They certainly didn’t make it easy for themselves but Arsenal have — just about — restored their five-point lead at the top of the Premier League.
The first half against last-placed Wolves was a struggle for the league leaders, with Mikel Arteta’s side struggling to break down their visitors and failing to record a single shot on target in the opening 45 minutes of a match for the first time this season. Gabriel Martinelli wasted a decent headed opportunity at the back post but it was Wolves’ Hwang Hee-chan who had the best opportunity of the half, his effort on a counter-attack — after all 10 of Arsenal’s outfielders had been caught upfield — being saved by David Raya.
The second half began in a similarly frustrating manner, with Arteta soon turning to his bench to bring on Martin Odegaard, Mikel Merino and Leandro Trossard, but it was Bukayo Saka who created the breakthrough with 20 minutes of the 90 to go, with a viciously inswinging corner that hit the post before rebounding off goalkeeper Sam Johnstone into the net.
It looked like Arsenal had dropped two vital points when Wolves substitute Tolu Arokodare headed a shock equaliser past Raya in the 90th minute but a second own goal, this time from Yerson Mosquera in the fourth added minute, gave the league leaders what could prove a vital win come May.
Art de Roché and Nnamdi Onyeagwara analyse the key moments from Saturday’s game.
An evening when three points was all that mattered?
After dropping points in their last three away league games, losing their most recent one to Aston Villa, the task has become clearer to Arsenal. With Manchester City back in form, they simply cannot afford to slip up too often.
When Wolves equalised in the 90th minute, it seemed as though Arsenal were being greeted by the nightmares of Christmas’ past.
In the 2023-24 season, back-to-back losses against West Ham and Fulham forced them to play catch up from December onwards. They dropped points just twice after New Year’s Day but the damage had already been done.
The gap between first and second is five points after their victory, but City can cut it back to two with their visit to Crystal Palace on Sunday, December 14. Had Arsenal dropped points again, and so late on, the momentum swing could have been brutal not just from a points perspective, but an psychological one too.
The performance may not have been stellar against Wolves, but Arteta will hope that stopping the rot and earning three points will turn the momentum in his team’s favour ahead of next week’s trip to Everton.
(Julian Finney/Getty Images)
Art de Roché
Rice and Saka step it up in the second half
For the umpteenth time this season, Declan Rice made a difference for Arsenal.
The 26-year-old was not part of the squad for Wednesday’s win against Belgium due to illness, and against Wolves started in a midfield trio without captain Martin Odegaard.
A triple substitution in the 57th minute saw Rice drop into a deeper midfield role.
After what was a drab first-half, the England international took over in the second.
His free-kick in the 66th minute, which was tipped over by Wolves goalkeeper Sam Johnstone, injected life into a lifeless Arsenal performance and got the Emirates crowd re-energised. His curling effort two minutes later also forced a save from Johnstone. It was also Rice who played the pass that forced Wolves to concede the corner that led to Johnstone’s own goal.
A difference in both boxes, Rice was important in helping get what turned out to be a very nervy three points.
Also, a mention for Bukayo Saka. A constant threat on Arsenal’s right-hand side throughout the game and both of Wolves’ own goals came from crosses from the 24-year-old.
Nnamdi Onyeagwara
Yet another injury setback
Ben White being forced off after 30 minutes was Arsenal’s 20th injury-related substitution this calendar year. None of the 23 teams to compete in the Premier League in 2025 have needed to make more than that, with Bournemouth closest (14).
White went 109 days without a Premier League appearance before his impressive return against Brentford earlier this month.
Ben White is replaced in the first half by Myles Lewis-Skelly (Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)
Four successive starts in the week-and-a-half since were too much for him as he was forced off after half an hour in what was the latest example of the “dangerous circle” of overload that Mikel Arteta spoke of earlier this week.
“The fact that you are missing players, (means) you are loading other players more (as) a consequence. It’s a really dangerous circle.” the Arsenal manager said.
White was replaced by Myles Lewis-Skelly, but it was Jurrien Timber who moved across to right-back. The enforced change will not only frustrate Arteta because yet another defender is unavailable, but because he loses White’s quality movement off the ball that makes Arsenal a much bigger threat in attack.
Art de Roché
Does Arsenal’s left-hand side remain a concern?
Arsenal’s much-maligned left-hand side continues to look like an issue.
For the second time this week, Gabriel Martinelli had an unquestionably poor first-half. A flurry of incorrect decisions, overhit passes and heavy touches. He had four shots, all of them off target and was replaced by Leandro Trossard after 57 minutes.
Against Wolves, on the rare occasion Martinelli and Piero Hincapie (before he moved to centre-back) did link up, it was not productive.
Martinelli struggled to make an impact in Saturday’s game (Julian Finney/Getty Images)
Myles Lewis-Skelly came on, but there was no significant improvement. Arsenal, as they usually do, began their attacks primarily through the right-hand side, even after Ben White was substituted before the half-hour mark.
Trossard is arguably the player in the side who has most developed a way to make Arsenal’s side functional. His six goals and five assists this campaign, the most in the Arsenal squad, exemplify that.
Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke have had stints there too, but the left-hand side remains a concern for Arsenal.
Nnamdi Onyeagwara
What did Mikel Arteta say?
We will bring you this after he has spoken at the post-match press conference.
What next for Arsenal?
Saturday, December 20: Everton (away), Premier League, 8pm UK, 3pm ET