Arsenal will take on Luton Town at Kenilworth Road, aiming to keep their lead at the top of the table after a favourable weekend.
Luton Town are set for another big test of their credentials in the race to survive the ordeal of a relegation battle when they take on Arsenal. The Hatters will host the league leaders at Kenilworth Road, aiming to inflict a significant upset and boost their chances in the bottom half of the table.
Rob Edwards’s men looked resilient against Brentford at the weekend up until the injury suffered by captain Tom Lockyer. Afterwards, Neal Maupay and Ben Mee managed to breach their defence and take an unassailable lead. Jacob Brown’s strike may have built up hope. But Shandon Baptiste’s strike four minutes late ended all hopes of a comeback for the Hatters.
The boss on the defeat at Brentford. pic.twitter.com/KLTPRzOJHQ
— Luton Town FC (@LutonTown) December 2, 2023
Luton have put in some considerable performances against the big sides this season, including Tottenham, Manchester United and Liverpool. Against the latter, they even managed a draw at Kenilworth Road, something Edwards would want to replicate when Arsenal come visiting. As for their position on the table, they are in 17th place owing to Everton’s 10-point deduction, as they will hope to stay there for now.
Mikel Arteta will want his Arsenal side to keep up the momentum and look to increase their advantage at the top. The Gunners swept aside a depleted Wolves side at the weekend after early goals from Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard. A late Oleksandr Zinchenko error helped the Midlands side come back into the contest after Matheus Cunha reduced the deficit. But the North Londoners held on to three points.
Fortunately for Arsenal, results elsewhere also proved beneficial, especially with Manchester City settling for a point against Tottenham. Liverpool’s win let them take second spot, with the Gunners now two points ahead of the Merseysiders in the standings.
Arteta would want to keep this going and get Arsenal another win on Tuesday against Luton. They also have a big game away at Aston Villa at the weekend, and the Gunners will want to go there in supreme form and with a healthy lead at the top.
Team News & Tactics
Luton Town
Rob Edwards will rue his luck with injuries as he lost key performer Tom Lockyer to an injury against Brentford. Luton Town also lost another defender, Teden Mengi, to a knee issue, while Alfie Doughty is also a doubt after missing the weekend with a hip issue.
🟠⚪️ pic.twitter.com/3NOHCgREu4
— Andros Townsend (@andros_townsend) December 3, 2023
Those absentees could lead to Edwards changing his system against Arsenal and opting for a back four as opposed to having three centre-backs. The trio joined a long list of absentees in the treatment room, including Arsenal loanee Albert Sambi Lokonga, who would have been ineligible to play for Luton anyway.
Gabriel Osho and Amari’i Bell are likely to settle in the centre-back roles on Tuesday, with support from Issa Kabore at right back and Ryan Giles, who will return to the lineup at left back. In midfield, Edwards will retain the partnership of Ross Barkley and Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu.
Up front, Edwards will likely make one alteration from the Brentford lineup, as Chiedozie Ogbene could drop down to the bench in favour of Andros Townsend, who will take a position on the right instead. Tahith Chong will shift to the left, with Brown operating in the No.10 role behind central striker Carlton Morris.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Kaminski; Kabore, Osho, Bell, Giles; Mpanzu, Barkley; Townsend, Brown, Chong; Morris
Arsenal
The Gunners will come to Kenilworth Road hoping to carry the same set of players from the weekend’s game against Wolves. The only worry around now is the fitness of Takehiro Tomiyasu, who went down holding his calf. Mikel Arteta managed to downplay the incident while hinting it could have been fatigue, but the Japanese defender will have an assessment before Tuesday’s game.
Take a closer look at the win over Wolves 🔍
🗞️ Adrian Clarke has analysed and delved into the stats following Saturday's victory👇
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) December 4, 2023
In all probability, Arteta will not risk Tomiyasu as he has Ben White fit and available following a period on the sidelines. The English defender had returned to fitness a while back, but the Japanese defender’s form had kept him on the bench for the last few games in all competitions.
Other than that, Arteta might make a few alterations and rotate his side in a few areas. For instance, Kai Havertz might come in for Leandro Trossard in midfield, while the manager could also ponder resting Gabriel Jesus, with Eddie Nketiah ready to start if needed.
With the Brazilian’s form, there’s no reason for him to sit down on the bench, but Arteta will have the crunch fixture list on his mind. Even at the back, he could rest Oleksandr Zinchenko or one of his centre-backs in favour of Jakub Kiwior.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Raya; Ben White, Saliba, Gabriel, Kiwior; Odegaard, Rice, Havertz; Saka, Jesus, Martinelli
Key Stats
- Luton Town have failed to keep a clean sheet in the Premier League this season.
- Luton Town have failed to score in the first half of 13 of their 14 top-flight fixtures this term.
- Arsenal have won four of their six away league games this season.
- Arsenal are undefeated in 14 of their last 15 matches in the Premier League.
- Arsenal have won none, drawn six and lost four of the last 10 trips to Kenilworth Road in all competitions.
Player to Watch
Martin Odegaard
🥁 Top of the Wolves POTM vote…
Our skipper ❤️ pic.twitter.com/qwKJmLPRjW
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) December 3, 2023
After starting the season brightly, Odegaard fell off the tracks and lost form in the process. A minor hip injury followed by some time out of the game and international rounds has given the Arsenal skipper renewed motivation, as he appears to have returned to his usual self in the last few games.
That goal against RC Lens was crucial for his confidence, and against Wolves, he played a slightly deeper role. At the weekend, he looked back to his best, creating six chances in the process, as he will be the man to watch when Arsenal take on Luton.
Prediction
Luton Town 0-2 Arsenal
Luton may have gotten a few positive performances against the big teams, including the draw at home against Liverpool, but Arsenal poses a different test altogether. Without a doubt, Mikel Arteta will assert the importance of having total control of the game, and with that, the Gunners will pose a significant threat to the home side to create chances.
Arsenal have not yet shown their attacking fluidity in the Premier League, and Tuesday’s clash would be a brilliant opportunity to do that. Against Wolves, they opened up the defence appropriately and should make more headway against Luton, as the Gunners are likely to take three points and, with that, remain top of the league heading into the weekend.
