Rice continues to make mark for Arsenal in winner vs. Luton،
LONDON — The summer signing, which no one questioned, bailed out the one most people did. Just when it looked like Mikel Arteta was going to face another inquisition over his goalkeeping choices, Declan Rice appeared with a priceless header beyond injury time to earn Arsenal a stunning 4-3 victory at Luton Town on Tuesday evening.
The game had threatened to be defined by two errors from David Raya, allowing a spirited Luton to turn a 2-1 deficit into a 3-2 lead on a night where the Gunners' resolve was on display. test. Raya appears increasingly subject to the weight of scrutiny that accompanied his surprise loan move to Brentford, usurping Aaron Ramsdale to become the Gunners' number one, although the latter is doing little to warrant such brutal treatment.
Arteta simply thinks Raya is an improvement, not only in possession but in his overall abilities, but he failed badly here to the extent that it could easily have cost Arsenal two valuable points in the Premier League title race. And yet, Rice rewrote the script. A £105 million acquisition from West Ham, the 24-year-old found a brilliant header from Martin Odegaard's sublime cross in the seventh minute of six extra minutes to snatch a priceless victory that took Arteta's side, for at least 24 hours, five of the light points at the top of the table.
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“That's the incredible thing about football, the emotions and what you experience with a lot of people,” Arteta said. “It was a special night. Thanks to Luton, the atmosphere they created, the way they coached, the way they made it difficult for us, but we found a way to The resilience, character, quality and desire to win that the team showed was great.
“When you have to play every three days and win every game, the demands are there. This is the way they do it. How much they want it. We talked about halftime and the things we wanted them to do .better and they are so willing. Sometimes it works better than others.
Rice wasn't signed for his goal threat, but that match-winning moment can now join key interventions against Manchester United and Chelsea to secure points that already look vital given the 96-100 target Arteta has set for this group to win the title. The England midfielder and Douglas Luiz are the only two players to have scored multiple league goals at least six minutes into second-half stoppage time this season and it was Arsenal's final winning goal at the away in the history of the Premier League.
Asked if he would be one of the two late winners, Arteta says he still expects one more from him. “Three! So one more to go. It's going to happen,” he said. “I don't know when. He had another incredible match. The leadership, the quality that he shows every week, in every match, he improves more and more. And then in the opponent's box, he has this ability and that smell of putting the ball in the back of the net.”
It’s a testament to his tireless engine. The physicality he brings to Arsenal should have enabled them to deal with Luton's stopped threat much better than they did at Kenilworth Road. After Gabriel Martinelli gave the visitors the lead in the 20th minute, Gabriel Osho headed in Alfie Doughty's corner five minutes later. Gabriel Jesus restored Arsenal's lead with a well-worked goal just before half-time, but they failed to learn their lesson.
Another delivery from Doughty four minutes into the second half saw Raya go down in despair and Elijah Adebayo was left with a simple finish. Former Chelsea midfielder Ross Barkley, who kept Luton going all night, exchanged passes with Andros Townsend before firing a low shot which went through Raya far too easily.
Those close to the transfer told ESPN it was a formality that the £27m option to sign Raya permanently would almost certainly be taken up at some point, with Arteta unwavering in his belief that Raya is a bet level with Ramsdale, who had improved his reputation by playing all 38 games as Arsenal pushed City close to the Premier League title last season. Rice's goal couldn't entirely mask the problem, but Arteta, unsurprisingly, would not take inspiration from Raya's errors.
“We need to defend situations better as a team,” he said. “There are certain things that lead to goals. It's not about blame. We've never done that and we won't do it now. It's about how the team reacts because that is going to happen. I love this answer.”
After Kai Havertz equalized on the hour mark – another step in the right direction for him following his slow start following a summer transfer from Chelsea – Arteta was booked in the euphoric celebrations that greeted Rice's header, a third yellow card of the season which means he will be banned from the touchline for Saturday's trip to Aston Villa. Takehiro Tomiyasu will also be missing – potentially for some time – after a scan confirmed he suffered a calf injury which prompted his absence here.
They will start at Villa with a clear lead at the top of the table after a night in which Arsenal's fighting qualities finally showed themselves. Rice is accustomed to a more conventional type of leadership based on tackling, positional discipline and a hunger for a fight. Rice gave his beleaguered full-time goalkeeper a hug and the pair left the Kenilworth Road pitch together, Raya safe in the knowledge that his teammate had protected him from the full repercussions of a chastising experience.
