Arsenal put their foot down and cruised past Luton on Wednesday, reclaiming the Premier League summit in a three-way title race that’s getting hotter than a vindaloo on a Wednesday night.
The Gunners barely needed to break a sweat, dispatching the relegation-threatened visitors 2-0 thanks to goals from Captain Obvious himself, Martin Odegaard, and a well-placed deflection off Luton’s Daiki Hashioka that would make any defender wince.
This win puts Arsenal a single point ahead of Liverpool, who have a chance to retake the top spot when they face Sheffield United tomorrow. Meanwhile, defending champions Manchester City are lurking a point behind them, making this Premier League race tighter than a… well, you get the idea.
Wednesday’s game was a breeze for Arsenal. They bossed possession early on, but clear chances were few and far between. Thankfully, Emile Smith-Rowe, who’s been more of a ghost than a goalscoring threat this season, decided to show up for the party. He thieved the ball with the stealth of a ninja and fed it to Odegaard, who played a quick one-two with Kai Havertz before curling a screamer into the net. Sublime.
Just before halftime, Luton defender Hashioka decided to impersonate a pinball machine, turning the ball into his own net after some fancy footwork from Smith-Rowe down the left. 2-0, game over. Well, almost.
The second half was a bit of a snoozefest, with Luton occasionally showing some fight but failing to truly threaten. Arsenal brought on the cavalry with Declan Rice, Eddie Nketiah, and Gabriel Martinelli, but a third goal eluded them. Still, they saw out the win comfortably and can now focus on their upcoming battles against Brighton and Aston Villa.
For Luton, this defeat is a massive blow. They’re now three points from safety and staring down the barrel of relegation. Back to the Championship they go, unless they can pull off a miracle in their remaining matches.
In the other lunchtime kickoff, Brentford and Brighton played out a 0-0 draw, a result that probably sent most viewers straight to the kettle for a cuppa.
