Arsenal moved five points clear at the top of the Premier League thanks to a last-gasp Declan Rice winner against Luton.
What was a tight game in the beginning turned into a topsy-turvy, end-to-end goalfest. Luton were competitive, but Arsenal were clinical to take the lead.
A quick Gabriel Jesus throw allowed Saka to set up Martinelli for the opener just as Luton were building momentum. It would be 1 – 1 five minutes later after an unmarked Gabriel Osho headed in from a corner.
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Arsenal were again clinical. Good play down the right saw Jesus head in from a cross to make it 2-1 on 45 minutes. However, Luton were not demoralsied and came out fighting even harder in the second half.
Elijah Adebayo scored from another corner to make it 2-2 on 49 minutes before Luton took the lead. A strong Ross Barkley run from deep put pressure on the Arsenal defense. When he received the ball again in the box, he fired off a low shot which beat David Raya. 3 – 2.
Arsenal, as they so often do, scored within a few minutes of conceding. Under pressure, Bukayo Saka hooked the ball forward from halfway. In a reversal of the ‘big man/little man’ concept, Jesus held the ball up well and flicked it to Kai Havertz who finished from close range.
After that, the game settled down and Mikel Arteta’s team gradually assumed control of the game. It became about how many times they would need to bang on the door before they got through.
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Get through they did, with the very last kick, or rather header, of the game. In the final passage of play, Martin Odegaard sent in a cross to the penalty spot from the edge of the box. Declan Rice escaped his marker and headed into the bottom corner to win the game.
Arsenal may be a more controlled team this season, but they’re still capable of thrilling comebacks and last minute winners. Manchester City and Liverpool have a chance to close the gap on them by winning their games on Wednesday.
