LONDON — Arsenal escaped with a 2–1 win at home to rock-bottom Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday night in breathlessly dramatic circumstances.
Wolves came to the Emirates and scored three times. Unfortunately for the visitors, two of those ended in their own net. Sam Johnstone inadvertently bundled Arsenal in front after 70 frustrating minutes for the hosts only for Tolu Arokodare to head Wolves level in the final minute of normal time.
“There might be more pain to come,” Wolves boss Rob Edwards had fretted ahead of the trip to north London. It would arrive in the 94th minute via another own goal, on this occasion from Yerson Mosquera, to condemn the defiantly misfortunate travellers to yet another defeat and earn Arsenal their ugliest (and luckiest) win of the season.
Arsenal Player Ratings vs. Wolves (4-2-3-1)
GK: David Raya—6.9: Unable to deny Tolu’s crisp header.
RB: Ben White—6.6: Lasted barely half an hour before joining the crowded treatment room in the capital.
CB: Jurriën Timber—7.4: Despite having twice as long as White to dovetail with Saka at right back, the Dutchman offered half as much threat.
CB: William Saliba—7.4: Mercifully fit once again after sitting out the past four matches, Saliba picked up right from where he left off.
LB: Piero Hincapié—8.0: Started as a left back before being quickly shuffled infield to accommodate Myles Lewis-Skelly’s enforced arrival.
CM: Martín Zubimendi—6.8: There was a whiff of disdain to the way Zubimendi spun away from Wolves’ attempts to press him, pirouetting past every turquoise shirt that dared try to win possession with a waggle of the hips and a roll of the eyes. Could have done with a little more of that swagger in the final third.
CM: Declan Rice—7.3: Forever thinking of going forward, Arsenal’s bundle of muscle and sinew won his arm wrestle in midfield.
AM: Eberechi Eze—6.8: These were the nights that Eze was bought for—though what experience of low blocks he would have had at Crystal Palace has always been dubious—the dextrous schemer to unlock a stubborn door. He must have left his keys at home on a night when he failed to create or take a single shot.
RW: Bukayo Saka—8.2: Rapidly established he had the beating of Toti Gomes and proved that each and every time he got the ball.
ST: Viktor Gyökeres—6.5: Ran fast and hard but invariably straight into a wall of flesh named Emmanuel Agbadou. Arteta will have to continue working on his defence of the summer recruit.
LW: Gabriel Martinelli—6.4: Spurned Arsenal’s best chance while he was on the pitch, spooning a first-half header over the bar from three yards out.
| Substitute | Rating (Out of 10) |
|---|---|
| Myles Lewis-Skelly (31’ for White) | 7.2 |
| Martin Ødegaard (58’ for Eze) | 6.8 |
| Mikel Merino (58’ for Zubimendi) | 7.1 |
| Leandro Trossard (58’ for Martinelli) | 6.6 |
| Gabriel Jesus (81’ for Gyökeres) | N/A |
Subs not used: Kepa Arrizabalaga (GK), Christian Nørgaard, Ethan Nwaneri, Noni Madueke.
Wolves (5-3-2)
Starting XI: Sam Johnstone; Matt Doherty, Yerson Mosquera, Emmanuel Agbadou, Toti Gomes, David Møller Wolfe; João Gomes, André, Ladislav Krejčí; Jørgen Strand Larsen, Hwang Hee-chan.
Subs used: Jackson Tchatchoua, Tolu Arokodare, Fer López, Jhon Arias
Player of the Match: Bukayo Saka (Arsenal)
Arsenal 2–1 Wolves: How It Unfolded at the Emirates
“We are going to go full gas from the beginning,” Mikel Arteta warned. That early onslaught never spluttered into life. The most telling flick of an Arsenal boot in the opening 25 minutes came when Eberechi Eze inadvertently caught João Gomes in the face with a stray set of studs.
It was the lowly visitors who carved open the game’s first clear sight of goal. Arsenal had shovelled every red shirt into the final third for a long throw midway through the first half only for the ball to squirt out to Hwang Hee-chan near the centre circle.
Wolves’ lone forward had 60 yards to run before reaching David Raya’s goal, a swarm of red shirts hurtling closer with every stride he took, and his effort was tame enough for the Spanish stopper to fall onto.
The league leaders didn’t register a single shot on target in the first half. The loudest cheer of those opening 45 minutes was one of irony, with the Emirates crowd taking some rare satisfaction from the fourth official briefly forgetting how many minutes to add on.
Wolves played their part. Every restart was delayed, no amount of contact too minimal in a display of much-needed stubbornness. Yet the Gunners were all to happy to give into that dialled-down tempo. As so often has been the case—particularly in the first few months of the season—their threat was almost entirely reserved for set pieces, where Gabriel Martinelli fluffed two first-half chances.
As each minute ticked by with the game still goalless, the Emirates became an increasingly tense and tetchy place. Manchester City started the weekend just two points adrift and even Liverpool have remembered how to win.
More than two-thirds of the contest had elapsed before Arsenal belatedly aimed a shot on target. Ironically enough, they wouldn’t need one to take the lead.
Wolves goalkeeper Johnstone did incredibly well to tip a menacingly corner from Bukayo Saka onto the crossbar only to then see the ball bounce off the woodwork and onto his arm which was still outstretched. Arsenal’s opener almost apologetically trickling into the net.
Tolu’s equaliser was far more emphatic. Demonstrating a cutting edge in possession which their hosts had lacked all night, Mateus Mane arced a devilish cross into the box for his fellow substitute to deftly flick past David Raya.
The Emirates was still attempting to grasp the humiliation they had on their hands when Saka whipped a hopeful ball into the mix in the fourth minute of stoppage time. The returning Gabriel Jesus—who was originally mistakenly credited with the winner—didn’t get a touch on the ball but did enough to bamboozle Mosquera enough to divert the ball into his own net.
As the dust belatedly settled on a night to remember—for reasons good and bad—Arsenal somehow found five points clear at the Premier League summit while Wolves remain rooted to the foot of the table.
Arsenal vs. Wolves Half Time Stats
| Statistic | Arsenal | Wolves |
|---|---|---|
| Possession | 74% | 26% |
| Expected Goals (xG) | 0.43 | 0.28 |
| Total Shots | 6 | 2 |
| Shots on Target | 0 | 1 |
| Big Chances | 2 | 1 |
| Pass Accuracy | 86% | 62% |
| Fouls Committed | 3 | 7 |
| Corners | 4 | 0 |
Arsenal vs. Wolves Full Time Stats
| Statistic | Arsenal | Wolves |
|---|---|---|
| Possession | 70% | 30% |
| Expected Goals (xG) | 1.02 | 0.38 |
| Total Shots | 16 | 3 |
| Shots on Target | 2 | 2 |
| Big Chances | 2 | 1 |
| Pass Accuracy | 86% | 69% |
| Fouls Committed | 7 | 15 |
| Corners | 8 | 0 |
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Arsenal Player Ratings vs. Wolves: Bonkers Finish Bamboozles the Emirates.
