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Arsenal secured a straightforward 2-0 win over Luton Town at the Emirates Stadium in the Premier League on Wednesday, April 3.
The Gunners entered this contest on the back of a decent run of form. They were unbeaten in their five games leading up to this one, securing four wins and one draw. In that span, they have scored 13 goals and conceded just two as they continued their solid defensive performances. Mikel Arteta made several changes to the XI as he rested key players.
The Hatters, on the other hand, entered this contest on a back of a woeful run of form. They were winless in their seven games across competitions prior to this one and were desperate for a result. With five defeats and two draws in that span, they were also in the relegation zone and needed positive results to climb out. Rob Edwards named a competitive lineup with the players he had available.
Arsenal made a positive start to the game and dominated possession of the ball in early stages as they looked to make inroads into Luton's box. With 63% of the ball, the Gunners did well to make their way into the final third but somewhat lacked accuracy. They had just three attempts on target from 11 total shots in the first half.
Martin Odegaard opened the scoring for his team after a lovely assist from Kai Havertz to set him up. The goal capped off a brilliant move after 24 minutes. Arsenal were gifted a second goal on the cusp of half-time as Daiki Hashioka turned the ball into his own net after 44 minutes. The hosts led Luton 2-0 at the break.
The second half saw Arsenal be content conceding a bit of possession to Luton as they took the foot off the pedal. They managed just one shot on target from two attempts as Mikel Arteta used the second period to give valuable minutes to all his players.
Rob Edwards, too, made multiple changes to his lineup in the second period as he looked for a way back into the game. However, Arsenal were too solid in defense and did not allow Luton a sniff of their goal throughout the game as they secured a simple 2-0 win. With that said, let's take a look at the five hits and flops from the game.
#5. Hit - Emile Smith Rowe (Arsenal)
Smith Rowe played for 85 minutes and had a good game, having started after a considerable amount of time. He passed the ball with 89% accuracy, including two key passes. Smith Rowe also won one duel and made two interceptions and one tackle.
The Englishman did very well to get into good goalscoring positions but was unable to convert. He looked slightly rusty in the final third but was sharp for Arsenal apart from that in a good performance overall. He was named the Player of the Match after the game ended.
#4. Flop - Daiki Hashioka (Luton)
The Japanese full-back started his first game for Luton this season and had an outing to forget. He conceded an own goal under unfortunate circumstances in the 44th minute, which saw Arsenal double their lead to go 2-0 up just before half-time.
Hashioka won six duels in defense, making two tackles, two clearances and one interception. He passed the ball with 88% accuracy, including one key pass, two long balls and one cross.
#3. Hit - Ross Barkley (Luton)
Ross Barkley played the full 90 minutes for Luton and was by far their most composed and exciting player on the pitch. He passed the ball with 90% accuracy, including four long balls. Barkley also won three duels, making one block in the process.
He tried several times to make inroads towards the Gunners' box but in vain. However, he did get a couple of opportunities to shoot but could not score with either of his attempts.
#2. Flop - Thomas Partey (Arsenal)
Having been out of the first XI for so long, Thomas Partey made his first start for Arsenal in several weeks. His rustiness was clear to see as he looked out of sync with his teammates and the task at hand at times.
Partey passed the ball with 93% accuracy but nearly all of those were simple and safe short passes, rather than the wide array of distribtution he otherwise uses. He also did not win any duels and did not even attempt a shot.
#1. Hit - Martin Odegaard (Arsenal)
Arsenal's skipper led from the front as he scored the team's opening goal following a lovely move in the 24th minute. It was the Norwegian's 10th goal of the season across competitions in 38 appearances so far. He has also provided seven assists.
Odegaard passed the ball with 89% accuracy, including two key passes and one long ball. He scored with his only shot on target, while the other two were blocked. He also won one duel.
