Premier League

RECALLED Emile Smith Rowe shone brightest as much-changed Arsenal went back on top of the Premier League with a 2-0 win over Luton.The fit-again midfielder was involved in both first-half goals as Martin Odegaard drilled home following a one-two with Kai Havertz and Daiki Hashioka put through his own net.Emile Smith Rowe impressed after finally getting a full chanceCredit: GettyMartin Odegaard was back in form and hit the openerCredit: GettySmith Rowe even overshadowed the brilliant Odegaard, who bounced back to his best following Sunday’s 0-0 draw with Manchester City.Gunners’ boss Mikel Arteta also handed rare starts to anchorman Thomas Partey, wideman Leandro Trossard and forward Reiss Nelson.Second-half sub Declan Rice was the main man who had the biggest rest in a routine victory.Here’s how Arsenal rated at the Emirates on Wednesday night.DAVID RAYA – 6/10As expected, very little to do, but kept his composure under pressure on occasion and will be happy with a third clean sheet in four league games.BEN WHITE – 6Had license to roam forward and did so to good effect on several occasions, helping out the rusty Reiss Nelson with his runs and movement inside. Sloppiness crept into his game after the break as the match drifted.WILLIAM SALIBA – 7Lauded by Luton boss Rob Edwards before kick-off and was at his composed, unflappable best. Nothing ever fazes him, and why should it when you have the pace, size and skill to match. I’m a former Arsenal and England star who had to pay kitman £10k when washing gamble backfiredGABRIEL – 7A slight mix-up with Oleksandr Zinchenko in his own box the only blemish on a solid first half performance.Most read in FootballHas a knack of being in the right place at the right time, especially when defending set-pieces.OLEKSANDR ZINCHENKO – 6Had a chance to win back his place in the side off of make-shift full-back Jakub Kiwior. Did nothing majorly wrong, but nothing majorly right either. A bog-standard shift.THOMAS PARTEY – 6Dictated from deep, even if some of his passes forward were slightly wayward as he continues to build momentum on his first Prem start since August.EMILE SMITH ROWE – 9For the first time in a long time, Smith Rowe strutted his stuff on a Prem stage.He was energetic, inventive, direct on the ball and a nuisance off it, winning a collision with Luton’s Mpanzu before Arsenal broke for their opener.Should have grabbed a first half goal himself but for a good save by Thomas Kaminski and then put it on a plate for Nelson to double their lead before the break.MARTIN ODEGAARD – 8Among all the changes, Arsenal’s one constant, and a player Arteta cannot afford to drop thanks to his pressing ability, but he added a goal to that repertoire in the 24th minute, his seventh in the Prem this season.LEANDRO TROSSARD – 6Was given plenty of space to run in to but his end product was missing.Will get lots more chances this season to prove his worth, mainly due to his willingness to get back and help out defensively.Attacker Reiss Nelson was taken off after 75 minutes of a rare startCredit: ReutersREISS NELSON – 7Looked slightly off the pace, but who can blame him? A first Prem start since July 2020. Grew into the game and forced in Arsenal’s second as a Daiki Hashiokaown goal.KAI HAVERTZ – 6Looked quite clumsy in the opening stages, fluffing a few early chances with a heavy touch, but provided the perfect pass on the counter to tee up Odegaard in the box.Continued to be wasteful in front of goal yet carried on chasing lost causes.SUBSEDDIE NKETIAH (HAVERTZ, 66) – 6Would have been annoyed not to have been given a start in this one, so had a point to prove. Aside from a low shot that was well saved, offered very little.DECLAN RICE (PARTEY, 66) – 7Instantly brought a fizz and an accuracy of pass that was missing for most of the game. You only appreciate what you have until it is (briefly) gone.GABRIEL MARTINELLI (NELSON, 74) – 6Did not do much, but did not have to. Is still working his way back to full fitness and minutes here – as well as at the Etihad – will stand him in good stead.TAKEHIRO TOMIYASU (ZINCHENKO, 74) – 6READ MORE SUN STORIESCovered a lot of grass in the 20 minutes he was involved. Covered well defensively and even went close with a curling shot on the edge of the box.JORGINHO (SMITH ROWE, 85) – N/A More

SO it turns out Mikel Arteta does have a half-decent squad after all.On the night when Arsenal’s manager allowed his understudies to take centre stage, his team returned to the Premier League summit with a smooth victory.Martin Odegaard opened the scoringCredit: RexEmile Smith Rowe repaid his rare starting opportunity by setting up the second goalCredit: GettyArteta made five changes – his most significant rotation since 2021 – and saw fringe player Emile Smith Rowe play a major role in both of the first half goals which effectively ended the contest.The Gunners chief is no tinkerman. He makes far fewer changes to his starting line-up than title rivals Jurgen Klopp or Pep Guardiola.And the feeling was that a lack of depth might be Arteta’s undoing as he spins plates between the Premier League and Champions League, without having serious trust in his back-up boys.Well here was proof that Arsenal go far deeper than their first eleven.READ MORE ON ARSENALDeclan Rice, Gabriel Jesus, Gabriel Martinelli and the injured Bukayo Saka were all