A joyous night for Arsenal, a devastating defeat for Wolves, and a late comeback completed and sealed not by the fab four, but attacking options number five, six and seven.
Against a team who play on the margins as much as Wolverhampton Wanderers, you do not offer them a sniff. You certainly do not gift them an opening goal. And that was almost Arsenal and Gabriel’s fatal error.
Instead, Mikel Arteta’s side turned the game around, scoring twice late on against the Premier League’s second-tightest defence and finally breaching the wall of gold that had stood in their way.
It’s a seismic victory for the Gunners, one that moves them a point behind Manchester United with two games in hand. The advantage is with them, and to thank they have Alexandre Lacazette, Nicolas Pepe and Eddie Nketiah. Just as Arsenal were looking an option short in their attack, Arteta found what he needed, and Lacazette found the goal his overall play deserved.
This was almost another memorable away outing for Bruno Lage’s side but in the end it was a lack of goals at the other end that cost them. The visitors had chances to seal the win, with Hwang Hee-Chan close to adding his second and Pedro Neto firing a deflected shot wide near the end, as Gabriel atoned for his earlier error with a crucial block.
It was the theme of the first hour in some respects, as Wolves piled the bodies on the line. Arsenal’s win was deserved on the balance of play though, even if they left it as late as could be.
There was something strangely casual about the way Wolves looked to stroke the ball around the back from kick-off and although it led to an early penalty shout for a Nelson Samedo challenge on Martinelli, that composure could only be taken as confidence from the visiting side as the half developed.
Wolves and their quality is apparent whenever Neves and Moutinho, reunited as a sitting midfield two, were on the ball. Moutinho has a clear picture of the game around him while Neves routinely finds the routes out of trouble and brings a sense of calm when in possession.
They were in the ascendency and although Arsenal were offered a warning when Romain Saiss beat Aaron Ramsdale to a Neves cross, only to be ruled offside, it was one they failed to heed. There was nothing complex about the long ball towards Raul Jimenez and Gabriel looked to have dealt with the danger as he guided it towards his corner, only to create more with a wayward backpass towards Ramsdale.
The goalkeeper was caught out of his goal and Hwang, on his first start in two months, was quick on his feet to push the ball past him and stroke it into the empty net. It was a total gift, the sort that has so often complicated Arsenal’s season. It also threatened to be particularly costly against a side who had only conceded once on their travels since mid-December.
It would be tested, but only after Jimenez dragged a golden chance wide of goal when Daniel Podence was allowed to turn and play the striker through on goal. Neither Ben White nor Gabriel paid attention to the threat and it was Arsenal’s second let off in the opening 20 minutes to go along with Hwang’s opener.
Slowly the frustration grew, as Arsenal dominated the ball and Wolves blocked the route to goal. Bukayo Saka poked a ball through to Lacazette who got the first yard on Conor Coady, only for the defender to recovered to make a sliding challenge and force the striker wide. It would be the first of many. Coady again stepped across to take the ball off Saka’s toe as he looked to strike with his right. Saiss threw himself in front of Odegaard’s effort. Max Kilman got in front of Lacazette’s volley from Kieran Tierney’s cut-back.
The home fans were appeased that their team were at least starting to shoot, even if it took until the 32nd minute for a Lacazette drive from distance to get through the gold shirts and reach Jose Sa.
Despite that, you wouldn’t have said this was a particularly good defensive performance from Wolves. Arsenal’s problem was it wasn’t a good attacking display from them, even though they continued to get through. Lacazette pulled it back to Martinelli for the next chance but the Brazilian sliced the shot wide with his open foot. Odegaard then scooped a pass to Martinelli that Sa did well to challenge off his line.
Partey trying his luck from range next was not what Arsenal, or Arteta, wanted and the Gunners went into the break with work to do. It soon almost became an even harder task, as the lively Podence slipped Hwang in for an early chance and Ramsdale just about did enough to keep the angled effort out from the far post.
It would be the closest Wolves came to ensuring the win, in another half dominated by the hosts. They were beginning to look short and you felt for Lacazette, Arsenal’s leading striker who no longer appeared to be a goal threat, despite the commendable work he was offering off the ball.
This was not a good night for Martinelli on his return from suspension, nor a particularly vintage one from Saka, even if his versatility came to the fore with a switch to left wing-back that boosted Arsenal’s late surge. It came after Martinelli’s return ended on 70 minutes and Pepe entered the fray, soon followed by Nketiah as Arteta sacrificed Granit Xhaka in his search for the equaliser. Lacazette forced another save from Sa at his near post. It looked like it wasn’t going to be night. But it soon was.
Nketiah made a willing run down the inside right channel and was found with a clipped pass in behind. He drew the ball back to find Pepe, who tuned and finished in one motion.
It roused the Emirates to a final conclusion that both sides had chances to win. Neto saw his shot deflected wide from Rayan Ait Nouri’s run, before Saka’s curling shot with palmed wide by the excellent Sa.
There would be one final twist, and Lacazette, Arsenal’s number nine would be the one to provide it. After more good work from Pepe, Lacazette took a touch as the angle closed, before his clipped finish finally beat Sa to land into the back of the net and send the Emirates into delirium. It was never in doubt.
