There is no easy game in the Premier League, but to win the title you have to expect to be beating the likes of Luton Town.
The same could be said last season when we face Southampton at home and ended up drawing 3-3.
Southampton scored in the opening minute following a howler from Aaron Ramsdale, and Theo Walcott made it 2-nil with less than a quarter of an hour gone.
Having got back into the game through Gabriel Martinelli in the 20th minute, we then proceeded to go 2-behind again with less than half an hour to play. Goals in the 88th and 90th minute from Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka got us a point, but it was not enough in a tight title race.
Was it complacency? Did we come out thinking we only needed to turn up to win? Were we focusing too much on Manchester City 5 days later that we took the eye off the ball? Who knows.
To only have got 2 points from 2 games against bottom of the table Southampton was a big reason we did not win the league last year. And Arteta needs to use the experience as a reminder to the players today of the danger of Luton.
Luton Town are fighting for their lives to stay in the Premier League. It is between them and Nottingham Forest for that last relegation spot.
3 points in 9 games would not have you thinking “danger”, but in most of those 9 games they have had a chance to get something.
To start with, they have scored 15 goals in those 9 games. That is more than a lot of the teams above them.
Four of the six defeats came by a single goal, with their only really poor performances coming against Sheffield United and Liverpool.
It took Tottenham until the 86th minute to get ahead of them at the weekend, whilst Bournemouth scored their winner in the 83rd and Villa in the 89th. Today will certainly be one of those games that you will want to be staying until the end.
Ultimately, it we go out, play our usual high tempo aggressive game, we will come away from it with 3 points. But like with Southampton, we need to get the thought of “how many” out of our head and firstly just focus on winning.
Yes, this season could come down to goal difference, but for that to be a factor we need to get the 3 points first.
Get the win in the back, and then it is 8 to go.
UTA.
Keenos
She Wore A Yellow Ribbon 