“I just hope he gets sick before he plays against us tomorrow because I don’t have any idea of how to deal with him”- Luton Town Coach Rob Edwards was full of praises for Arsenal’s dynamic superstars as he revealed he has ZERO idea of how to stop them- Not Saka, Not Rice and not Ødegaard

“I just hope he gets sick before he plays against us tomorrow because I don’t have any idea of how to deal with him”- Luton Town Coach Rob Edwards was full of praises for Arsenal’s dynamic superstars as he revealed he has ZERO idea of how to stop them- Not Saka, Not Rice and not Ødegaard

Rob Edwards praised William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes ahead of Luton’s clash with Arsenal, claiming the pair “ticked almost every box” at centre back.

Saliba and Gabriel are arguably the most outstanding centre-backs in the Premier League this season, with Arsenal second in the standings and boasting the best defence in the league.

Erling Haaland came out frustrated at the Etihad on a weekend when Arsenal and Manchester City played goalless, and Saliba and Gabriel were largely credited with nullifying the threat posed by Pep Guardiola’s star attack.

They are expected to continue their march at the heart of Mikel Arteta’s defence on Wednesday night when Arsenal host Luton at the Emirates, looking to restore Liverpool’s top spot.

With a win, Arsenal would take a one-point advantage over Jurgen Klopp’s Reds, who host Sheffield United the following evening, who are fighting to stay in the Premier League.

In the pre-match press conference, Luton manager Edwards, himself a former centre midfielder, when asked what he thought of Saliba and Gabriel, replied: “I was very impressed with them.

‘They’ve got everything, haven’t they? They have physicality, speed, strength, they are very well coached and obviously understand the game.

‘ They can also play very well with the ball, so they have almost everything. This is Arsenal Football Club, so that’s what you would expect.

‘They have such strength and athleticism and they are a big reason why they suffocate teams. They can close down, they are very aggressive and they compete in every way.

‘If you want a fight, they have a physical battle and they can also make plays, so they ticked almost all the boxes and were obviously magnificent at the weekend.

Edwards was “impressed” by Arsenal’s meeting at the top of the standings with City, last year’s winners, and felt the two teams displayed a “masterclass” on how to set up in defence.

“For me it was fascinating. Tactically it was very, very interesting. We are talking about Arsenal with the ball, but City are obviously just as amazing,” explained the Luton head coach.

“Arsenal’s defensive solidity, concentration, the way they dealt with it was brilliant.

‘They were very aggressive when they tried to press high, but when they were low they were excellent, outstanding and hardly gave City a chance.

‘Defensively it was a real masterclass from both sides. Really, really impressive.

‘I know from a lot of neutrals and people watching it might not have been what they wanted to see, but the stakes were so high and what that game meant, I thought there were some great performances on the pitch, but maybe not the entertainment the public wanted to see.

“For me, it was fascinating to watch.

Declan Rice scored the last winner when Arsenal won 4-3 at Kenilworth Road in December, but Edwards is expecting a different battle on Wednesday night.

“It was a slightly unique game, which sometimes happens at Kenilworth Road,” he added.

“They are in great form, especially since the January break. They came back and were unbelievable.

‘I know they didn’t score at the weekend but they scored a lot of goals and obviously they are very difficult to break down.

‘Mikel and all the players are doing a great job, so if we can score three goals at the Emirates then we are doing very well!

We will try to be us and try to be the best version of us. It’s difficult at the moment, but the last game was really exciting.

‘We will be lower this time, we know that. They are so good with the ball that they will force us to be lower, so we will have to defend very well. We’ll see.