Arsenal icon Ian Wright voiced apprehension regarding a specific aspect of the Gunners’ performance in their exhilarating triumph over Luton Town.
Facing the Hatters on Tuesday night, Arsenal initiated the match with a strong lead midway through the first half. Despite Luton’s resilient comeback to level the game, Arsenal reclaimed the lead before halftime with a scoreline of 2-1.
Although Luton swiftly secured two goals at the start of the second half, their lead was short-lived, and Kai Havertz equalised for Arsenal at the hour mark. As the game seemed destined for a draw, Declan Rice scored a stoppage-time winner, securing all three points for his side.
Despite Arsenal’s dominant display, concerns arise over their defensive performance, particularly in set-piece situations, where Luton scored twice. Ian Wright, speaking on The Overlap, highlighted his worry about Arsenal’s marking, emphasizing that for a team of their stature, it’s troubling how Gabriel Martinelli ended up marking Gabriel Osho, who scored the first goal for Luton.
“The first goal was a real worry for me, because the marking, with such a big side as well, you’ve got Gabriel Martinelli taking Osho. And you just feel like that doesn’t feel right. That didn’t feel good. It just felt, I didn’t like that,” Wright said.
The ex-striker adds that the Luton star’s goal was easily scored, requiring no jump to head the ball into the net. While Arsenal conceded three goals, two were attributed to David Raya’s errors. Thus, there’s no immediate cause for concern about the backline, given that the Gunners’ defence has been among the league’s best this season.