For a club that has twice occupied the bridesmaid’s spot in successive seasons – doing precious little wrong in pushing Manchester City all the way to the final day last year – it was notable there was a total absence of unknown names in Arsenal’s starting lineup for this season opener. Indeed, the only newcomer, the £42m Italy defender Riccardo Calafiori, was made to wait for his welcome after remaining on the bench.
No, this was an entirely familiar Arsenal outfit, guided by a manager insistent that wholesale changes are not required if they are to be crowned Premier League champions.
With the paucity of transfer action, Mikel Arteta was asked this whether the club needed to bring in a new frontman to propel them that one extra step to the top of the league. He greeted the suggestion with short shrift, saying the club “have great strikers already”.
For no shortage of this game, that unwavering belief was tested, with large sections of the Arsenal support longing for a clinical finisher who could capitalise on the dominance their side showed throughout. At the final whistle, the hosts had racked up 18 shots. And yet, as has so often proven the case during his tenure, Arteta was vindicated. At least, sufficiently so to beat an impotent Wolves.
At times, Kai Havertz’s deficiencies were exposed, meekly dispossessed when played through on goal early on and shanking a curled effort well wide after half-time. But his goal showed why Arteta retains such faith in the German, whose industry created regular problems for the Wolves backline.
With limpet-like defenders keen to unclothe him and a goalkeeper intent on removing all other beings from within his orbit, Havertz bravely put his body on the line to meet the ball first, heading Bukayo Saka’s wicked inswinging cross into an unguarded net.
Further chances came and went, Saka twice forcing decent saves from José Sá, Declan Rice driving over the bar, Gabriel Martinelli’s shot deflected over when passing to a teammate might have been advised, and Thomas Partey drilling wide. But victory was wrapped up with a finish of abundant class.
Just as the home fans were starting to worry that a one-goal margin might prove insufficient, Saka turned his marker into a waxwork by shifting the ball into the few inches of available space to his left and selecting his spot to perfection, fizzing beautifully into the corner in his trademark fashion. A wonderful goal to add to his pinpoint assist.
There was time for a late cameo from Gabriel Jesus, who had returned to the bench despite impressing in pre-season. The Brazilian was joined by Eddie Nketiah, whose future may or may not lie in north London with interest from various clubs, and Leandro Trossard, who has also been deployed as a central striker on occasion. What was that about needing a goalscorer?
Sterner tests will come than this visit of a side grappling with the habitual summer player turnover necessary for the club to fulfil its operating model. In Max Kilman and Pedro Neto, Wolves have lost their captain and best player in recent months, banking close to £100m in the process.
Fresh from signing a new four-year contract, their manager, Gary O’Neil, has attempted to instil a sense of realism among supporters who spent much of last season dreaming of qualifying for European football, only to tail off horribly in the final weeks.
It was to no surprise that his much-changed and somewhat inexperienced side attempted to prioritise defensive surety over attacking flair.
While they were indebted to Arsenal’s profligacy in front of goal for remaining within touching distance for so long, there was certainly enough to buoy the travelling supporters on their journey back to the Midlands, with Wolves growing into the match the longer it wore on.
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They would have scored with their only effort on target of the opening half, were it not for a superb save from David Raya, now a permanent Arsenal employee. Making his debut after joining on loan from Celta Vigo, Norway striker Jørgen Strand Larsen’s header looked goalbound, only for the Spaniard to fling his right hand out while his body weight was careering in the opposite direction.
By the time Rayan Aït-Nouri drove wide soon after the hour mark and an unmarked Matheus Cunha shot weakly at Raya after William Saliba had given him the ball, the sense of trepidation was palpable inside the Emirates. With a whip of Saka’s left boot it was released in a flash.
