Arsenal 2 – 1 Wolves – Match Report

An own goal deep into second-half stoppage time saw us edge past Wolverhampton Wanderers as we escaped from a crazy ending at Emirates Stadium with a precious victory that keeps us top of the Premier League table.

After a quiet first half, we were much improved after the break and after forcing Wolves keeper Johnstone into some good saves, we finally got in front on 70 minutes when a Bukayo Saka corner struck a post and went in off the visiting custodian.

But as the game ticked past 90 minutes, it exploded into life. Tolu Arokodare nodded Wolves level as it looked like we would suffer a similar fate to our recent woes at Sunderland and Aston Villa, but in the 94th minute, Yerson Mosquera diverted another Saka delivery past his goalkeeper to send us five points clear at the top of the table.

First half frustration

Many clicking their way through the Emirates Stadium turnstiles may have expected that a match between the league leaders and the side eight points adrift at the bottom would result in an avalanche of goals for the hosts, but the first half proved that things would not be that easy.

The first 25 minutes were very quiet in terms of goalmouth action, with our first effort seeing Jurrien Timber nod the ball over from a central position, when Viktor Gyokeres was perhaps better placed to test Sam Johnstone in the hosts’ goal.

And we were given a scare when everyone pushed forward and Wolves countered, allowing Hwang Hee-Chan the chance to advance 50 yards with the ball and shoot, but David Raya managed to repel the effort. In his attempt to chase down the South Korean, Ben White pulled up with a muscle injury, and Myles Lewis-Skelly took his spot on the half-hour.

Despite that moment, we were looking the most likely to break the deadlock and a trio of chances fell Gabriel Martinelli’s way. The Brazilian somehow headed off-target when he was left unmarked during a corner, saw a shot crucially blocked by Emmanuel Agbadou after a dangerous Saka centre across the face of goal, and then poked wide after Johnstone parried the resulting corner into his path.

But we went into half-time having not registered a shot on target, while Wolves had a big late chance when a fine sliding block by Piero Hincapie snuffed out an attempt by Jorgen Strand Larsen inside our box on another rare foray forward by the beleaguered visitors, who would have gained confidence by their first 45 display.

Stroke of fortune

Another 10 minutes ticked by before Martinelli turned past a defender and sped into the box but the angle was too tight and he fired wide, immediately before a triple change saw Martin Odegaard, Leandro Trossard and Mikel Merino introduced to try and change our fortunes.

Finally we began to make Johnstone dirty his gloves, with Rice going close twice in quick succession – firstly from a free-kick 25 yards out that the shot-stopper tipped over his bar, and then a couple of minutes later a fine Trossard pass gave Rice another sight of goal from the edge of the box, but as it looked like finding the corner Johnstone palmed it away.

You had to go back 36 meetings between the teams and 46 years for the last time we failed to score against Wolves, and finally on 70 minutes we managed to get our customary goal against the Old Gold, albeit in fortuitous circumstances.

Saka sent another devilish corner into the box which curled so much it struck the inside of the far post, and it ricocheted off Johnstone’s head before finding the net.

That gave us a huge boost and we swiftly began to search for the second goal that would seal the victory. Odegaard bundled his way through the box before hitting the side-netting, Gyokeres saw a shot on the turn flash just wide of the upright and then a clever attempt by Trossard just trickled past the other side of the posts.

Double late drama

But in the final few minutes Wolves pressed us and had a period of sustained pressure for the first time inthe game, and just as the clocked ticked into the 90th minute, they found a way past Raya when Matheus Mane sent a cross into the box which was flicked by the head of Arokodare which deceived our keeper and looked set to hand us leate heartbreak again.

But in the fourth minute of added time, we fought back and won the game all over again. Saka’s delivery again caused problems, and his delivery looked set to be met by Gabriel Jesus. However, under pressure from the Brazilian, the ball flicked off Mosquera instead and found the net to send Emirates Stadium wild, as we finally found ourselves on the right end of late drama, and won a potentially crucial pair of points.

FACTS AND STATS

Wolves have now scored two own goals in a single Premier League game on three occasions, with two of those coming against us (also in November 2009). No side has conceded multiple own goals in more different games.

Yerson Mosquera putting through his own net was the 18th 90th-minute winning own goal in Premier League history. 33% of these have been for an Arsenal win (6/18), with two now against Wolves at the Emirates Stadium (also Jose Sa in February 2022).

This was the seventh time in Premier League history a team scored twice in a Premier League match with both goals being own goals, and first since Leicester against Liverpool in December 2022.

Tolu Arokodare became the first Nigerian player to score a Premier League goal for Wolves, with his equaliser Wolves’ first shot in the second half.

Wolves have conceded more own goals than any other side in the Premier League this season (4), while their two today were the first we have benefited from this term.

Excluding penalties, we have scored more set-piece goals than any other side in the Premier League this season (11), with a league-high nine of those coming from corners (9).

What’s next

We have a week off before we’re next in action, taking to the field at the Hill Dickinson Stadium for the first time against Everton on Saturday, December 20. After that, we host Crystal Palace in the Carabao Cup quarter-final on Tuesday, December 23, and our first game post-Christmas sees Brighton & Hove Albion visit N5 two days after the big day.

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