With apologies for the title to The Slickers, whose reggae classic Johnny Too Bad (including the lyrics “you’re looting and you’re shooting now you’re too bad”) runs through my head whenever Luton is mentioned, Arsenal will hope to demonstrate their superior footballing skills when they host 18th-placed Luton Town on Wednesday evening, three days after the emotions and exertions of Sunday’s 0-0 draw at Manchester City. They certainly wouldn’t do wrong to put some special emphasis on the defensive side of the game in comparison to what they did in the reverse fixture in early December when they prevailed by the skin of their teeth thanks to Declan Rice’s 97th minute header, finishing off a crazy 4-3 win at Kenilworth Road.
After a slow March that featured one of the most tedious interlulls in memory prior to Arsenal’s return to action with Sunday’s masterclass in how to execute a low block against Manchester City, the Luton game will be the first of at least eight fixtures for the Gunners in April. It goes without saying that Arsenal must be completely focused in this one, so as to avoid slipping on the proverbial banana skin and to maintain their momentum in the title race by collecting all three points.
The opposition
In the reverse fixture Luton scored two goals directly from corners on headed balls, one each by Osho and Adebayo. After his side nearly took at least two precious points away from Arsenal, Hatters manager Rob Edwards commented “Arsenal wanted a game of order and we made it chaotic at times.” In retrospect, Arsenal’s close call at Luton was a harbinger of the points that Arsenal dropped later that month, at home to West Ham and away to Fulham.
Luton’s away form is not so good but they are in the middle of a relegation dogfight so they won’t be short of industry. On their away forays the Hatters have 2 wins, 4 draws, and 9 losses. They have scored 43 goals this season overall in the Premier League, with three of the 43 scored against Arsenal. Those same three goals also represent a significant chunk of Arsenal’s league best of 24 goals conceded, so the Gunners must do much better in that respect.
With injuries and whatnot Luton could have as many as 13 players out on Wednesday. Edwards commented this week: “It is the most difficult and challenging period I’ve ever faced, I’ve never known anything like it, and we are coming up against the best teams in the world in this period as well.” After facing Arsenal, Luton’s next away game is at Manchester City on 13 April, when all their injured players hopefully will have recovered and be able to contribute to a famous upset of our title rivals.
Arsenal XI
It was encouraging to see our injured players (Thomas, Tomiyasu and Martinelli) come back on Sunday and contribute to our valiant team effort. All three of them are contenders to be in the starting XI against Luton, but something tells me the Japanese defender will be the only one that the manager picks to provide a bit of rotation. With only nine league matches left to play, and a the team in contention to win the league for the first time in a generation, I think Mikel Arteta will keep personnel changes to a minimum, although the sage Mike McDonald at Gunnerstown predicted quite a bit more rotation with Partey coming in for Jorginho, Tomi for Kiwior, Trossard for Saka and Martinelli for Havertz, and Jesus moving to center forward. But my predicted team is:
Raya
White – Saliba – Gabriel – Tomiyasu
Odegaard – Rice – Havertz
Saka – Jesus – Trossard
The ‘holics pound
Although the Gunners did not score on Sunday, since January the team has been scoring goals for fun in most of their league fixtures, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they put at least four goals into the Hatters’ net. As a matter of fact, you might not be able to find very good odds on Arsenal scoring that few, but based on our recent attacking exploits I don’t think I am being outlandish with a prediction of: Arsenal 4 Luton Town 1. Remember, as we focus on avoiding that banana skin this is another opportunity to improve our goal difference so more than four goals would be most welcome if they happen to come our way. Have a good one, ‘holics.
Highly enjoyable preview bt8! Thank you!
Kind of difficult to second guess Mikel for the starting line-up for a match like this: midweek home game against a relatively easier opposition sandwiched in between two very tricky away matches. I feel Saka can do with a rest. And if Martinelli is fully recovered does he return straight back into the starting line-up? Maybe we can settle the game early in the second half and give Ødegaard and Rice some rest then?
On the other hand, Luton will of course now be fighting hard to stay in the league, and looking at the table they will definitely feel that they have a good chance. So I don’t think the team will take anything for granted, and I don’t see more than 2 changes in the starting line-up.
