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Mikel Arteta hailed a \u201cspecial night\u201d for Arsenal after Declan Rice\u2019s headed goal seven minutes into stoppage time secured a sensational 4-3 win against Luton at Kenilworth Road.<\/p>\n
Rice climbed to nod home Martin Odegaard\u2019s cross and seal a victory that sent his team five points clear at the top of the Premier League.<\/p>\n
That outcome had looked unlikely when Ross Barkley squeezed a shot through goalkeeper David Raya to put the hosts 3-2 up early in the second half and send home fans into delirium.<\/p>\n
But Arteta said: \u201cI really enjoyed it, especially the end.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s the incredible thing about football, emotions and the moments that you live together. It was a special night.<\/p>\n
\u201cCredit to Luton for the incredible atmosphere that they created and the way they played. They made life really difficult for us. But we found a way to win. The resilience and the the character and the quality showed.<\/p>\n
\u201cPlaying every three days, and we have to win every game, the demands are there. It\u2019s the way (the players) go about it, how much they want it.<\/p>\n
\u201cToday we conceded some goals we\u2019ll be disappointed with. That\u2019s part of it as well, it\u2019s going to happen. It\u2019s how we react to that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Arsenal had opened the scoring when Gabriel Martinelli tapped home after being set up by a low cross from Bukayo Saka, though Luton hit back quickly when Gabriel Osho headed in from a corner to make it 1-1.<\/p>\n
Arteta\u2019s side regained the lead before the break, Gabriel Jesus nodding beyond Thomas Kaminski at the far post after good link-up play between Saka and Ben White on the right, but they were again pegged back\u00a0shortly after half-time by Elijah Adebayo who out-jumped the goalkeeper to equalise.<\/p>\n
Barkley\u2019s goal, an effort straight at Raya that passed through his hands and under his body, put Rob Edwards\u2019 side in sight of a famous victory.<\/p>\n
That lead was wiped out within minutes when Kai Havertz scored his third goal in four games, beating Kaminski to the ball to score from Jesus\u2019s dinked pass into the box.<\/p>\n
Then late drama as Rice\u2019s intervention with virtually the game\u2019s final touch broke Luton hearts and extended Arsenal\u2019s winning run to four league games.<\/p>\n
It was the fourth league game this season in which Arsenal scored a winning goal beyond the 85th minute after similarly late shows against Brentford, Manchester City and Manchester United, with Rice scoring in the 96th minute against the latter.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe don\u2019t want to draw, we want to win,\u201d said Arteta. \u201cThat drive, that energy, that risk and that emotion we put in the pitch, you can sense it.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe should have scored before with the chances that we had. We didn\u2019t, but we tried until the end and we got rewarded.<\/p>\n
The manager would not be drawn on the performance of Raya, who was arguably at fault for two of Luton\u2019s goals.<\/p>\n
He added: \u201cIt\u2019s not about blaming, we\u2019ve never done it and we\u2019re not going to do it now. It\u2019s about how the team reacts to that. I loved that response. I think we can defend much better there, for sure.\u201d<\/p>\n
Luton boss Edwards reflected on a game from which his team can take confidence despite a disappointing conclusion.<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t know what to say to the lads afterwards,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019m proud. We mustn\u2019t let that one moment affect us too much, we\u2019ve got to look at the bigger picture.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey did exactly what we asked of them and gave everything. We\u2019ve just come up short tonight.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe made it a really uncomfortable night for them, we tried to make it chaotic, be aggressive and brave. We can take some positivity from it, and we have to.\u201d<\/p>\n