Did Arsenal Overcome Wolves to Extend Their Lead in the Premier League?
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Arsenal's victory keeps them at the top of the Premier League.
- Late own goal from Yerson Mosquera proved crucial for Arsenal.
- Wolves showed great spirit but fell short in the end.
- This match marks the seventh occurrence of own goals defining a Premier League outcome.
- Both teams have areas to improve as the season progresses.
London, Dec 14 (NationPress) A late own goal in the second-half stoppage time helped Arsenal narrowly defeat Wolverhampton Wanderers, maintaining their position at the top of the Premier League standings.
The own goal by Yerson Mosquera, four minutes into the second-half stoppage time, rescued Arsenal as they secured a 2-1 victory at the Emirates Stadium.
After a lackluster first half, Arsenal showed significant improvement in the second half. Following several impressive saves from Wolves' goalkeeper Johnstone, they finally took the lead in the 70th minute when a corner from Bukayo Saka hit the post and accidentally went in off the visiting keeper.
However, as the match approached the 90-minute mark, it came alive. Tolu Arokodare equalized for Wolves, raising concerns that Arsenal might experience a repeat of their recent setbacks against Sunderland and Aston Villa. Yet, in the 94th minute, Yerson Mosquera inadvertently redirected another delivery from Saka past his own goalkeeper, allowing Arsenal to stretch their lead to five points at the top of the league.
This match marked the seventh time in Premier League history that both goals scored by a team were own goals, and the first occurrence since Leicester faced Liverpool in December 2022.
After the match, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta remarked, "We had moments where we were overly passive, exhibiting poor defensive habits that are unacceptable at our level. We must enhance that aspect, and in the end, we relied on an individual effort to clinch the win."
He added, "We created numerous opportunities but struggled to find the right players for the final pass. Regardless of the match's direction, there’s always a way to secure victory. We have a clean week ahead, and then we prepare for the busy Christmas schedule."
Wolves coach Rob Edwards expressed, "We lost the game, and I believe it's on us. The players executed the game plan effectively. The two goals we conceded were quite unusual, particularly the first one. After fighting hard to equalize, to lose late is painful. There’s a lot to appreciate about the performance, but I detest losing. Despite the result, we are on the right track. It was a positive night apart from the scoreline."