missing but a Martin Odegaard strike and a Daiki Hashioka own goal made this a largely sweat-free night for the north Londoners.Smith Rowe, Thomas Partey and Leandro Trossard were all influential for the hosts and all are capable of making meaningful interventions during the title run-in.The Gunners will surely be top for just 24 hours, before Liverpool’s inevitable home win over Sheffield United tomorrow.But this was a victory which suggested Arsenal may have staying power down the final straight.Most read in FootballArsenal dominated from start to finishSmith Rowe impressed and played a role in both goalsBEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERSure, Luton are in the relegation zone and operate on a fraction of Arsenal’s resources but they have rattled some of the Premier League’s elite this season and were unable to lay a glove on this much-altered line-up.Smith Rowe, still only 23 but something of a forgotten man after two injury-riddled seasons, fitted in perfectly as Arsenal backed up Sunday’s creditable but almost unwatchable goalless draw at the Etihad with something more entertaining.Thomas Tuchel makes bold Arsenal claim moments after conceding ‘title is over’ as fans fume ‘what a loser’With Brighton and Bayern Munich to come in the next week, Arteta needed to give respite to some of his main men.His selection turned an apparently routine fixture into something more interesting – his decision to leave Rice on the bench was particularly eye-catching as the England man barely ever misses a game for club or country.It might have made eyes light up in the Luton dressing room, Rob Edwards’ side had come close enough to upsetting Arsenal’s first eleven before they fell to a 4-3 defeat at Kenilworth Road this season.But Arteta’s changes certainly didn’t alter the expected pattern of the match – Arsenal hogged the ball, pinging around nicely until things continually broke down in the final third.Partey was orchestrating from the anchor role, Odegaard was busy and inventive but Kai Havertz, at centre-forward, was making one of his frustrating startsStill, midway through the first half, Arsenal were in front and Smith Rowe played a key part, robbing Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu 30 yards from Luton’s goal.Smith Rowe fed Odegaard, who exchanged passes with Havertz, then drilled his first-time shot past Thomas Kaminski.Luton joined in for a while. Andros Townsend – booed almost politely in memory of his long-off Tottenham days – had a pleasing jink down the right but Jordan Clark couldn’t apply a proper header to his cross.William Saliba added a touch of the banger car to his Rolls-Royce status when he followed through heavily on Daiki Hashioka but ref Criag Pawson played on and while Luton’s Japanese defender was stricken, Smith Rowe had a close-range shot pushed away by Kaminski.Ben White then confected a lovely piece of eye candy, a drag-back on the turn to skewer his marker and feed Havertz, whose shot was pushed wide.Odegaard had a big influence on the matchThomas Partey covered plenty of ground in his first start for a whileLuton had a bit of joy in the second half but were otherwise outplayedThe second goal was coming and it arrived courtesy of three of those called off the bench by Arteta.Trossard fed Smith Rowe down the left and he cut back towards Reiss Nelson, whose presence persuaded Hashioka to make a hash of it and find his own net.The second half was largely uneventful. Takehiro Tomiyasu, on as a sub, curled a shot narrowly wide but Arsenal were managing the same wisely enough.Eddie Nketiah, another sub, forced a decent save out of KaminskiLuton’s supporters made plenty of noise on a big night out, their club’s first ever visit to the Emirates.The older among them will remember the Hatters defeating Arsenal to win the 1988 Littlewoods Cup in a vintage Wembley final.READ MORE SUN STORIESThe financial gulf between the two clubs is far wider now but Edwards still has his team in with a chance of survival.The Hatters may well be back here next season. And Arsenal may yet greet them as champions of England.Partey was as good on the ball as off it More

PAUL POGBA stunned fans as he appeared at a Premier League match for the first time in two years to surprise a childhood friend.Pogba, 31, left Manchester United in 2022 after six seasons at Old Trafford to return to Juventus but his second stint in Turin was marred by injury and a devastating football ban.Paul Pogba made a surprise Premier League returnCredit: AlamyPogba was at the London Stadium to watch West Ham vs TottenhamCredit: AlamyPogba is going through a four-year ban from footballCredit: AlamyPogba cheered for his childhood friend and West Ham captain Kurt ZoumaCredit: GettyThe midfielder tested positive for banned substance DHEA, which naturally boosts testosterone production, in August.And so the Anti-Doping Prosecutor’s Office decided to punish the France international with a four-year ban, which is understood to be the maximum sentence.Pogba’s suspension runs from 11 September 2023 – the date he was provisionally banned pending investigation – until 10 September 2027.The Frenchman has confirmed he is planning to appeal that decision.Read More on FootballThe United academy graduate decided to take his mind off all that drama by flying to England and return to his Premier League roots.The Juve hero was spotted at the London Stadium on Tuesday watching the match between West Ham and Tottenham from the stands.According to The Mail, Pogba attended the game to surprise childhood friend Kurt Zouma.And it seems like the support paid off as Zouma helped the Hammers draw 1-1 with Spurs.Most read in FootballBEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERThe East Londoners’ captain equalised for David Moyes’ side after only 19 minutes.The France international cancelled out Brennan Johnson’s opener, which occurred just five minutes into the match.Paul Pogba bannedPogba amassed a total of 39 goals and 50 assists in 233 appearances at United. More

