Before Kevin Keane sent the ball forward, Ethan was pacing anxiously along the technical area, occasionally glancing at his assistants but saying nothing.
Inside, he was uneasy — he couldn't deny that Arsenal's earlier goal had shaken his confidence. But on the surface, Ethan stayed composed.
As the manager, he had to project unwavering belief; he had to show the players that they could still win.
A coach's demeanor in these moments was crucial. When the team was behind, the players needed to look to the touchline and see strength, not doubt.
And then it happened — Vardy chested the ball into the net, leveling the score! Ethan's bottled-up emotions finally exploded.
He sprinted down the touchline, covering over 20 meters before reaching Vardy near the corner flag.
Clenching both fists, he shouted wildly along with his players.
The substitutes stormed off the bench to join the celebrations, piling on top of the players already on the pitch.
The Luton fans erupted, chanting in unison:
"Vardy! Vardy! Vardy!"
From the commentary box, Letkinson's voice rang out:
"Jamie Vardy equalizes for Luton! And crucially — Arsenal are down to ten men after that red card! It's eleven versus ten now!"
"Wenger's side are in serious trouble! Are we witnessing a semifinal upset here?!"
"We're at the 73rd minute! With stoppage time, there's about twenty minutes left! Luton have a one-man advantage for the remainder!"
Paul Mawson added from the side:
"Don't forget — if it stays level, we'll head into extra time!"
Despite Arsenal's man disadvantage, their attacking quality was still a major threat. Ethan knew it.
He didn't dare push all-out for a second goal and risk being caught on the break.
"Stay compact! Stick to the counterattack!" Ethan barked out orders even in the midst of the celebrations.
When he returned to the dugout, John and some of the staff exchanged worried looks, but Ethan cut them off firmly:
"Time is on our side!"
Even if it went to extra time, Ethan believed fatigue would eat away at Arsenal's ten men faster.
Wenger still had three substitutions available, but a numerical disadvantage couldn't be fixed by fresh legs alone.
Still, Ethan's biggest fear wasn't extra time — it was conceding again before the final whistle.
He paced the technical area restlessly, reinforcing the message to his team:
"Let them panic. We stay calm!"
His reading of the situation proved spot on.
Frustrated and humiliated, Arsenal's players were rattled. They had just conceded to a team from the Championship — and in a major semifinal, no less.
Pride wounded, the Gunners threw themselves forward recklessly in search of an immediate response.
As play resumed, it was clear: Arsenal were throwing everything they had into attack.
But for Ethan and Luton, the plan was clear — defend deep, strike on the counter, and make their extra man count.
Wenger was starting to feel anxious, so he quickly made a bold substitution.
Twenty-year-old Mexican forward Carlos Vela stood on the sidelines, ready to come on. He was set to replace... Alexander Song!
Removing a central midfielder for an attacker — Wenger was throwing caution to the wind. Even though Arsenal were down to ten men, he decided to go all-in on attack in the final moments!
With Vela's introduction, Arsenal now had three forwards on the pitch. On the flanks were Nasri and Arshavin, with Fabregas orchestrating from midfield. It was clear: Arsenal were preparing for an all-out assault.
Their formation now resembled a desperate 3-3-3 — three defenders at the back, a midfield trio of Nasri, Fabregas, and Arshavin, and three strikers leading the line.
Despite having a numerical advantage, Luton Town looked under real pressure facing Arsenal's furious charge.
Arsenal hadn't expected the game to reach this point. They hadn't made any real preparations for extra time, assuming they'd win it inside ninety minutes. So once they managed to level the score, they launched into a frantic, high-risk offensive.
Ethan watched intently from the touchline. Although Arsenal's shots made his heart race and his pupils dilate sharply, as the minutes ticked by, he grew calmer.
From Arsenal's desperate, chaotic attacks, Ethan could see it clearly — this was the final, reckless struggle of a team that had burned through almost all its energy.
Ninety minutes of intense pressing and attacking had taken a heavy toll on Arsenal's legs.
Arsenal still had two substitutions left, but with one man down and the players utterly drained, how much impact could two fresh legs really have?
Charlie Austin had been warming up for some time now, but Ethan checked the clock and chose not to send him on just yet.
"Get ready for extra time!" Ethan barked to his assistant John.
Luton had prepared for this scenario. Charlie Austin would be brought on to add fresh legs when it mattered most, but Ethan was careful not to rush.
Arsenal's wild siege failed to produce a winning goal. When the referee blew the whistle for the end of regular time, it was as if the air had been sucked out of Arsenal's players. Several collapsed to the turf, writhing with cramps and exhaustion.
The final ten minutes of relentless assault had drained them completely.
Wenger had already made two substitutions around the 80th minute, bringing on Walcott and Denilson to replace Nasri and Arshavin, who were both visibly fatigued.
Denilson, a midfielder with a powerful long-range shot, and Walcott, a winger known for his blistering pace, were supposed to reignite Arsenal's attack.
But neither substitution changed the flow of the match. The regular ninety minutes ended, and the battle rolled into extra time.
Wenger looked on, a helpless figure on the sidelines. Arsenal had gambled everything on their final push, overloading the attack and leaving their formation hopelessly unbalanced. It hadn't paid off.
Now they would have to face extra time with a broken formation and shattered stamina.
Wenger tilted his head back, staring up into the night sky. Arsenal, battered and fatigued, would now need a miracle.