Arsenal could smash a Premier League goalscoring record they set over a decade ago when they tackle Luton Town in Wednesday’s Premier League showdown at the Emirates.
Owing to Sunday’s goalless draw with reigning champions Manchester City, the Gunners are no longer in control of the title race, and the crown is now Liverpool’s to lose with just nine games to go.
However, with the Reds only two points clear at the top and not in action again until Thursday evening, victory for Arsenal over the Hatters would send them to the summit for at least 24 hours.
Mikel Arteta‘s men already have one victory against Rob Edwards‘s side under their belts this season, although they were made to work extremely hard for an enthralling 4-3 triumph at Kenilworth Road back in December.
Declan Rice‘s last-gasp header saw Arsenal came out on top in that seven-goal thriller, and from each of their other four games against promoted sides this season, the Gunners have run out convincing winners.
Arsenal’s two meetings with Sheffield United have seen the North London giants record a staggering 11 goals in 5-0 and 6-0 wins, while they have triumphed 5-0 and 3-1 over Burnley in their two meetings this term.
As such, the Gunners have already scored 23 goals against 2022-23 Championship teams this season, and should they net at least twice on Wednesday, they will set a new all-time high for goals against newly-promoted sides in a single Premier League season.
Arsenal are already the proud owners of such a record, as the 2012-13 team under Arsene Wenger struck 24 times in their six games with Southampton, Reading and West Ham United.
The Gunners therefore only need to score once to equal their own feat on Wednesday, where relegation-threatened Luton are out to emulate just three teams to have won away to Arsenal in their first season in the competition.
The 2008-09 Hull City crop are the only newly-promoted side to have won at the Emirates Stadium in the Premier League, prior to which Blackburn Rovers and West Ham prevailed at Highbury in the 1992-93 and 1993-94 seasons respectively.
While the hosts’ magnificent eight-game winning run in the top flight came to an end on Easter Sunday, they are on a 38-match Premier League unbeaten streak against promoted sides at the Emirates and will face Edwards’s side with a near fully-fit squad.
Arteta delivered a team news update when he faced the media on Tuesday afternoon, revealing that Bukayo Saka was “fine” after his enforced withdrawal against Man City owing to fatigue.
With Gabriel Martinelli also coming through his substitute cameo with no ill effects following a foot issue, only Dutchman Jurrien Timber is in the treatment room, seven-and-a-half months on from his ACL injury.
Arteta revealed in his press conference that the former Ajax man is now training, but he will play at least one game with the Under-21s before he is considered for first-team selection again.
