Key player doubtful, Havertz starts in 3 changes | Expected Arsenal line-up (4-2-3-1) vs Luton Town as Arteta set to to reclaim their first position with another 6clear points
Arsenal will be aiming to extend their two-point lead at the top of the Premier League table when the face Luton Town at Kenilworth Road tonight.
The Gunners picked up a fifth straight win in all competitions on Saturday. They raced into a 2-0 lead after just 13 minutes but failed to extend the advantage.
A number of stars were guilty of missing clear-cut chances. This meant that there was a nervy end to the game after Matheus Cunha’s late strike for Wolves.
Manager Mikel Arteta will be eyeing a more resounding victory over the Hatters tonight.
Formation: 4-2-3-1
Predicted Line-up:
David Raya has played every minute in the Premier League since mid-September, barring the Brentford game where he was ineligible. The Spaniard is expected to start in goal ahead of Aaron Ramsdale.
At the back, William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes are nailed-on starters in central defence. Oleksandr Zinchenko should get the nod at left-back after his brilliant assist against Wolves last weekend.
The Ukrainian made a mistake late on for Cunha’s goal but Arteta was full of praise for him after the game, highlighting that he has more strengths than weaknesses. He should start over Jakub Kiwior.
At right-back, Takehiro Tomiyasu is unlikely to be risked from the starting XI after an injury scare on Saturday. Ben White look set to be reinstated for the first time since the November international break.
In midfield, we anticipate one change from the Wolves win. Declan Rice should be an assured starter from the number six role but it could be Kai Havertz over Leandro Trossard in the centre of the park.
Havertz scored goals in back-to-back games for the Gunners, but he was only a substitute last weekend. The German should be reinstated into the XI ahead of Trossard as part of the rotation.
Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli are guaranteed to feature out wide and the same can be said for captain Martin Odegaard, who are back to his best against Wolves at the Emirates.
The Norwegian scored the winning goal from the number 10 role but was also brilliant with his overall distribution. He created three big chances, but all of them were not converted into goals.
Up front, Arteta could surprise us by picking Eddie Nketiah over Gabriel Jesus. Jesus’ workload needs to be managed with his injury record and the manager may opt to give him a breather.
Nketiah should have scored against Wolves coming off the bench. The club graduate hit the wood work after going one-on-one with the goalkeeper. He should relish today’s challenge.
