Arsenal 2-0 Luton Town – By The Numbers

ARSENAL 2–0 LUTON: BY THE VISUALS

ARSENAL 2–0 LUTON: BY THE NUMBERS

Mikel Arteta made five changes from Sunday’s draw at the Etihad, the most Arsenal have made in consecutive league games within a season since September 2021 – Zinchenko replaced Kiwior, Partey took over from Jorginho, Smith Rowe came in for Rice, Trossard for Jesus, and Nelson stepped in for Saka, who missed out altogether.

106 – Out of the last 106 Premier League matches played by Arsenal, last nights fixture was only the second game where Bukayo Saka didn’t feature.

It was from Arsenal’s 30th fixture last season that the wheels began to come off, as we only managed to secure 12 points out of a possible 27 in our final nine matches. Therefore, considering the changes in personnel and the necessity for three points, the manager’s decision appeared to be brave but necessary as we headed into the first of eight April fixtures.

15 – Wins for Arsenal against newly promoted teams in the previous 16 Premier League games prior to kickoff, with the only loss coming against Nottingham Forest in May (1-0).

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Smith Rowe won the ball back and found Ødegaard, who exchanged passes with Havertz before finishing exceptionally well (0.11 xG).

Smith Rowe, involved once again, crossed low, causing Hashioka to inadvertently put the ball into his own net under pressure from Nelson.

13 – Shots for Arsenal, the 13th lowest number of shots we’ve had in a match this season. From the 15 home games we’ve played, it’s only one more than the fewest shots we’ve recorded (12).

11 – Shots for Arsenal in the first half (85%), with Ødegaard’s goal being recorded as a Big Chance by Opta.

0.73 – Expected Goals for Arsenal. We’ve only amassed a lower xG total in games against City, Liverpool, and Newcastle.

34 – Touches in the box for Arsenal, ranking 17th this season, with 28 of those coming in the first half (82%)

6 – Touches in the opposition box for Havertz, Trossard and Ødegaard (joint first overall).

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18 – Premier League matches in which Luton had scored prior to last night’s fixture.

3 – Shots for Luton in the second half, all of which came after the 87th minute.

Arsenal had kept 12 clean sheets in the league before last nights game, but only four at the Emirates Stadium.

58% – Possession for Arsenal, the 8th lowest we’ve recorded in a home match this season, but only just under the season average of 60.2%

75 – Attempted passes by William Saliba (first overall), who completed 73 (97%) and played three passes into the final third, as well as completing 63 carries (first overall).

81 – Touches by Oleksandr Zinchenko (first overall). The Ukrainian also played four passes into the final third (joint first overall), two passes into the penalty area (joint second overall), and made one key pass.

EMILE SMITH ROWE’S GAME BY NUMBERS

40/45 completed passes (89%), joint most key passes (2), joint most passes into the final third (4) and most shot creating actions (5). Smith Rowe also provided two passes into the penalty area, one tackle leading to a goal, and one cross that wasn’t registered as an assist but ultimately ended in a goal.

I thought Emile Smith Rowe was the standout player for 60 minutes. While it’s important to consider the quality of the opposition, I was impressed by his performance, especially given the limited minutes he has played so far this season (319 mins, equivalent to 3.5 full matches). There were hints of rustiness, and eventually, he ran out of energy, which was to be expected. However, if rotation is necessary again, he could prove to be a valuable option.

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So, we find ourselves back at the top of the Premier League after a relatively straightforward evening. However, with Liverpool set to play against the bottom club Sheffield United later, our time at the summit could be short-lived. Currently, we boast the season’s longest winning streak with eight wins, while Liverpool and Manchester City have achieved five and six, respectively. At present, each team has only one win to their name, indicating that there may be twists and turns ahead as we face tougher challenges in the weeks to come.

Follow me on Twitter @jonollington

Sources: Opta, fbref, @Orbinho twitter feed