Premier League: Arsenal Narrowly Beats Luton with Rice’s 97th Minute Winner
Xinhua News Agency, London, December 5 (Reporter Zhang Wei) – In an intense match on the 5th, Arsenal secured a narrow 4-3 victory over newly promoted team Luton in the Premier League, thanks to a 97th-minute winner from Rice. The win extended Arsenal’s lead at the top of the table to 5 points.
Despite dominating possession from the start of the game, Arsenal struggled to create meaningful scoring opportunities due to a lack of structure in their midfield organization. However, they took the lead in the 20th minute when Martinelli scored after receiving a pass from Saka. Luton quickly equalized through O’Shaugh’s header from a corner kick just five minutes later.
Arsenal regained the lead just before the end of the first half with a Jesus header, but their advantage was short-lived as Adebayor scored with a header for Luton just two minutes later. In the second half, Barkley’s goal from a tight angle put Luton in front, but Arsenal once again leveled the score with a goal from Havertz.
With the game seemingly heading for a draw, Arsenal seized a late opportunity to attack. Odegaard’s long ball into the penalty area found Rice, who scored with a header from close range, securing a 4-3 victory for Arsenal.
Arsenal now sit at the top of the Premier League table with a 5-point lead over second-placed Liverpool, who will face Sheffield United on the 6th.
Speaking after the match, Arsenal coach Arteta acknowledged the tough challenge they faced at Luton and admitted that their poor defense made the game more difficult. However, he praised his team’s determination, saying, “But we never give up, we want to win every game and we take risks and we get what we want.”