ARSENAL are really starting to hit their stride in the Premier League title race but face a tricky hurdle at a ground that proved a graveyard for them when Luton Town were top flight stalwarts in the 80s and early 90s.
The Gunners maintained their two-point lead at the top of the table thanks to a 2-1 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday, with two bets landing for me. And the weekend ended well for them as bitter rivals Spurs and Manchester City cut their own throats with a thrilling 3-3 draw at the Etihad.
Had Liverpool not scored a last-gasp winner against Fulham it would have been a Carlsberg weekend for Mikel Arteta and his side are ticking along nicely, with five successive wins in all competitions since their controversial loss at Newcastle.
Arsenal face a new challenge at Kenilworth Road though as they go up against a Luton Town side who are living a dream after going from non-league football to the top flight inside a decade.
And heading to the ground will send a shiver down the spine of older fans as the Gunners haven't won on their last 10 trips to Luton, albeit the last of those visits came way back in 1991.
Most pundits had the Hatters down to finish rock bottom of the Premier League but they currently sit outside the drop zone, albeit only because of Everton's 10-point deduction.
Boss Rob Edwards knows wins at home will be crucial to their survival bid and Luton are unbeaten in their last two at Kenilworth Road, following up a 1-1 draw with Liverpool by beating Crystal Palace 2-1.
The crowd will be right up for the visit of Arsenal and it could be a potential banana skin for the Gunners if they head into this game with any hint of complacency.
How the bookies view it
Despite being unbeaten in two at home, Luton Town have been written off for this one and are as big as 14/1 at Bet365. Even the draw is pretty hefty at 13/2 with BetMGM and Arsenal's best price is a tiny 3/13 at VBet.
Head to head
Arsenal's dismal record at Kenilworth Road is remarkable and you have to go back to 1984 for their last win there. In those 10 games without a win, the Gunners have suffered four defeats. It has been a different story back in London, with Arsenal winning six in a row and losing just twice throughout history.
Players to watch
Gabriel Martinelli is always a threat on the wing for Arsenal and only the woodwork stopped him making it back-to-back goals at the weekend. The Brazilian is 13/8 at Bet365 for anytime scorer and 7/4 at SkyBet for an assist.
Scotland striker Jacob Brown will be disappointed if he doesn't start this game after scoring off the bench in his last two games for Luton. The former Stoke City hitman is 7/1 with Bet365 for a goal while he's 9/4 at Unibet just to have a shot on target.
Anything else catch the eye?
Arsenal have been looking pretty slick up front in recent games so it could be a long night for Luton Town's defence. SkyBet are offering 5/4 on keeper Thomas Kaminski making over 4.5 and that looks decent value as he should be busy.
Backing Luton skipper Tom Lockyer for a card paid off for me in their games with Chelsea and Manchester United and I fancied the hat-trick here but he was injured in the weekend loss at Brentford. So I'm going to switch to Issa Kaboure, who has four yellows this term, and the stopper is 7/4 at William Hill to go in the book.
We could see a few corners on the tight pitch and Bet365 price over 10 flag kicks at a tempting evens.
This English Premier League match between Luton Town and Arsenal will be played on Dec 5, 2023 and kick off at 20:15. Check below for our tipsters best Luton Town vs Arsenal prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
