Spirited Arsenal get their just rewards in front of jubilant Emirates

Arsenal 2 Wolves 1  
Premier League  
Thursday 24th February 2022 7.45pm   

Subsequent events will determine the significance of the win against a belligerent Wolves on Thursday evening, but when the final whistle went, due to the nature of the game, it felt huge. Although no individual game is a ‘must win’ until the business end of the season, Arsenal certainly need to start racking up points, especially at home, to allow themselves some slack when they face the likes of Liverpool and Chelsea before the season is out. More to the point, a win here for Wolves would have put them right into contention for the prized fourth place, and its attendant financial windfall.

How ironic, fans used to scoff at the notion of a top four place as representing some kind of a trophy, but the reality is that it is now more important than a domestic cup win for the benefits a club accrues from Champions League participation. It shouldn’t be this way, but it is. In a sense, it is a stepping stone towards competing for the actual Premier League title. Last time Arsenal were in the hunt for that was the 2015-16 season. In a similar match to the one against Wolves, also played in February of that campaign, they beat Leicester at home with a last minute Danny Welbeck winner that sent the crowd into raptures. Right in the hunt for the title, they then took a solitary point from their next three matches and never got near Leicester again. 

The team cannot afford such a run this season, because the team above them in fourth place – Manchester United – are not losing many league games. Arsenal have got close – a point behind with two games in hand – because United have dropped points in drawn matches. The hope is that they can continue their run in Europe and are sufficiently stretched to lose more more points than a more focused Arsenal. 

Mikel Arteta’s team winning the games to overtake them is the other part of the equation. They were aggressive in attack against Wolves, creating such havoc in the opposition box that you wondered why the West Midlands side had such a reputation for defensive solidity. Yet, clear-cut chances were few and far between. Lacazette worked very hard as the nominal centre-forward, although at times, you felt he was on the edge of getting the bird from the crowd, often not being able to hold onto the ball, or for the kind of ambitious attempts on goal that rarely come off. 

Of course, the need for goals became that much more pressing after the giveaway that was Wolves’ opener. Gabriel was never going to play a ball out for a throw-in when he had the opportunity to pass it back to his keeper. That is simply the way Arsenal play these days – and they are not alone in that. Possession is king, and defenders far more technically adept at passing. However, that leaves them vulnerable if they play the kind of ball into a danger zone that Gabriel did. It was read by Hee-Chan, who took it round the stranded Ramsdale easily enough to slot it home. In spite of playing out the rest of the game in a more defensive mode, the visitors could certainly have scored at least one more. They broke well and created excellent opportunities as their hosts had to take risks to establish parity.

The crowd was excellent, really backing the team vocally. This was certainly helped by the greater thrust we saw, in spite of the absence due to illness of Emile Smith Rowe. There were facts confirmed by this game which need to be remembered. Thomas Partey will – almost invariably – waste long range efforts by firing the ball way over the bar. As policy he needs to be told to offload the ball unless he is within spitting distance of the six yard box. Sure, he might find the net from outside the box once in a blue moon, but requires 50 efforts to do so, going on his record at Arsenal. Think Mohamed Elneny. Better to give it to someone who can keep their knee over the ball. Yes, Partey can do some excellent things in midfield, but needs to know his limitations. 

Wolves’ timewasting tactics were almost comical if you were not on the receiving end. The substitution fiasco with Jiminez refusing to go off must have eaten at least two minutes of normal time. Arteta made his own changes – from very limited options – in the 71st and 76th minutes. Pepe for Martinelli and Nketiah for Soares, as he went for three at the back.

Finally, the equalizer came – the two subs combining well with Pepe finding the net. Game very much on with eight minutes plus injury time (that turned out to be six minutes – which felt a little mean at the time with the injury to Semedo) remaining. Wolves realized the importance of the win and came very close to claiming the three points, but sub Neto’s shot was pulled wide from the angle.

Arsenal piled on greater pressure though, and with injury time ticking down, Lacazette finally came good after really excellent interchange passing gave him a shot from the angle. Let’s not get too carried away, as Laca’s effort across the face of the goal would have missed but for the hand of the Wolves keeper diverting it into his net. Not that anyone gave a fig as the stadium absolutely erupted. There really is nothing like a last minute winner and fortunately no requirement for VAR to kill the moment. 

It felt like a critical win, and psychologically, it does the players the power of good to recover from positions such as the one they found themselves in. The fear – based on experience – is always that the following performance is a damp squib. Let’s face it people, the way the team are playing at present, we are looking at the defence effectively winning matches if they can keep a clean sheet in the hope that at the other end of the pitch, somehow, goals can be found. They got away with a howler on Thursday night after Gabriel’s error. There is an argument that Ben White might have done better and seen what could have developed given how close his man was to the penalty area as Gabriel took the ball. It's history now anyway, but a lesson to be learned. Sometimes, it’s better to not take risks. 

Arsenal would have been at home to Liverpool this weekend, so it may not be the worst thing that game has been postponed. I am uncertain how quickly they would have recovered from the Wolves game and the prospect of facing Watford and Leicester in the next two matches gives them a chance to build up more points before what is likely to be a defeat against Klopp’s team, going on the second leg of the League Cup semi-final. Nevertheless, if Arsenal win the matches they are capable of doing, they can take fourth place. There is belief in the squad, but consistency is the key. If the concession of cheap goals becomes a thing of rarity, then the platform is there to do better. The squad is thin, but there is no denying the spirit between the players, and Arteta’s weeding out of the less committed – although costly on the balance books – has surely helped to unify those that remain. Granted, the two centre forwards currently available are both due to depart in the summer, but they seem committed enough – especially Lacazette – and performing as well as they can is in their own interest. 

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