Key stats
- Arsenal have scored in 15 of their 16 games, more often than any other team in the Premier League this season.
- No side has conceded more own goals than Wolves this season (four), while these were the first own goals Arsenal have benefited from.
- Wolverhampton Wanderers have lost their last nine games in the Premier League, their longest losing streak in the competition.
Analysis
Bukayo Saka was the brightest player on the pitch this evening, earning a match-high 8.1 Flashcore player rating.
Arsenal were dominant in possession and momentum throughout, but were poor in terms of chance creation.
Highlights
Match report
As expected, the hosts immediately dominated proceedings with Bukayo Saka floating in an early cross that Jurriën Timber headed over.
The Gunners continued to move the ball patiently against a resolute Wolves side that was willing to put their bodies on the line, as embodied by João Gomes taking a boot to the face from Eberechi Eze.
Declan Rice was then unable to get off a convincing header from another Saka cross, as Arsenal continued to favour attacks down the right.
Despite the hosts’ dominance, Hwang Hee-chan had the game’s first shot on target in the 27th minute, as he sprinted away from Arsenal’s chasing defenders but saw his eventual effort routinely saved by David Raya.
That moment still caused an issue for Mikel Arteta with Ben White going off injured shortly after.
Even so, the hosts were soon back on the attack with Jørgen Strand Larsen blocking Saka’s shot prior to Gabriel Martinelli sending two efforts wide and seeing another deflected behind.
There was certainly frustration at the Emirates as HT approached, especially as a Piero Hincapié block was required to deny Strand Larsen in stoppage time.
It was more of the same after the restart, as a Myles Lewis-Skelly attempt was cleared and boos rang out whenever Wolves got the ball back into play due to the time they were taking.
Martinelli then breezed past Matt Doherty in a rare occurrence, but the winger curled his effort wide and was then brought off as part of a triple change from Arteta shortly before the hour mark.
Viktor Gyökeres then flicked a header wide before Emmanuel Agabdou blocked Mikel Merino’s attempt. Sam Johnstone hadn’t been given a single save to make in the first 65 minutes, but the Wolves goalkeeper did brilliantly to deny Rice twice in as many minutes after that.
Johnstone was unfortunate shortly after, though, as he tipped Saka’s corner onto the post but it bounced onto his back and in as the deadlock was finally broken.
Martin Ødegaard, Gyökeres and Leandro Trossard all fired wide as Arsenal looked for a buffer before the visitors applied some pressure of their own and scored a dramatic equaliser in the 90th minute.
The visitors worked the ball out wide and Mateus Mané fizzed in a ball that Tolu Arokodare headed past Raya, sparking bedlam in the away end.
Devastation soon returned in a cruel twist, though, as Yerson Mosquera headed Saka’s cross into his net to confirm the Old Gold’s 10th consecutive defeat.
That moment might remedy the frustration from Arsenal’s dramatic defeat to Aston Villa, especially as they’ve won back-to-back games across all competitions since then.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Bukayo Saka (Arsenal)
Post-match comments
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta to TNT Sports:
"We knew it was going to be a tough match.
"We had a lot of situations in the first half with massive chances. Then we don't generate that many clear chances in the second half, we did that a bit better.
"Then we have periods so three minutes deep, so passive, really poor defensive habits not acceptable for our level. We need to improve that, and in the end, you rely on an individual action to score the goal and win the game.
"We create lots of situations without picking the right players in the final pass. Regardless of how the game goes, you can always find a solution to win it. Now we are going to have a clean week. Then we go again during the Christmas period, we know what happens."
Wolves goalscorer Tolu Arokodare to TNT Sports:
"It's hurtful. It's been happening to us the whole season.
"We play very good for the whole 90 minutes and then at the end we always concede. I don't know how to explain it but it's very hurtful."