Arsenal secured a dramatic, late 2-1 victory against Wolverhampton Wanderers at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday, but the win did little to appease manager Mikel Arteta, who afterwards delivered a scathing assessment of his team's performance. Despite going five points clear at the top of the Premier League, Arteta expressed his frustration, labeling parts of the display as "unacceptable".
The match itself was a tale of late drama. Arsenal, heavy favorites against a Wolves side languishing at the bottom of the table, struggled to break down a resolute Wolves defense for much of the game. The deadlock was finally broken in the 70th minute in bizarre fashion when Bukayo Saka's corner struck the post and then deflected into the net off Wolves goalkeeper Sam Johnstone.
However, Wolves, to their credit, refused to capitulate. In the 90th minute, substitute Tolu Arokodare equalized, seemingly snatching a point for the visitors. But the drama wasn't over. In the fourth minute of stoppage time, another Saka delivery was inadvertently turned into his own net by Wolves defender Yerson Mosquera, handing Arsenal a scarcely deserved victory.
Arteta's post-match comments reflected his dissatisfaction with the manner of the win. "It was a relief, but we have a very clear understanding that the margins should have been bigger," he stated. He criticized his team's "horrible defensive habits" during a period where Wolves threatened to score. "The first time they had an opportunity to score, they did," Arteta lamented, adding that the way his team conceded the goal was "unacceptable".
Arsenal's struggles in the match were evident. They failed to register a single shot on target until the 67th minute. Even after taking the lead, they struggled to create clear-cut chances and allowed Wolves to gain a foothold in the game.
While the victory extends Arsenal's winning run against Wolves to nine matches, the performance raised concerns about their ability to maintain a title challenge. With Manchester City and Aston Villa able to close the gap at the top of the table on Sunday, Arteta knows his team needs to improve quickly.
Adding to Arteta's worries is the potential injury to defender Ben White, who suffered a hamstring problem during the game. With a congested fixture list over the Christmas period, any further injuries could severely hamper Arsenal's chances.
Despite the late win, Saka was awarded Player of the Match for his efforts in creating chances, with his deliveries leading to both own goals.
The Arsenal manager's anger wasn't just directed at his own players. He was also "absolutely fuming" after a controversial decision to send off Myles Lewis-Skelly in a previous match against Wolves.
