Luton Town vs Arsenal

Premier League leaders Arsenal take a trip to Kenilworth Road to encounter struggling newcomers Luton Town in midweek league action.

Manager Rob Edwards hoped his side could turn the corner amidst a troubled top-flight return when they defeated Crystal Palace 2-1 in their last home outing, only for Luton to slump to a 3-1 defeat to Brentford at the weekend. Only two points clear of the drop zone, the ‘Hatters’ face a season-long dogfight against relegation, with home results likely to prove crucial to their hopes of securing survival. However, they’ve not fared well at Kenilworth Road, going winless in their first five home league games (D2, L3) before the abovementioned triumph against Palace. Despite missing out on a decent opportunity to post back-to-back top-flight wins for the first time since December 1991, Luton can still fall back on their decent-performing defense that has conceded eight goals in six home games – a joint-low amongst the sides from the lower reaches.

In the meantime, Arsenal’s first-half blitz proved sufficient for a dramatic 2-1 home win against Wolverhampton at the weekend, extending their winning league streak to three matches and maintaining a two-point lead at the summit. But to stay there, the ‘Gunners’ must improve on their indifferent three-game league form on hostile turf (W1, D1, L1). Connoisseurs of action-packed football may want to avoid this fixture, considering four of Arsenal’s six away league outings this season have yielded an identical 1-0 scoreline (W3, L1), highlighting the potential for a low-scoring contest. But it may not necessarily be the case as four of their last six competitive travels have seen over 2.5 goals and both teams on the scoresheet.