Rice’s Heroics Seal Arsenal Fightback in Seven-Goal Spectacle
Arsenal extended their lead to five points at the summit of the Premier League following a dramatic 4-3 victory against Luton, highlighted by Declan Rice’s last-minute goal on Tuesday.
Facing a 3-2 deficit in the second half, Arsenal’s comeback unfolded at Kenilworth Road, with Kai Havertz and Rice, in stoppage time, securing the crucial goals. The significance of this hard-fought win, evident in the jubilant celebrations of Mikel Arteta and his team, fuels Arsenal’s belief in their title aspirations.
Despite initial success with Gabriel Martinelli’s opener, Arsenal found themselves trailing due to errors from goalkeeper David Raya. Gabriel Osho and Gabriel Jesus contributed to the scoreline before Elijah Adebayo and Ross Barkley capitalized on Raya’s mistakes to put Luton ahead.
Rice’s decisive goal marked Arsenal’s sixth consecutive victory across all competitions, reinforcing their resilience since a controversial VAR-aided defeat at Newcastle. As second-placed Liverpool has a chance to narrow the gap to two points with a win on Wednesday, Arsenal’s lead remains under pressure.
Luton, known for challenging superior teams at home, experienced their first defeat at Kenilworth Road against Arsenal in 32 years. Arsenal’s away prowess, with 17 wins since the start of the previous season, continued in this historic victory.
Bukayo Saka initiated the scoring with Martinelli’s finish in the 20th minute, while defensive lapses allowed Luton to equalize twice. Adebayo’s set-piece header and Barkley’s opportunistic goal were countered by Havertz’s quick response, setting the stage for Rice’s game-winner.
In another Tuesday fixture, Hwang Hee-chan secured Wolves’ 1-0 win against Burnley at Molineux, with the Clarets struggling and remaining second-bottom after eight defeats in their last nine games.
