Arsenal narrowly defeated Wolves 2-1, extending their lead at the top of the Premier League by five points. The match was tightly contested, with Arsenal struggling to break through until late in the game. Despite being separated by 31 points in the standings, both teams were evenly matched for much of the contest.
Wolves' goalkeeper Sam Johnstone had a challenging day. He made a crucial save from Declan Rice's shot in the 67th minute but was unlucky when Bukayo Saka's corner hit his shoulder and went into the net three minutes later. This own goal gave Arsenal the lead.
Wolves showed resilience and nearly secured a draw in the 90th minute. A well-coordinated move involving substitutes Fer Lopez and Jhon Arias led to Mateus Mane's cross, which
Tolu Arokodare headed home. However, they couldn't hold on during stoppage time.
In added time, another Saka cross resulted in an own goal by Yerson Mosquera as he tried to clear ahead of Gabriel Jesus. This sealed Arsenal's victory and left Wolves facing potential relegation worries.
LEAVING IT LATE FOR A BIG THREE POINTS pic.twitter.com/oUoPVgnWY8
- Arsenal (@Arsenal) December 13, 2025
Despite their loss, Wolves received applause from their travelling fans, contrasting with boos after their recent defeat to Manchester United. They became only the second team this season to keep a clean sheet at half-time against Arsenal at the Emirates.
This match marked Arsenal's first instance without a first-half shot on target in a Premier League game this season. Their expected goals (xG) were just 1.02 from 16 shots, while Wolves managed 0.38 xG from three attempts.
The unfortunate own goals contributed to Wolves' ninth consecutive Premier League loss, marking their longest losing streak ever at any level. As Arsenal looks forward to Crystal Palace potentially helping them against Manchester City, Wolves face a daunting task to avoid falling further behind in the league standings.
