

Referee Sam Barrott.

Updated

Pre-match entertainment

Wolves v Burnley team news

Luton v Arsenal is one of two matches tonight. We’ll also have goal updates from Wolves v Burnley, which kicks off at 7.30pm. You’ll be wanting team news for that one I suppose.

Gary O’Neil makes four changes from Wolves’ defeat at the Emirates Stadium. Dan Bentley replaces Jose Sa in goal and there is a whole new central midfield. Joao Gomes and Mario Lemina return after suspension, with Pablo Sarabia also coming into the team. Boubacar Traore, Tommy Doyle and Jean-Ricner Bellegarde drop to the bench.

One change for Burnley from the side that plugged Sheffield United on Saturday. Hjalmar Ekdal comes in for the suspended Jordan Beyer at centre-back.

Wolves (possible 3-5-2) Bentley; Kilman, Dawson, Toti; Semedo, Gomes, Lemina, Sarabia, H Bueno; Hwang, Cunha.
Substitutes: King, Doherty, S Bueno, Traore, Silva, Kalajdzic, Doyle, Bellegarde, Chirews.

Burnley (possible 4-4-2) Trafford; Vitinho, O’Shea, Beyer, Taylor; Bruun Larsen, Berge, Brownhill, Koleosho; Rodriguez, Amdouni.
Substitutes: Muric, Gudmundsson, Redmond, Zaroury, Ramsey, Al-Dakhil, Tresor, Delcroix, Odobert.

Referee Jarred Gillett VAR Rob Jones.

Updated

Preamble

You’re thinking about Gus Caesar, aren’t you? Andy Dibble? Brian Stein? Nigel Winterburn? Augustine Ashley Grimes? When Luton meet Arsenal it’s hard not to recall the 1988 Littlewoods Cup final, a classic match with enough drama and nuance to fill a 200-page book. (For now you’ll have to settle for a thousand evocative words from one of the Wembley ballboys.)

But Luton diehards, or unimpeachably neutral journalists who have spent the last half hour with their nose in a load of musty Rothmans, know that the history of this fixture goes beyond one extraordinary cup final. In modern times Luton have a very good home record against Arsenal. The list includes 4-0 and 6-3 wins in successive Christmas games in the late 1950s, a 3-0 stuffing in the FA Cup in 1985-86 – and, on 26 December 1991, a bruising 1-0 win against George Graham’s defending champions.

That was the last time Luton played Arsenal. The Premier League began the following season and the gap between English football’s haves and have-nots became a chasm. But even if Arsenal win as expected, they are unlikely to have a comfortable night. Luton are starting to make themselves at home in the Premier League, and Spurs and Liverpool will attest to the unique challenge of playing at Kenilworth Road. Those matches were during the daytime: the atmosphere for a night game, against the league leaders, is likely to be even more intense.

Not that Arsenal will shy away from the challenge. This is another chance to show they are tougher and more streetwise than last season – and to put more pressure on Manchester City and Liverpool, who visit Aston Villa and Sheffield United tomorrow.

It’s a bumper week of Premier League action, spread over three days, with all 10 games live in the UK. Anyone got any Gaviscon?

Kick off 8.15pm.

Updated

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