Arsenal secures a 4-3 victory against Luton Town with a last-minute goal by Declan Rice, overcoming two David Raya mistakes.

Arsenal moved five points clear at the top thanks to a winning goal scored by Declan Rice in the seventh minute of added time on a skittish night for the Premier League leaders.

Mikel Arteta emerged triumphant and his players celebrated the late escape with jubilant fans in the away end but if he thought the thorny issue of goalkeepers might retreat to a safe distance he might have to think again.

David Raya at fault for two Luton goals, flapping at a corner as Elijah Adebayo headed in from close range at the start of the second half and then letting a low shot by Ross Barkley to slither under his body.

Barkley’s first Luton goal fired the home team into a 3-2 lead on the hour but fortunately for Arteta his leaky team proved to be in clinical form at the other end.

Gabriel Martinelli opened the scoring and Gabriel Jesus scored the second on half time after Gabriel Osho had equalised with a header from a corner. 

Havertz scored the sixth goal of a pulsating game before Rice headed in the late winner to spare Arsenal’s blushes but Raya’s mistakes will reheat controversy around whether teams should prioritise a keeper with poise on the ball or one who keeps it out of the net.

The teams were in competition for the first time since 1991 although it was a short haul for the visitors. Kenilworth Road is no further from their Hertfordshire training base than the Emirates Stadium.

Arsenal had not won on their previous 10 games here. A frustrating sequence stretching back nearly 40 years. In the time since, Luton have rolled out a plastic pitch and torn it up again, beaten the Gunners in the League Cup final at Wembley, crashed into non-league and fought their way back to the top flight.

The North Londoners have spent most of those decades coasting serenely along in the gilded upper echelons of English football, and they arrived two points clear at the top of the Premier League, settling into possession during a cagey opening phase, light on goalmouth incident and heavy on midfield friction.

Luton hustled and snapped into tackles but could only hold out for 20 minutes before Martinelli struck. Jesus instigated the chance as he chased a lost cause, closing down goalkeeper Thomas Kaminski and forcing him to kick into touch.

Jesus sprinted to collect the ball, picked it up and threw it quickly back into play to Bukayo Saka, making his 200th appearance for Arsenal. Saka found Martinelli arriving to on the run to sweep into the bottom corner in only his second Premier League goal of the season. His first since was winner against Manchester City in October.

Luton trailed for only five minutes before Osho levelled with a header from a corner.

Arteta seemed to go for extra height and physical presence with his team selection. No doubt, he was conscious of Luton’s aerial threat especially from set-pieces. Ben White and Jakub Kiwior were back in the defence and Havertz was preferred to Leandro Trossard in midfield.

But Martinelli was marking Osho as they contested Alfie Doughty’s corner and the Brazilian striker was easily shrugged aside by the tall centre-half who headed the chance past David Raya and into the net without needing to jump. It was his first Premier League goal.

Like Arteta, Luton boss Edwards had made changes. Both managers keen to stress their caution as they plunge into the congested festive programme. Captain Tom Lockyer was absent, injured on Saturday at Brentford.

Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu celebrated his 10th anniversary as a Luton player by leading his side out against the team he supported as a boy.

The Kenny roared but Arsenal were not about to be intimidated by the equaliser and the homespun surroundings. In fact, they responded well. Kaminiski made saves, first to deny Jesus from a tight angle and then to push another Martinelli shot over, but could do nothing to stop the goal conceded just before half time.

White charged onto a pass down the right and clipped a cross to the back post where Jesus sprang unmarked and head into an open goal. If Martinelli was overdue a goal in the Premier League then Jesus certainly was too. This was his first for three months, since scoring against Manchester United.

Luton hit back for the second time five minutes into the second half. Again, it came from a corner delivered by Doughty. This time, it was Adebayo climbing high above Raya to head in from close range.

The goalkeeper may have more composure and poise with the ball at his feet but he did not was not a commanding presence under the high ball.

Luton took the lead for the first time through Barkley who started the move himself by skipping past Martin Odegaard on halfway and traded passes with Andros Townsend. Collecting the return, Barkley made a yard on White and went for goal.

Raya could not get down quickly enough to keep it out but the lead was shortlived. Jesus chased a long ball over the top from Saka and found Havertz who poked the bouncing ball past Kaminski. It was a soft goal from Luton’s angle and guaranteed a frantic closing period.

Arsenal finished firmly in the ascendancy. Leandro Trossard fired one shot over and flashed another effort wide from 20 yards. Luton survived a nervous wait for a VAR check and Kaminski tipped over a header from Havertz before Rice headed in an Odegaard cross to settle it.