"I really enjoyed the win, especially at the end," Arteta said after the game at Kenilworth Road. "The great thing about football is the emotions and the moments you get to experience with so many people. It was a special night. We showed resilience, character, character, desire and in the end we found a way to win."

The Spaniard praised Arsenal's never-say-die attitude, insisting his side never wanted a draw, only a win. "That drive, that energy, the risk and the emotion we put on the pitch, you could feel it. I think Arsenal should have scored earlier with the chances we created. But we kept trying until the end and got the reward," he added.

Against newly promoted opponents who were in danger of relegation, Arsenal took the lead twice in the first half thanks to Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Jesus. But the game was no longer easy in the second half, due to errors in defense. They even let Luton lead 3-2 just over 10 minutes after the break.

With nothing to lose, Arsenal pressed forward and leveled the score at 3-3 with Kai Havertz's close-range shot. After the extra time, Arteta's team seemed to have to leave with a point. But in the final seconds, from a cross by captain Martin Odegaard, midfielder Declan Rice jumped high and headed the ball across the corner, sealing a 4-3 victory for Arsenal.

Rice's decisive header after 96 minutes and 23 seconds was the latest goal Arsenal have scored away from home in the Premier League since the 2006-07 season. It also ended a run of 10 games without a win against Luton in all competitions since 1984.

Rice also became the third Arsenal player to score two stoppage-time winners in a single Premier League season, after Ian Wright and Nicklas Bendtner. In the fourth-round win over Manchester United in early September, the England midfielder also scored in the sixth minute of stoppage time to make it 2-1. Since joining Arsenal for a fee of £133 million, Rice has scored another important goal - a one-touch shot from 40 yards out to help Arsenal draw 2-2 at Chelsea.

According to Arteta, Rice has shown leadership qualities, improved in each match, has the ability to choose the right time and finish well in the penalty area. The Spanish coach hopes his student can continue to score important goals for Arsenal. He also revealed that Takehiro Tomiyasu has a calf injury and will be out for a while.

Arteta was booked for wildly celebrating Rice's stoppage-time goal. It was his third yellow card of the season and means he will be banned from direct control for the next game, away to Aston Villa on 9 December. "I couldn't sit still in the dugout. It was pure emotion," Arteta said.

The win over Luton cemented Arsenal's position at the top of the table with 36 points, extending their lead over Liverpool and Man City to five and six points respectively. Liverpool travel to Sheffield United today, while defending champions Man City visit Aston Villa.

Hong Duy