Speaking after the match, Luton boss Rob Edwards was quick to praise Arsenal’s prowess on the field and has argued they have the edge over their title-chasing rivals in at least one aspect which could give them the much needed boost to lift their first Premier League trophy in 20 years.
“They give no chances to the opposition”, Edwards said. “We saw them against the best team – don’t want to upset any Arsenal fans! – or one of the top, top teams at the weekend and they limited (Manchester) City to very little.
“(They’re) Very clear in how they attack but its really difficult to stop. They’re always there in good numbers and they can really suffocate you. I think, maybe they’re the one team out of all the three fighting that can play any game – if it’s physical, a footballing, running, whatever it is they’ve got the answer, the personnel to play anything. They’ve got no weaknesses.”
Five changes were made by Arteta for the clash against Luton with the likes of Nelson and Emile Smith-Rowe enjoying rare starts at the Emirates. While the former celebrated getting his name on the scoreboard, the 23-year-old Smith-Rowe was out to prove a point. He ended the game as the Man of the Match and contributed to both goals in an exhibition fixture to show his boss he was far from done in North London.
