"GOAL!!! Robin... Van Persie!!!"
Letkinson wasn't an Arsenal fan, but he wasn't a Luton fan either. As a commentator, he prided himself on staying neutral. Still, he was obligated to deliver an exciting commentary to the audience, and at this moment, he couldn't help but jump up and shout hoarsely.
"Van Persie scores!!! The Flying Dutchman with a sensational volley!! It's not uncommon to see a finish like this from Van Persie. His shooting technique is world-class — no matter the angle, he always finds a way to beat the goalkeeper!"
"Arsenal break the deadlock in the 29th minute! It's 1-0 at Wembley!" Letkinson called out, though there was a hint of regret in his voice. Because once Arsenal took the lead, it felt like the game was slipping firmly into their hands.
The gulf in class between the two teams was simply too large. And now, in the FA Cup semi-finals, Arsenal were unlikely to take any opponent lightly. Once the two sides went head-to-head, it was hard for Luton to keep up.
Van Persie was ecstatic after the goal. He spread his arms wide and sprinted toward the corner flag, then turned back to point towards right-back Eboué, who had provided the crucial assist.
Eboué and the rest of the Arsenal players quickly surrounded Van Persie to celebrate, but even then, the celebrations weren't overly wild.
After all, despite Wenger's constant warnings against complacency, Arsenal players knew deep down — Luton, a League Two side, were heavy underdogs. Taking the lead against them was almost expected; it didn't call for an over-the-top celebration.
Even on the Arsenal bench, the mood was calm. Wenger stood up proudly, high-fived his assistants, and then turned his gaze toward the opposite technical area where Ethan stood silently on the sideline.
Young man... still a little too green... Wenger thought with a knowing smile.
Ethan, for his part, smiled back, unfazed. Arsène Wenger — the man who had gone toe-to-toe with Sir Alex Ferguson for more than a decade — had already seen through his tactics.
Ethan's high pressing at the start of the match was quickly countered. Wenger made subtle adjustments: switching the offensive pivot from Fabregas to Van Persie. Van Persie dropped deeper to collect the ball and initiate attacks, then ghosted into the box for the finishing touch — catching Luton's defense completely off-guard.
Against a player of Van Persie's caliber, Luton's defenders were simply outmatched.
George Parker had been pinned down by Adebayor's physical presence. And even after Van Persie drifted out of the penalty area, Jeffrey still focused too much attention on Adebayor, reacting too late to Van Persie's movement. That split-second delay proved fatal.
Arsenal's attacking move had been clear, incisive — and beautifully executed.
The Arsenal fans erupted in celebration, while the Luton supporters sighed collectively. Reaching the semi-finals had already exceeded their wildest dreams; against a Premier League powerhouse like Arsenal, it was always going to be a tall order.
When the match restarted, Arsenal kept up the pressure, continuing to pin Luton back.
However, Luton responded smartly. They dropped deeper, compacting the space between their lines and making it difficult for Arsenal to find openings.
Both of Luton's forwards dropped back to help the full-backs deal with Arsenal's wide players. With Arsenal's full-backs also pushing high, midfielders N'Golo Kanté and Danny Drinkwater were constantly drifting wide to cover the flanks.
Arsenal's dominance persisted, but they couldn't find another breakthrough. Gradually, they slowed the tempo, shifting to patient possession play in their own half — looking to lure Luton out and pick them off.
They weren't in a hurry. After all, the pressure was now on Luton.
The camera panned to Ethan on the sidelines. His expression was stoic, but his eyes tracked every movement intently.
Seeing Arsenal withdraw slightly to conserve energy, Ethan finally allowed himself a small sigh of relief. This at least would give Luton a bit of breathing space.
He glanced up at the Wembley Stadium big screen. The glaring red scoreboard read 1-0. Beneath it, the match clock showed the 35th minute.
Should we push forward before halftime? he wondered.
Lin Sen, his assistant, seemed to catch his thought and came over.
"Should we go for it before the break?" he asked.
Ethan considered it, then shook his head firmly.
He recalled Wenger's smile — wily, experienced. If Luton threw caution to the wind now, it would be exactly what Arsenal wanted: a chance to counterattack and kill the game before halftime.
"I still underestimated Wenger," Ethan muttered under his breath. "Even if the media says he's lost his touch... just look at today."
Ethan spread his hands, a helpless look on his face.
"He's completely seen through our plan..." he muttered.
"We can't stick to the original strategy anymore," he said firmly. "If we push forward now, Wenger is just waiting to hit us on the counter!"
Trailing by one goal still left Luton with a fighting chance, but conceding a second before halftime would make a comeback incredibly difficult.
Ethan took a deep breath, mentally scrapping parts of his pre-game setup. He had to adjust — and fast.
"Hold the line for now! Focus on defense!" he shouted to the technical area. He needed the fifteen-minute break at halftime to reorganize properly.
"Get Adam warmed up," Ethan added.
Lin Sen turned to head for the bench but was quickly called back.
"Wait," Ethan said, raising his hand. "Send Matt to warm up as well. Both of them — now. We'll regroup at halftime."
Two substitutions at the break! That was a clear signal that changes were coming.
On the sidelines, Adam and Matt Schmidt began jogging along the touchline, drawing attention from the Arsenal bench.
Wenger, sharp-eyed as ever, immediately noticed Matt Schmidt.
At 198 centimeters tall, the striker was hard to miss.
Wenger's expression sharpened. High balls? Are they preparing for an aerial assault in the second half?
It made sense. Arsenal's starting centre-backs today — Kolo Touré and Philippe Senderos — weren't the most dominant in the air. Touré stood at about 183cm, and although Senderos was taller at around 190cm, dealing with a target man like Matt Schmidt would still be a serious challenge.
Letting Matt contest headers freely? Wenger immediately ruled it out — the risk was too great.
But a high-ball strategy only worked if the delivery was there. Crosses needed time and space to be whipped in — and Wenger was confident Arsenal's fullbacks and wingers could prevent Luton's wide players from getting any joy.
He cast another glance at Matt.
Tall, yes. Dominant in the air, sure. But slow-footed, clumsy on the ball, and with limited mobility. A classic target man, good for little except attacking crosses.
For Luton to make it work, they'd have to commit more players forward — stretching themselves dangerously thin in the back.
If anything, Wenger thought with a slight smile, this adjustment might create even more openings for Arsenal.
He had faith his team could weather a few long balls — and punish Luton on the break if they overcommitted.