Hopefully the team will carry on the attacking form from just before the international break, and defense will remain as impenetrable as it was on the weekend. But any win will do.
Come on Arsenal!
Thanks bt8, a fine preview and I think you’re spot on about the first game at Luton being a red flag as to our form at the time. Although Luton are not a bad side at home there is no way they should be sticking three in our net if we’re focused and organized.
That was then and this is now, and I think your score / team look about right. If I had to guess on rotation, I suppose we might see some for players like Declan who played two full games during the interlull.
I very much enjoyed your preview Bt8 but I’m not sure I agree with you about rotation. Arteta has to shepherd his resources extremely carefully over the next few weeks . This time next week we welcome Bayern for a huge tie and we have nine major league matches. If there is one lesson from this season it is what happened in December. We ran out of legs hence the three defeats . Then came Dubai, a rest and reset and chance to work on basics .
Sunday will have been a very mentally and physically taxing game, brilliantly executed but sapping of emotion and stamina. Luton showed at the Toilet Bowl how obdurate they can be . So I agree with Mike .
We won’t change our centre backs unless we have to and Rice and Odegaard will usually start but I think any minor injuries have to be nursed and we have the squad to do it .
I’d bring in Tomi at left back , get this Partey started instead of Jorginho and I’d actually start Marinelli and the lesser spotted ESR wide ( he must be full of running and Trossard hasn’t looked quite at it to me ) . I don’t think ESR will start but it’s an idea. Jesus caused them problems in December and he might return but to have Saka, Hazard , Jorginho , Kiwior and Trossard/ ESR in reserve is formidable .
I think we will prevail 2-0 in a tough game, They are tge best of those who came up last season . I think Villa will give Citeh a very tough game too
Nice preview, bt8. I too think we may see some rotation tonight , with half an eye on upcoming tough game away at Brighton and then home to Bayern. I would be happy to see Nelson for Saka, Partey for Jorginho and Tomi for Kiwior.
Thanks for the musical memory. Put me in mind of the movie The Harder They Come. Which might well be a metaphor for our next month. Im sure Arteta is telling the team “ You can get it if you really want”, and ensuring we suffer no Pressure Drop. While we have Many Rivers to Cross, I’m still confident it’ll all turn out Sweet and Dandy.
I’ll get my coat.
TTG and CER make excellent points about the potential benefits of a bit more rotation to protect the legs of key members of our first team. Blogs has an excellent preview makinh many of the same arguments, and predicts this more rotated team: Raya, Tomiyasu, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko, Partey, Rice, Odegaard, Martinelli, Jesus, Trossard.
Bt8
That’s a very credible starting eleven knowing that we have Saka, Hazard , ESR , Jorginho Nketiah and Kiwior on the bench .
An excellent preview, bt8, perhaps starting a vogue for a post to have a theme tune as well as a frontispiece – incidentally, the click from a scratch on the original disc is a reminder of the downside of vinyl and I’d forgotten that such clicks were a frequent accompaniment to much loved discs.
Your recall of that extraordinary game earlier in the season is a useful warning. We have a history of tarnishing our run-ins and challenges by taking our eye off the ball against under-estimated opposition. I don’t think MA8 will let us do that. Nor do I think he will make more than 2-3 changes to his best starting eleven for that reason. We do have some very under-utilised talent such as ESR, Nketiah and Nelson but they’re not being given a run out to relieve the workload of others for a reason. MA8 knows.
Like others, I expect Tomi, who may be needed in several positions in the run-in, to replace Kiwior and continue developing his match-fitness. I expect Zinchenko to replace either Tomi or Benny Blanco from the bench to develop his own match fitness. I don’t expect the latter to be rested unless he has a knock as he had his feet up during the interlull. Partey for Jorginho would be a logical switch as the former needs games and the latter’s seasoned legs probably need a break and the Partey-Rice midfield needs game-time. It would be good to give both Rice and Ødegaard shortened game-times if the scoreline and match momentum allow it after half-time. Saka looked somewhat battered (quelle surprise!) when he left the pitch on Sunday and I would not be surprised to see him on the bench but equally given the prize at stake I wouldn’t be surprised to see him start – Mikel knows and I’ll trust his judgement. With whom to replace him? Again, I’ll trust Mikel – take your pick from Trossard, Vieira or ESR, with the middle of those three the likeliest imho. Jesùs needs game time unless we are nursing his knee in which case Havertz will lead the line and the latter’s height may be useful. I expect Martinelli to continue his rehabilitation as our left-sided rocket man.
