07 December 2023 , 04:00
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Arsenal are still riding high on the back of Declan Rice’s last-gasp header at Luton which secured a sixth straight win in the most dramatic of circumstances.
The Gunners beat Luton 4-3 to maintain their momentum at the top of the Premier League going into the extremely busy festive period. Rice’s 97th-minute winner ensured that Mikel Arteta was able to deflect the focus away from David Raya, who had a poor game and was at fault for two of the goals conceded.
Arsenal are now looking ahead to the weekend when they face a difficult trip to Birmingham to play their former manager Unai Emery and his high-flying Aston Villa side. Everything was looking rosy after the trip to Kenilworth Road, but Raya’s performance wasn’t the only piece of negative news. Here are the latest Mirror Football headlines from the club.
Toney flirts with Arsenal again
Ivan Toney has long been linked with a move to Arsenal in the January transfer window – and the Brentford striker hasn’t been subtle about making his feeling clear on the potential move. Although he’s still unable to play for the Bees due to his ban for betting, Toney has been active on social media.
Toney was keeping a close eye on the game against Luton and apparently took to Instagram to post a snap of him watching the drama unfold alongside the caption: "@DeclanRice. What a game." He quickly deleted the post, but not before Arsenal fans could see it, screenshot it and comment on what it might mean.
Mikel Arteta's dream Arsenal line up as last-gasp January transfers are secured
Read more here.
Tomiyasu injury blow
Takehiro Tomiyasu will be "out for a while" after suffering a calf injury against Wolves (David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)Takehiro Tomiyasu was absent from the squad which travelled to Luton on Tuesday night and Arteta confirmed after the game that he will miss plenty more games. "We had a scan, and it's not good news," he said when asked about Tomiyasu in his post-match press conference. "He's got an injury in his calf, and he's going to be out for a while."
Ben White returned to the side against Luton, assisting Gabriel Jesus’ goal from right-back, but Tomiyasu’s injury is an obvious blow to Arteta, who had relied upon the Japan international in recent weeks. Writing on Instagram, Tomiyasu, who could be sidelined for six weeks, said: "I'm sick of being injured but I believe this is the opportunity to be much stronger."
Read more here.
Henry hails Saliba
William Saliba has impressed a number of Arsenal icons (Getty Images)Arsenal legend Thierry Henry has heaped praise on William Saliba. The 22-year-old defender has become a key player for Arteta alongside Gabriel Magalhaes in central defence and Henry is a massive fan.
Speaking on Amazon Prime Sport, the Arsenal icon said: “Right now I think he [Saliba] is [the best], by a mile. The way he can defend a 1 v 1, the way he allows Arsenal to stay higher [up the pitch] and defend the 45-50 yards behind him is second to none. His speed, the way he recovers, and when he recovers the ball he doesn’t just kick it into the stands – he tries to get it back [to his teammates] which is important.”
Read more here.