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Some Arsenal news (from the women’s game).
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One other result to tell you about. It finished Brentford 0-0 Brighton. An absolute classic in west London, I’m told.
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Arsenal’s Leandro Trossard speaks to the cameras: “We knew what we had to do. We played well. We know Luton are a tough opponent. We wanted to win our duels and hurt them in behind. Everyone showed that they can play and make it hard for the manager. Confidence levels are really high. Brighton will be a tough game, we have to recover now. Today there were five changes and everyone did their job. We need competition.”
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That table is a live one, remember. Manchester City are currently beating Aston Villa 2-1, which you can follow here. They will need to maintain that lead to keep up with Arsenal and Liverpool.
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This is the table, then. Arsenal go back to the top, with Liverpool due to play tomorrow evening against Sheffield United at Anfield.
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Full-time: Arsenal 2-0 Luton Town
Three Premier League points for the Gunners.
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90+3 min: Looks like Trossard has taken a nasty knock under a high ball. He’s clutching his back. Looks like Kabore gave him a knee. Not what Arteta wants in the closing stages here.
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90+2 min: The game is won. Luton are not offering a threat.
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90 min: Four minutes of added time.
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88 min: Kaminski gets down well to push an Nketiah strike behind. It was a sneaky one, well saved.
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87 min: Doughty races clear of White and gets to the byline. Again, it’s a floated cross rather than a driven one and Hashioka flashes a shot at goal, but Gabriel is there to make yet another block. What a defender he has become, always seems to be in the right place at the right time.
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85 min: Smith Rowe comes off to an ovation. He’s a real favourite among Arsenal fans and has played well tonight on his first start since January. On comes Jorginho.
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82 min: I wonder if Arsenal will sign a striker in the summer. Havertz has been such a success as a false nine in recent weeks that it would seem strange to upset the apple cart. Gabriel Jesus is a fine back up. I wonder if Nketiah will get a move. There was a brief period last season where he made the position his own, but the youngster has slipped back in the pecking order and will surely be sold if Arsenal do sign another forward.
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80 min: Tomiyasu bends one! Not words I thought I would be typing tonight. Trossard and Nketiah combine well down the left flank and the ball is worked back to Tomiyasu on the edge, but the Japanese international curls it a yard or two wide. Kaminski was scrambling!
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78 min: If Luton do go down, imagine there will be a few takers for Alfie Doughty. Industrious, tidy and has a lovely left foot. Can play anywhere on the left flank. I like him.
Luton’s Alfie Doughty (left) puts the burners on to get away from Arsenal’s Reiss Nelson. Photograph: Vincent Mignott/EPAShare
Updated at 22.22 CEST
75 min: Two more Arsenal changes: Martinelli and Kiwior on for Nelson and Zinchenko.
Luton also make a change: Woodrow, a striker, on for Onyedinma, who was a makeshift right back tonight. Looks like Luton are going for it, then.
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74 min: Onyedinma is booked for holding back Nketiah on what could have been a dangerous Arsenal counter-attack.
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73 min: Manchester City lead Aston Villa. It’s just about half-time in that one.
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71 min: Luton look by far the more likely to score next. Onyedinma is the next to put a dangerous cross into the box, but Gabriel is there to block. Odegaard is urging his team to keep their shape.
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69 min: Chong, who has made a real difference since coming on, slips in Doughty down Luton’s left. But it’s a poor cross! Floated not whipped and Zinchenko is able to clear things up at the far post. A really good move from Luton. The game is not yet won.
Arsenal’s Reiss Nelson attempts to block a cross by Luton Town’s Tahith Chong. Photograph: Paul Childs/Action Images/ReutersShare
Updated at 22.11 CEST
67 min: Arsenal immediately make two subs: Partey off for Rice, the booked Havertz off for Nketiah. I’m surprised that Arteta has brought Rice on instead of Jorginho.
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65 min: Havertz is booked for diving. Replays show that the card is thoroughly deserved.
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62 min: “On the subject of Zinchenko, I agree about his performance tonight but more generally I feel he’s almost in the Alexander-Arnold category of being brilliant stepping forward but defensively suspect,” emails Adam Klineschoder. “I know he plays in midfield for Ukraine and the only reason I can think of why Arteta doesn’t follow suit is Zinchenko having a few yards of extra space when starting deeper.”
