In a dramatic turn of events at the Emirates Stadium, Arsenal narrowly escaped with a 2-1 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers, but manager Mikel Arteta was far from pleased. Despite the win propelling the Gunners five points clear at the top of the Premier League ahead of Manchester City, Arteta unleashed a scathing critique of his team’s late-game defending, calling it “horrible” and “unacceptable.”
The match seemed comfortably in Arsenal’s grasp after a bizarre own goal by Wolves goalkeeper Sam Johnstone put the hosts ahead. However, the Premier League’s bottom side mounted a stunning late comeback when Tolu Arokodare equalized in the 90th minute, exposing vulnerabilities in Arsenal’s backline. Just when it appeared the points would be shared, Wolves defender Yerson Mosquera inadvertently scored an own goal in the 94th minute, handing Arsenal the three points they desperately craved.
Arteta, speaking post-match, expressed relief at the result but was brutally honest about his side’s performance. “It was a relief, but a very clear understanding that the margin should have been bigger,” he said. He highlighted Arsenal’s inefficiency in the first half, where they generated numerous chances but failed to capitalize, often picking the “wrong colour of shirt” in overloaded situations.
The Spaniard praised the team’s improvement in the second half, where they created more scoring opportunities. However, his frustration boiled over when discussing the final minutes: “But after we had a period of two or three minutes [sitting] in deep, totally passive, with horrible defensive habits. That is nowhere near the level that is required against a team that hasn’t had a single shot.”
Arteta emphasized the harsh realities of the Premier League, noting that Wolves’ first real chance led to the equalizer. “The first time that they had the opportunity to do it, they scored the goal, and this is the Premier League,” he added. “Unfortunately, we are relieved because we managed to score a goal at the end and go on winning – but we need to improve in that sense for sure.”
While acknowledging Wolves’ resilience—referencing their unlucky performances against Chelsea and Aston Villa—Arteta stressed that Arsenal made the game harder than necessary. “We can manage the result in a certain way, but it has to be in ourselves,” he explained. “And we can defend deep, because they commit a lot of players, and there’s a moment that you cannot press them, that’s fine. But the level of activity in that block has to be very different to the one that we had.”
He concluded by giving credit to Wolves for their effort but reiterated that Arsenal’s concession was self-inflicted and avoidable: “You have to give credit to Wolves and what they’ve done… But we made it even harder with what we did in the manner that we conceded the goal – and that’s unacceptable.”
This victory, while crucial in the title race, serves as a wake-up call for Arsenal. With Manchester City lurking just five points behind, Arteta’s side cannot afford such lapses if they hope to maintain their lead. The Gunners will need to tighten up defensively in upcoming fixtures to turn these narrow escapes into convincing triumphs.