Arsenal moved back to the top of the Premier League as they eased to a 2-0 win over relegation-threatened Luton Town at Emirates Stadium.
Sunday’s goalless draw with champions Manchester City allowed Liverpool to edge two points ahead of the Gunners at the summit. Jurgen Klopp’s team will now have to fight to regain that spot when they host bottom club Sheffield United on Thursday.
The opener came when Emile Smith Rowe, one of five new faces introduced into a rotated Arsenal starting XI dispossessed Pelley Ruddock Mpanzu near halfway and fed Kai Havertz. The Germany forward squared for skipper Odegaard to rifle home.
Arsenal vs Luton final score
| Fulltime | Goalscorers | |
| Arsenal | 2 | Odegaard 24′, Hashioka (OG) 44′ |
| Luton | 0 |
Lineups:
Arsenal (4-3-3, right to left): 22. David Raya (GK) — 4. Ben White, 2. William Saliba, 6. Gabriel, 35. Oleksandri Zinchenko (18. Takehiro Tomiyasu) — 8. Martin Odegaard, 5. Thomas Partey (41. Declan Rice), 10. Emile Smith Rowe — 24. Reiss Nelson, 29. Kai Havertz (14. Eddie Nketiah), 19. Leandro Trossard.
Luton (3-4-3, right to left): 24. Thomas Kaminski (GK) — 12. Issa Kabore, 15. Teden Mengi, 27. Daiki Hashioka — 32. Fred Onyedinma (10. Cauley Woodrow), 17. Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu (14. Tahith Chong), 6. Ross Barkley, 45. Alfie Doughty — 30. Andros Townsend (8. Luke Berry), 9. Carlton Morris, 18. Jordan Clark.
In the 34th minute, Odegaard turned provider for Smith Rowe, who drew a fine save from Thomas Kaminski before Taden Mengi made a brave block from the rebound. The Luton keeper then sharply denied Havertz before Alfie Doughty made a last-ditch challenge with Thomas Partey poised to convert on his first Premier League start since August.
Those heroics soon proved in vain when Daiki Hashioka turned Smith Rowe’s cutback into his own net under pressure from Reiss Nelson.
Nelson started on the right wing after an injury ruled Bukayo Saka out of the matchday squad. The second half unfolded in a manner that allowed Mikel Arteta to avoid any similar setbacks for key players and rest weary legs.
For all the entertainment value they have brought to England’s top flight, Luton’s situation looks increasingly precarious. Rob Edwards’ side stuck manfully to their task but remain third-bottom, three points from safety and without a win in 10 Premier League games since January 30.
MORE: Arsenal Premier League schedule: Remaining fixtures, points prediction
Arsenal vs Luton Town stats
| Arsenal | Stat | Luton |
| 13 | Shots | 5 |
| 4 | Shots on target | 1 |
| 0.82 | Expected goals | 0.27 |
| 58.3% | Possession | 41.7% |
| 614 | Passes | 424 |
| 3 | Corners | 1 |
| 12 | Fouls | 8 |
| 1 | Yellow cards | 1 |
Arsenal vs Luton Town lineups, team news
Arteta did not flag up any new injury issues following the draw at City, but Bukayo Saka has not recovered from the knock he sustained at the Etihad Stadium and is absent from the matchday squad.
The Gunners boss made five changes in total, with Takehiro Tomiyasu, Thomas Partey, Emile Smith Rowe and Leandro Trossard coming in as Thomas Partey makes his first start since August.
Arsenal (4-3-3, right to left): Raya (GK) — White, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko — Odegaard, Partey, Smith Rowe — Nelson, Havertz, Trossard.
Arsenal subs: Ramsdale (GK), Tomiyasu, Kiwior, Rice, Jorginho, Vieira, Jesus, Martinelli, Nketiah
Luton had a mammoth injury list to deal with as Rob Edwards’ team returned to north London following their 2-1 defeat to Tottenham. Amongst the key names missing for this game are Elijah Adebayo, Mads Anderson and Chiedozie Ogbene.
Luton (3-4-3, right to left): Kaminski (GK) — Kabore, Mengi, Hashioka — Onyedinma, Mpanzu, Barkley, Doughty — Townsend, Morris, Clark.
Luton subs: Shea (GK), Berry, Woodrow, Chong, Krul, Johnson, Nelson, Piesold, Chigozie
Arsenal vs Luton Town stats, head to head
This will be the 50th competitive meeting between these two teams. Arsenal certainly hold the edge, with 28 wins to Luton’s 10, dating all the way back to October 1897.
| Arsenal wins | Draws | Luton wins |
| 28 | 11 | 10 |
| Biggest win: 6-2 (1898) |
Biggest win: 4-0 (1957) |
Arsenal vs Luton Town live stream, TV channel
Here’s how to watch this Premier League match across selected areas of the world’s major regions:
| Region | TV | Streaming |
| USA | NBC USA Network, Universo | Fubo, NBC app/website, Universo NOW, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo |
| Canada | — |
Fubo Canada |
| UK | TNT Sports 2 | discovery+ |
| Australia | — | Optus Sport |
| India | — | JioTV, Hotstar |
USA: This game is available on the NBC USA Network with streaming options on Fubo with the latter currently offering a FREE trial. Spanish language options are on Universo and Telemundo.
Canada: Every Premier League game this season is live-streaming exclusively via Fubo.
Australia: Fans in Australia can stream every match live and on-demand on Optus Sport.
UK: This game is available via live broadcast on TNT Sports with streaming options on discovery+.
