There was a five-minute break between the end of regulation time and the start of extra time.
The pause was brief — just enough for the players, who had been battling for ninety minutes, to catch their breath and rehydrate.
During this window, the coaching staff became the busiest people on the sidelines. Ethan stood in the middle of the players, who were sitting on the grass in a circle. As they gulped down water, physios and assistants worked quickly, massaging cramped thighs and loosening tight muscles, trying to stave off fatigue.
There was no time for complex tactical discussions.
Standing in the center of the group, Ethan kept it short and sharp:
"Charlie, you're coming on in extra time, replacing Kevin. We're switching to a 4-3-3! Midfield trio: Adam, Kanté, Drinkwater. From the whistle, we go aggressive — we attack! They're running on empty — we have the legs!"
With the tactics clearly laid out, Ethan didn't waste time on motivational speeches.
Just pushing Arsenal into extra time in the semi-finals was already a massive boost to the team's morale.
On the other side, Arsenal's manager Arsène Wenger took a different approach.
Instead of focusing on tactics, he chose to fire up his players' pride and spirit.
"We need to attack!" Wenger's voice rang out. "Look at the talent we have up front! We've loaded the pitch with attackers — not to defend, but to destroy! We are Arsenal! We are a top Premier League side! We do not accept defeat!"
Wenger's expression was serious as he scanned the faces of his players. Raising three fingers, he barked:
"Thirty minutes! Thirty minutes left to redeem ourselves! If we get knocked out by Luton in the semi-finals, it will be a laughingstock — a stain on our history for a hundred years! They will call it a miracle, and we'll be the fools who let it happen!"
"Attack! Relentless attack!"
He roared the names of his attacking stars:
"Van Persie! Adebayor! Walcott! Fabregas!"
Each name, heavy with Premier League pedigree, carried a weight of expectation.
Even though these players sat right before him, Wenger spoke as if invoking some legendary figures — almost to remind them of the level they were expected to uphold.
"If you give everything, no defense — not even the best in the Premier League — can hold you back!
We will not let this go to penalties!"
As Wenger's impassioned speech was caught by the television cameras, millions of fans heard his rallying cry live.
"Wenger says they won't accept penalties! Arsenal will go all out in extra time!" exclaimed commentator John Letheren, his voice buzzing with excitement. "We could be witnessing a match that will be replayed for decades — and maybe my commentary too!"
Nearby, Luton assistant coach Lin Sen sneaked close enough to eavesdrop and returned to Ethan.
"They're desperate to avoid penalties," Lin Sen whispered.
Ethan smirked. "Good. If they can't score, it's our victory. We don't want penalties either!"
Just as Ethan predicted, extra time unfolded in Luton's favor.
Arsenal, running on fumes and down to ten men, pushed forward desperately at the start, but their attacks soon faltered under Luton's organized pressure.
Gradually, Luton's fresher legs began to dominate. Arsenal players, worn out and scattered, were forced back, retreating deeper and deeper into their own half.
Walcott and the recently subbed-on Denílson still chased energetically, but apart from them, Arsenal's movement was sluggish.
Fabregas in particular was struggling.
After Song's sending-off, Fabregas had to shoulder defensive duties on top of his usual creative workload. The young Spaniard looked exhausted, but with no substitutions left, he had no choice but to soldier on.
Left-back Kieran Gibbs was also near collapse.
As a wide player, his role demanded constant sprinting — up and down the line — and now, his legs felt like they were weighed down with lead.
Sensing the weakness, Luton exploited it.
In the 101st minute, with just four minutes left in the first half of extra time, the breakthrough came.
Adam, carrying the ball down the left flank, drew defenders toward him.
At just the right moment, he slipped a pass inside to Drinkwater.
Drinkwater didn't hesitate. With one quick touch, he switched the play to the right flank — where fresh legs and space were waiting...
In fact, Drinkwater had no other intentions with this ball — just a simple left-to-right switch to stretch Arsenal's defense, forcing them to run more and wear down their stamina.
Kevin Keane, not known for his flair, calmly controlled the pass and was preparing to recycle possession back to the midfield.
This was the essence of Luton's offensive strategy: shifting the opponent's defensive line from side to side, waiting patiently for a crucial gap to appear.
But just then, disaster struck for Arsenal. As Gibbs sprinted to close down Keane, his footing gave way — his heavy stride caused him to stumble awkwardly, and he fell before reaching the ball!
Kevin Keane showed no mercy. Seizing the opportunity, he skipped past Gibbs with ease!
Arsenal's defense immediately descended into chaos. Hill Waiters rushed forward to cover, while Vardy made a darting run through the middle, dragging central defender Kolo Touré out of position!
"Kevin Keane crosses!!" shouted the commentator.
But Keane didn't whip the ball across blindly — instead, he cleverly cut it back in an inverted triangle behind the retreating center-backs!
Fabregas, caught ball-watching, failed to track Charlie Austin, who had just been brought onto the pitch. Denilson sprinted back desperately, but it was too late — Charlie Austin smashed the ball into the back of the net from inside the penalty area!!
Hands raised in triumph!!!
Fabiański stood rooted to the spot, helpless!
"Ahhhhhhh!!! It's in!!!" Letkinson roared from the stands. "Charlie Austin sends it home!!! Arsenal are in serious trouble!!! If this score holds, Luton Town will reach the FA Cup final!!!"
The Luton supporters erupted, turning the Wembley stands into a sea of roaring fans.
Could there be a crazier moment than this?!
Luton Town were now leading Arsenal in the FA Cup semi-final! Twenty minutes remained in extra time — just twenty more minutes, and history would be made!
On the bench, Luton's coaching staff had exploded in celebration. Yet Ethan, the manager, stayed calm. He clenched his fists in a restrained celebration, his mind still focused on the task ahead.
At this stage, anything could still happen.
As the players jogged back after celebrating, Ethan pulled them in, shouting instructions directly into their ears:
"Attack!! Keep attacking!! They're out of defenders!! Arsenal can't defend with just exhausted forwards!!!"
And indeed, Arsenal were running on fumes.
Just two minutes after Charlie Austin's goal, Matt Schmidt met a cross from Adam's driving run down the flank and thumped a powerful header into the net!!!
"THREE TO ONE!!!" Letkinson screamed. His voice was almost hoarse from the excitement. "Three to one!!! Luton lead Arsenal three to one!!!"
In the stands, Luton fans linked arms, swaying and singing at the top of their lungs:
"Mr. Wenger, we don't want penalties either!!!"
Their chants echoed across Wembley Stadium.
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