Scoreline? 3-0 to the Arsenal.
It’s a now rare visit to the Grove for bath junior and myself with pre-match victuals at our Italian Trattoria of habit. I hope the Arsenal do the occasion justice!
COYG
I like the idea of resting several but I don’t think that’s what MA8 will do tonight. We’ll start a team that’s close to our strongest (Partey for Jorgi seems nailed on) then look to rest legs once the game’s won. Enjoy, Holics.
Thanks bt8 for your usual enjoyable style.
I think Partey will start for Jorginho, Martinelli will return on one wing or other and Trossard or Jesus will occupy the other. Havertz to remain at nominal #9 as Luton are likely to be big lads, whoever plays.
Saka was a doubt for Sunday and looked knackered as he went off. We have huge European games coming up and he and Jorginho are going to need to be fully fit for them.
Partey should be first choice anyway really, but his fitness and Jorginho’s canniness leave that open to debate.
A big thumbs up for the theme tune too 👍🏻👍🏻
I’m also liking Bath’s idea of a theme tune for each post, where possible – the more fun the better 👍🏻
The sound of The Slickers seemed very familiar – and it turns out that the band was centred on the Crooks brothers, Sydney and Derrick who was one of the founding members of The Pioneers – quality indeed.
Here’s for fun from The Pioneers – brilliant story !
Basically, they good great odds for a horse to win the race and it led right up to the finish line, where it dropped dead. Sound familiar ?
A smash and grab but hitting the target, bt8. I doubt that Arteta will rotate the starting XI that much but he may look to make more early changes than usual. He will want to get some match minutes into the legs of Party and Zinchenko with an eye to the Bayern games. Yet he knows that nothing less than taking three points off Luton is acceptable.
I was mildly amused to read that Lille centre-back Leny Yoro wants to move on as he feels it is time for a new challenge. He is 18.
I put Hazard on our bench ! Apologies it is Havertz of course .
My daughter is arranging a conference at which Martin Odegaard was to speak ( I’m opening it so they are going for a stellar cast !) It’s at the start of June and I was explaining that he will be seriously on the piss celebrating our Premier/ Champions League Double . Maybe Harry Kane is free ?
Re: CER @5. Too clever for words. 🙂
There is no Pressure Drop in sight, I’m sure and certainly not today. On The Harder They Come album, a boyhood prized possession of mine, Johnny Too Bad is followed by Shanty Town which in turn is followed by Pressure Drop, just to put in a faster one in there at the right moment. 🙂
COYG!
And re Trev @13. Thanks for that lively one from the Pioneers 👍🏼
Micah Richards, the City man, has spoken on the duel between Erling Haaland and the Saliba-Gabriel brick wall: “Gabriel and Saliba on Sunday, every time they got close to him they would use their strength and get the ball back.”
That’s correct, Micah.
Nelson and ESR both start, as does Thomas Partey. COYG
22Raya
4White
2Saliba
6Gabriel
35Zinchenko
8Ødegaard
5Partey
10Smith Rowe
24Nelson
29Havertz
19Trossard
I might have set a record for the fewest correct starting players predicted. 😱
7/11 is more than 50% though, isn’t it?
BT8 7/11 is a very good score. Certainly better than my best effort.
Come on you Gunners let’s trounce this lot of hat wearing, Eric Morcambe, David Pleat buffoons.
Great timing for the 2nd. A knife to the heart.
Good to see ESR and Reiss involved
I thought Partey played well but Zinchenko gave the ball away a lot. Luton never threatened and our halftime lead is deserved
And ESR was also invollved in the first goal winning the ball off a Luton player and passing to Ode. Then it was Havertz and back to Ode.
Villa equalizing at Shitteh was good news but a long way to go.
MA trusted some of squad to start tonight, which hasn’t been his way so much before. Worked out ok so far, just got to close it out and hopefully a clean sheet
ESR gets a good hand and deserves it
Villa’s pasting shows what a good job we did against City on Sunday.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>