Wolverhampton Wanderers scored three goals at the Emirates and lost 2-1 to Arsenal. The less time spent thinking and talking about this dreadful match, the better. The Gunners put in comfortably their
worst performance of the season and escaped with three points. I guess if you’re going to have a really off match, the best time to do it is at home against the worst team in the Premier League.
It’s about time Arsenal got a bit of good luck. We’ve spent the last three seasons firmly in the red of the Luck Ledger. After all those injuries to key players at the worst times and “you’ll never see that call again” referee decisions, the Gunners were due for some breaks of their own. They caught one (two?) today.
On the other hand, you make your own luck. You don’t score from a corner if you don’t win corners. The keeper isn’t scrambling towards his back post for the ball to come off his fingers, off the post, and off his back into the net if Bukayo Saka isn’t delivering dangerous service just under the crossbar. You don’t get a winning own goal if Bukayo Saka isn’t teasing in a cross towards Gabriel Jesus, who is darting across his defender, helping to force the mistake.
Arsenal were terrible in the first half, completely toothless against the worst defense in the Premier League. They didn’t manage a single shot on target in the opening 45, something they hadn’t done all season. Arsenal’s best chance came from a zipped Bukayo Saka cross (there’s very much a Bukayo Saka theme here — he was the best player on the pitch and dragged Arsenal to the win) that Viktor Gyokeres was, once again, late arriving to get on the end of. Gabriel Martinelli had a decent header opportunity at the back post but put the ball harmlessly back across the face. He’d have been much better off directing it goalward, which he might have been trying to do and gotten very wrong. And Jurrien Timber took a header away from Gyokeres (again), who probably had a better run on the ball.
Ebere Eze looked out of sorts — he, along with several of his teammates, could not get the weight on their passes right at all. I don’t think Mikel Arteta and Arsenal have figured out exactly what the best position / role is for Eze in the formation. He’s a better, more impactful player than he’s been at Arsenal so far (aside from the hat trick against Spurs), and it’s up to the manager to figure out how to get the best out of him. Perhaps his first season with the club goes the same way as Kai Havertz’s — he comes on strong in the second half. Like Havertz, Eze is a world class player who might need a bit of time to figure out Arteta’s reportedly complicated system. You could say the same of Gyokeres, although the talent ceiling isn’t as high with him.
Arguably the best chance of the first half belonged to Hwang Hee Chan, who had a semi-breakaway from midfield. All 10 of the outfield Arsenal players were within 35 yards of the Wolves goal and nobody stayed with the Wolves attacker as he took off up the field. Multiple Arsenal defenders were able to chase him down and force him into a shot that David Raya rather comfortably saved, but the sprint back cost Arsenal Ben White. The fullback, playing his 4th game in 10 days after hardly playing at all, pulled up with a hamstring problem on his recovery run. You have to question the decision to play a guy that frequently who’d previous played minimal minutes this season.
The Gunners looked better in the second half. They upped the tempo a bit but still weren’t playing with enough pace and conviction. After taking the lead with the own goal, they could have put the match out of reach with another goal but didn’t muster enough chances to do so. Viktor Gyokeres, who was notably improved before being subbed off, fashioned a decent opportunity for himself, but his traditional-striker-move holding off the defender to turn and shoot dragged the ball wide. Declan Rice, who was excellent in the second half, forced a really strong save from a free kick and open play. Leandro Trossard dragged a shot or two wide. It just wasn’t coming off for Arsenal.
As the minutes ticked down, the Gunners seemed to run out of energy and / or answers. They didn’t have enough to respond to Wolves’ late push. They couldn’t win the ball nor could they keep it. Wolves’ equalizer was the least surprising thing to happen all match. You could feel it coming and it did.
Fortunately, Arsenal escaped with the points. It’s too bad that it wasn’t a Gabriel Jesus winner at the death in his first Premier League and Emirates action since returning from his long injury layoff. But I don’t think the squad cares one bit how the ball got into the back of the net. They’ll take the win and the points however they can.
It was just one of those games. The concerning thing is how many of “those games” Arsenal have suffered of late. They’re in the midst of a stumble and need to snap out of it, quickly. The silver lining is that they’re in the midst of the type of wobble that has been the undoing of their title hopes in previous seasons. So far, they’re managing it alright. They’re still top of the table and the results, while a bit disappointing (drawing 10-man Chelsea, losing late to Aston Villa), haven’t been backbreaking. They narrowly avoided such a result today. But they avoided it.
Arsenal have a full week to rest, recover, train well, and get right before next weekend against Everton. It’s an important week, the most important one of the season so far. The manager needs to say the right things, press the right buttons, and get this skid under control. The players need to step up, too. Arsenal have managed well enough so far but there’s a feeling of unease right now, particularly heading into the dreaded, congested Christmas period.