MIKEL ARTETA may have guided Arsenal to yet another Premier League title charge, but the Spaniard insists there remains a lot of work to be done.This Gunners squad is unrecognisable from the one Arteta took over from Unai Emery in December 2019, with several big names sold, axed or released and young blood and fresh faces brought in.Mikel Arteta admitted he still feels improvements are needed for his Arsenal teamCredit: GettyThe Spaniard wants two top options in every positionCredit: GettyWith the arrivals of Declan Rice, Kai Havertz, David Raya and Jurrien Timber last summer for around £215million, Arteta took another step towards having his perfect squad to compete for silverware on a consistent basis.However, in an ideal world, Arteta revealed this week that he wants a squad of 22 elite players he can constantly rotate throughout a campaign, which he believes would get the best out of his group with their own positions always under threat.He said: “I would love that – to have 22 instead of 18, where we change and one is better than the other. “The week after, the other is better than the other one.READ MORE ON FOOTBALL“That raises the level and for sure you would win more games.”Arteta cited his old mentor Pep Guardiola as being able to do just that with Manchester City over the past few seasons, culminating in last term’s historic Treble.So, how close are Arsenal to having a squad with two high-quality players in each position? How many more players do they need to make this a reality?SunSport’s Jordan Davies has taken a look…Most read in FootballBEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERGOALKEEPERFirst choice: David RayaSecond choice: Aaron RamsdaleThere were more than a few murmurings of concern when Arteta brought in Raya from Brentford on loan with an option to buy, with a view to having two competing No1s.While Ramsdale’s stock has fallen, along with his performance level when given a rare chance to start, Raya has risen to the occasion and proved Arteta right in many respects.What happened to Highbury?However, this partnership is due to break up come the season’s end with Ramsdale expected to leave in search of a No1 gig. Newcastle and Chelsea are interested.That means Arteta will be forced to splash out on another Raya competitor in the summer, one with similar attributes who can slot in seamlessly when needed. Easier said than done.RIGHT-BACKFirst choice: Ben WhiteSecond choice: Takehiro TomiyasuWhile Tomiyasu is an extremely flexible player – one who can play across the whole backline – he is most suited to right-back, a position that White has nailed down.But Tomiyasu is a player that Arteta values greatly, so much so that the Japanese international has recently signed a contract extension until 2026 with a 12-month option.This is a position of great strength at Arsenal, and although White is the preferred choice, Arteta could rely on Tomiyasu to give a solid performance when called upon.At 26, White – who also signed a new deal until 2028 last month – should provide clarity at right-back for many years to come at the Emirates.David Raya has taken the No1 jersey from Aaron RamsdaleCredit: GettyRIGHT CENTRE-BACKFirst choice: William SalibaSecond choice: N/AThe one area of this Arsenal squad that needs urgent reinforcements. Tomiyasu could fill in here in an emergency, but this is not a long-term solution Arteta would be happy with.Should Saliba – one of the best young defenders on the planet – succumb to another injury, Jakub Kiwior would be the most suited to replacing him.But the lack of depth behind him is worrying. During Gabriel’s time out of the side at the start of the season, Ben White filled in with Thomas Partey forced in at right-back.Arteta is keen to have four capable centre-backs in his squad, and with Rob Holding departing for Crystal Palace last summer, a new face should be a priority.Ben White is the first-choice right-back while Jakub Kiwior provides versatile coverCredit: GettyLEFT CENTRE-BACKFirst choice: GabrielSecond choice: Jakub KiwiorDespite starring at left-back for the past few months, Kiwior was signed by Arteta last January primarily as a central defensive back-up, so that is where we will use him right now.Earlier this campaign, the Polish international was perhaps close to being deemed surplus to requirements, yet his versatility has proved himself invaluable to Arteta.Gabriel has had one of his best seasons in an Arsenal shirt since signing from Lille in 2020, forming a formidable duo with pal Saliba.Whether Kiwior could fill the void if Gabriel is injured is another matter, but has so far had limited opportunity to play as a natural centre-back this season.LEFT-BACKFirst