Morning folks – hope we’re all good and in the festive Christmas spirit? Not least because at this time of the year the games come thick and fast and whilst there is obviously plenty of juggling that Arteta and his coaching staff need to contend with in the busy festive period, for us fans it’s great because we get regular doses of The Arsenal and get to always be within three days of football, football and more football. I love it.

And tonight we’re up again away to Luton Town in Bedfordshire. I’d have love to have gone to the game; I’m from just east of that area in Hertfordshire and so going along to that old stadium on a Tuesday night during the Christmas period would have been heaps of fun. But given the size of the ground there was little chance I’d have got an away ticket, so tonight I have to make do with watching from my sofa as we look to continue our winning form. Maybe if I get time and there’s space i can get the guys to squeeze in a cheeky post match pod on the Same Old Arsenal pod too tomorrow or Thursday. We’ll have to see about that.

But as for this evening, I’m intrigued to see what Arteta does with rotating his side tonight, because he’ll know he can’t just play the same XI for the next two to three weeks. At a guess I’d aim for just a couple of players rotated, because I think he’s been managing minutes of some players by bringing them off at opportune moments. For example, when we battered Lens in that game last week, we saw Arteta make his move at halftime with the full backs, bringing off Zinchenko and Tomiyasu for Kiwior and White. I thought that was a smart move and it meant both could come back for the game at the weekend against Wolves pretty fresh. So my gut is telling me we might see some managed minutes at fullback tonight and I am wondering if that means White and Zinchenko this evening, so we can keep Tomiyasu saved for Villa at the weekend. If you’re going to ask me which of the two we might be tested more heavily in defence, I’m telling you that it’s going to be that game at the weekend; Villa have won six from six at home so far and will be a very tough opponent under Unai Emery.

But that doesn’t mean we should be looking ahead at that game and counting our chickens for tonight. Luton may be sitting down in 17th just outside of the relegation zone, but they’ve only lost 50% of home matches so far this season, with one win and two draws. They will be no slouches and under the lights I am expecting their tight ground to be a boisterous one this evening – in full voice and not easy for us to roll them over. But we do have to be looking at this ganme as one we need to win. You can’t go to places like Luton, drop points, then expect the likes of Liverpool and City to slip up. Liverpool did indeed draw at home to Luton a few games back, but nine times out of 10 you’re expecting them to win that and whilst they needed a last-gasp equaliser against Luton, when you look at the match and how it played out, they battered the Hatters.

So for us we need to be dominant in possession and be wary of the counter threat, because that’s how they almost did Liverpool. They will sit in, deliver unto us another low block, cede possession and see if we can break them down. And they have recent memory of that Liverpool game so they know that if they remain defensively resolute they can frustrate the best teams in the league.

Elsewhere across our team, I’m thinking that Arteta might start Havertz from the off tonight. He’s a guy who in our last away game was the difference, against a Brentford side that adopted low-block ‘frustrater’ tactics and it almost paid off, so I’m expecting Rob Edwards to tell his guys to do the same, which means the aerial; threat of Havertz could come in handy. Apart from that though, I suspect most of the first team will be relatively unchanged. Raya will stay in goal, Saliba and Gabriel as the centre halves is a given, Rice anchoring the midfield with Odegaard at right eight is what you’d expect, then a front three of Martinelli, jesus and Saka will complete our starting XI. There is an argument for Trossard to start and play Havertz as an impact sub, but I just get the feeling that Arteta will want to rotate him tonight.

The cliche rings true about goals being the difference though. In the Brentford game we had one disallowed in the first half and it empowered them to proceed with their stifling tactics. Wolves didn’t get the chance because we scored so early and if we score early again this evening (doesn’t have to be in the first five, could be in the first 30), then I think we will have the opportunity to open up the game a little more. But a goal for them or a 0-0 at halftime will mean that we’re probably going to look at a difficult and frustrating evening overall. Hopefully it doesn’t come to that.

A win this evening will put us five clear at the top at least until tomorrow, as Liverpool don’t play until then, so that’s an extra incentive for the team as well. But we have to do the business tonight and Arteta – as he said in his press conference yesterday – will have stressed to his team that there can be no complacency against any Premier League oppoinent. Game face on, do your jobs, control the ball and the chances, get the goals and see out the game.

That’s me done for today I think. Back tomorrow for the usual debriefing waffle. Have a good one.