Not sure you can put him at TAA’s level, although I appreciate the point about him being better going forward. That said, he’s been careless with the ball tonight.
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60 min: Another dangerous free-kick for Luton, about 30 yards out. This does seem like their best route back into this game. Doughty is over it, but he looks like he’s going to cross, rather than shoot. Yep, it’s a cross to the back post, but Saliba is there to flick it away. Maybe scrap that idea of taking off the French centre back off.
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57 min: I wonder how long Arteta will leave Odegaard on the pitch, with Vieira on the bench. There’s also an argument to take off White (for Tomiyasu), Havertz (for Nketiah), maybe even Gabriel for Kiwior?
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55 min: Arsenal have a decent shout for a free-kick turned away by Craig Pawson, with Chong appearing to catch Nelson right on the edge of Luton’s box. The referee waves play on.
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53 min: An attacking substitution for Luton: midfielder Mpanzu off, winger Chong on. That will mean a tactical shuffle for Luton. Remember, Mpanzu gave the ball away for Arsenal’s first goal. Chong scored a good goal against Tottenham at the weekend.
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50 min: Zinchenko, save for a good interception in the first half from Clark’s cross, has been poor tonight. Looks miles off it defensively and has lost possession needlessly on three separate occasions. I suspect Arteta will be quietly fuming.
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48 min: “Hashioka seems like a really good player, but I’m not sure he’s entirely vibing with the rest of the Hatters’ defense yet, as much as he works his socks off,” emails Kári Tulinius. “If he gets on same wavelength as the rest of his team, Luton will have a real asset on their hands, though it might be in the Championship.”
Not sure if I agree that he’s looked a really good player on tonight’s performance, and not just because of the own goal. Appreciate that he’s normally a right back playing at centre back, but he’s already been nutmegged by Trossard and looked a little lost defensively. Still, he’s a Japan international, so no mug. Arsenal away is a tough task for any defender.
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46 min: Nelson makes a neat break up the right, leaving two Luton defenders in his wake before Kabore leans on him and wins the ball back. That was the Arsenal midfielder’s first real foray forward with the ball at his feet. More of that, please.
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Peeeeeeeep! We’re off again in north London.
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Two goals at the Etihad! But for who (Geoff Shreeves voice), Taha?
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Half-time reading:
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It’s also goalless in City’s game with Aston Villawhich kicked off at 8.15pm BST.
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Half-time score: Brentford 0-0 Brighton.
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Updated at 21.21 CEST
Half-time: Arsenal 2-0 Luton Town
Smooth sailing for the Gunners.
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45+6min: … a comfortable save for Raya. A poor effort from Barkley in truth.
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45+5 min: Partey tries a nutmeg in midfield but instead loses the ball in his own half. Luton break forward and Saliba fouls Clark in a dangerous area, just outside Arsenal’s area. Barkley over the ball, 25 yards out …
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45+3 min: A word for Smith Rowe, who set up the first goal with an important tackle, and got the assist for the second goal with a smart run in behind, before a clever cut back. An excellent first half for the Englishman.
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45 min: Four minutes added on here. This is going perfectly to plan for Arsenal, who shouldn’t need to bring on Rice, Martinelli, Kiwior, Jorginho or any other regular starters in the second half.
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GOAL! Arsenal 2-0 Luton (Hashioka and 44)
Is that game over? Smith Rowe darts to the byline, pulls the ball across goal towards Nelson, but Luton defender Hashioka inadvertently kicks the ball into his own net from close range!
Arsenal’s Emile Smith Rowe sticks the ball into the danger zone … Photograph: David Price/Arsenal FC/Getty ImagesWhere Daiki Hashioka of Luton Town (second left) turns the ball into his own net, which doubles Arsenal’s lead. Photograph: Eddie Keogh/Getty ImagesShare
Updated at 21.25 CEST
42 min: From the corner, Partey so nearly prods the ball in! Trossard’s shot is deflected into Partey’s path, but Doughty just gets back to toe the ball out!
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Updated at 21.13 CEST
41 min: Ben White rolls his man in central midfield with all the grace of Prime Zizou, before releasing Havertz, who forces Kaminski into another save. Luton again do well to react fastest and clear for a corner.
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38 min: Partey, on his first start since August, has been tidy at the base of Arsenal’s midfield, while Smith Rowe has also impressed. Nelson, however, has been rather anonymous on the right wing.
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2024-04-03 20:31:37
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