Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta will miss Saturday’s trip to Aston Villa after being booked for the third time this season for celebrating Declan Rice’s 97th-minute victory at Luton Town.
On Tuesday night, the Spaniard sprinted down the touchline and onto the field before celebrating with his teammates.
Referee Samuel Barrott then showed Arteta a yellow card, which means he will not be on the bench for Saturday’s game at Villa Park because three yellow cards equal an automatic suspension.
Asked if it was worth it, Arteta replied, “Yeah, I could not be sitting on my seat, unfortunately. So I left there; I had no spatial awareness at all.
“It was just pure emotion. So if that’s a yellow, OK, it’s a yellow.”
Arsenal took the lead when Gabriel Martinelli tapped home after being put up by a low cross from Bukayo Saka, but Luton swiftly equalized when Gabriel Osho headed in from a corner.
Arteta’s team took the lead again before the break, with Gabriel Jesus tapping past Thomas Kaminski at the far post after fine link-up play on the right by Saka and Ben White, but they were pegged back shortly after half-time by Elijah Adebayo, who out-jumped the goalkeeper to equalize.
Rob Edwards’ side was on the verge of a famous triumph after Barkley’s goal, a shot straight at Raya that slid through his hands and under his body.
Within minutes, Kai Havertz scored his third goal in four games, beating Kaminski to the ball and scoring from Jesus’s dinked pass into the box.
Then there was late drama, with Rice’s intervention with virtually the final touch breaking Luton hearts and extending Arsenal’s winning streak to four league games.
Arteta said, “I really enjoyed it, especially the end.
“It’s the incredible thing about football, emotions, and the moments that you live together. It was a special night.
“Credit to Luton for the incredible atmosphere that they created and the way they played. They made life really difficult for us. But we found a way to win. The resilience, the character, and the quality showed.
“We play every three days, and we have to win every game; the demands are there. It’s the way the players go about it and how much they want it.
“Today we conceded some goals we’ll be disappointed with. That’s part of it as well; it’s going to happen. It’s how we react to that.”
