In the capital, London – Should the intense demands of the championship challenge induce such a reaction from Arsenal in December, one can only speculate about the level of stress they will experience in May.
The North London squad required two instances of opponent’s own scoring contributions from Wolves, recognized as the division’s least formidable team – currently tracking to match the all-time lowest performance in Premier League annals – to secure the win that supporters generally foresaw entering Emirates Stadium on Saturday evening, thereby reinstating a five-point advantage at the pinnacle of the league standings.
The 2-1 outcome stands as the sole positive Arsenal can extract from this encounter. Naturally, in the immediate context, it is the paramount factor. They discovered a solution. Yet, the absolute disarray in which they navigated this fixture will do little to alleviate concerns that the primary uncertainty surrounding their title aspirations centers on their ability to maintain composure when the ultimate prize is within reach.
Almost every aspect of this display was reminiscent of the Arsenal identity that manager Mikel Arteta had hoped they had moved beyond this season: a noticeable absence of decisiveness in front of goal; an excessive reliance on Bukayo Saka to generate the necessary attacking flair; and a surrender of the initiative, which emboldened their adversaries with renewed belief.
Following a challenging opening period and a slightly improved start to the subsequent half, Saka’s corner kick in the 70th minute was deflected onto the goalpost by Wolves’ goalkeeper Sam Johnstone, before ricocheting off the back of his head and into the net.
This moment should have marked the conclusion of their struggles, but it merely signaled the beginning. Much like Sunderland last month, Wolves were encouraged by Arsenal’s retreat in territory and their reluctance to press, emerging from their defensive 5-3-2 formation with several substitutions aimed at flooding the penalty area in pursuit of an equalizing goal. One duly arrived in the 90th minute as Saka allowed Mateus Mane space, who then delivered a cross for Tolu Arokodare – both Wolves substitutes – to powerfully head past David Raya.
Suddenly, Arsenal found themselves on the precipice. A draw in this match, combined with Manchester City triumphing over Crystal Palace on Sunday, would have dislodged them from the top spot in the league.
And then, Saka, the singular player who continued to press and exert effort, delivered a cross in the 94th minute that substitute Gabriel Jesus attempted to connect with, but Wolves defender Yerson Mosquera inadvertently met it instead, redirecting the ball into his own goal.
It was noteworthy that Arteta chose not to dwell on the elation of that specific instant, but instead focused on the issues that had led to such a critical situation in the first place. “[The atmosphere in the changing room] is one of relief, but accompanied by a very clear understanding that the margins should have been considerably larger,” he articulated. “After not being sufficiently precise in the initial half with the numerous opportunities we created within the opponent’s penalty area, and failing to select the correct teammate, we recognized the need for improvement in the second half.
“We achieved that; we generated more chances to score, but subsequent to that, we experienced a period of two or three minutes where we were deeply, entirely passive, exhibiting deplorable defensive habits that are far from the standard required against a team that had not registered a single shot.
“The first time they had an opening, they capitalized and scored, and this is the nature of the Premier League. Fortunately, we feel relieved because we scored a goal to secure the win, but we absolutely must enhance our performance in that regard.”
Injuries have undeniably diminished Arsenal’s resources. Central defender William Saliba made his return in this match, but Ben White was compelled to leave the field after 31 minutes due to a hamstring injury. Arteta subsequently confirmed that the outlook “appears to be unfavorable news” regarding White. Nevertheless, such circumstances cannot wholly account for a performance lacking the intensity demanded by such an opportunity, a chance to reassert their dominance in the league following a painful last-minute defeat at Aston Villa last weekend.
Arteta has invested significant effort into cultivating and leveraging the emotional energy within Emirates Stadium to foster a more intimidating atmosphere. One direct outcome of his success in this endeavor is the profoundly emotional character of what ought to have been a routine home game. Within such an environment, his players are obligated to demonstrate their capability to consistently execute their tactical scheme under duress.
City has recently exerted a degree of pressure on them, and this has seemingly been a contributing element, alongside a challenging fixture schedule and the absence of pivotal players. Manager Pep Guardiola has already repeatedly indicated his familiarity with winning league titles – an uncommon remark for a manager to make in winter, but one that feels pointed when considering Arteta’s comparatively lesser experience.
“Each time you triumph in the Premier League, you should experience joy and acknowledge the immense difficulty involved,” Arteta stated. “However, we exacerbated the challenge for ourselves today, and that stands as the crucial lesson we must absorb.
“When the opposition earns something, that is acceptable, and they undertook many actions to complicate matters for us, but… concerning the aspects within our control, we must guarantee that we improve them.”
A notable enhancement would likely guarantee that Arsenal’s superior squad depth ultimately delivers the championship they yearn for. Without such an improvement, they face the prospect of many more tense evenings akin to this one.