choice: Jurrien TimberSecond choice: Oleksandr ZinchenkoHe may have played just one Prem game this season before rupturing his ACL in August, but Timber is destined to be Arteta’s starting left-back.Arteta has spoken glowingly of the Dutchman ever since he arrived from Ajax last summer, even throughout his slow recovery. There is a belief Timber will be a game changer when fit – which could be in the next few weeks.And behind him, there is an extremely capable back-up in Zinchenko – a multiple Prem winner with City and natural leader. Another area of strength in the squad.Let’s not forget Kiwior too, who has sparkled at times as a makeshift left-back, especially in big games this calendar year against Liverpool and City.CENTRAL MIDFIELDERFirst choice: Declan RiceSecond choice: Thomas ParteyIt is hard to think of a new player who has hit the ground running better at Arsenal – Rice is Arteta’s Mr Reliable whose impressive injury record remains intact.But should Rice ever need a rest, Partey can step in. The Ghanaian is a different sort of midfielder to Rice, but still has the physicality and the engine to do a job.Will Partey be happy playing second fiddle? Unlikely, and with the 30-year-old’s contract up next summer, Arsenal may look to cash in on a player who has suffered with injury issues.This is the one place on the pitch Arteta could risk not having a back-up, knowing Rice will play the majority of games and consistently produce, but it would be a gamble.There is unlikely to be space for Thomas Partey when Declan Rice is fitCredit: ReutersCENTRAL MIDFIELDERFirst choice: JorginhoSecond choice: Fabio VieiraThis is an area of concern. Vieira has a lot of promise but has missed the majority of the campaign with a groin problem.The Portuguese midfielder, 23, still has not fully adapted to the Prem after his 2022 switch from Porto, and it remains to be seen whether Arteta is willing to be patient.And then there is Jorginho – expected to sign another one-year extension with his contract up at the end of the season, but at 32, he is not the future.As good a job as he has done for Arteta, his body and fitness require management, something Arsenal are not able to do with ease right now.ATTACKING MIDFIELDERFirst choice: Martin OdegaardSecond choice: Emile Smith RoweHailed as one of the saviours of Arsenal during Arteta’s early reign, Smith Rowe’s meteoric fall sees him currently on the bench unable to force his way back in.He has averaged just 23 minutes per Prem game this season. It is clear Arteta does not trust the 23-year-old to contribute to a title-winning team.Is the Hale End academy product’s time up at Arsenal? If so, a back-up for skipper Odegaard is necessary, even if the Norwegian plays most minutes and rarely gets injured.However, it will be tough to find someone with the pressing ability, monstrous engine and eye for a pass to match Odegaard, unless Arteta takes a risk with a young up-and-comer.Emile Smith Rowe and Eddie Nketiah remain on the fringes under ArtetaCredit: GettyRIGHT WINGERFirst choice: Bukayo SakaSecond choice: Reiss NelsonOne of Arteta’s most trusted enforcers, Saka has started plenty of matches this season despite not being 100 per cent fit – that’s how valuable he is to the side.But there will be times when the England star needs a breather, and Nelson in the past has shown to be a decent step-in – including last year’s injury-time winner over Bournemouth.But this season, Nelson appears to be another fringe player that Arteta is losing faith in to make an impact at the highest level – he has averaged just 13 minutes a game in the Prem.Another top-quality winger to keep Saka on his toes would be ideal, and could push Nelson even further towards the exit door.LEFT WINGERFirst choice: Gabriel MartinelliSecond choice: Leandro TrossardAnother area of real strength and depth. At times, Arteta has been torn between who to start, especially with Martinelli not hitting the heights of last season.Trossard has shown his class in big moments, but is yet to prove that he can do so over a 38-game league season for Arsenal.Martinelli meanwhile was hitting his stride before a foot cut hampered his progress.Both players came on in the second half of their 0-0 draw at the Etihad last weekend, both with flexibility to play across the front line when required.STRIKERFirst choice: Kai HavertzSecond choice: Gabriel JesusThird choice: Eddie NketiahIt would be a huge shock with Nketiah decides to stick around in North London beyond the end of this season, making just ten Prem starts and averaging 44 minutes per game.So, that leaves Arteta with a dilemma – two players who have starred down the middle for Arsenal yet are not natural No9s.After a slow start, Havertz has shown his worth with a flurry of goals while his aerial ability and work rate up top has impressed Arteta.READ MORE SUN STORIESA troublesome knee has disrupted Jesus’ flow but the Brazilian appears to be over that now. He played well out on the left against City, offensively and defensively.Despite currently having the option of Havertz and Jesus in that striker role, Arteta will opt to bring another a more traditional forward soon, perhaps pushing Havertz back into a midfield role that brought varying success before the new year.Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus have led the line this seasonCredit: Getty More