Arsenal secured a narrow 2-1 victory against Wolverhampton Wanderers at the Emirates Stadium, but the win was far from convincing, leaving manager Mikel Arteta visibly frustrated. Two own goals by Wolves proved to be the difference, masking what Arteta described as "horrible habits" and an "unacceptable" performance from his team.
The first half was a lackluster affair, with neither side creating clear-cut chances. Arsenal struggled to break down a resolute Wolves defense, failing to register a single shot on target until the 67th minute. Wolves, despite their position at the bottom of the Premier League, looked organized and posed a threat on the counter-attack. Hwang Hee-Chan forced a save from David Raya in the 27th minute, representing one of the few noteworthy moments of the first half. Arsenal's Gabriel Martinelli missed a header from a corner, failing to capitalize on a good opportunity. To make matters worse for Arsenal, Ben White suffered a muscle injury and was replaced by Myles Lewis-Skelly.
The second half saw an improvement in Arsenal's attacking intent, but their performance remained unconvincing. The breakthrough finally came in the 70th minute in bizarre fashion. Bukayo Saka's corner kick struck the post and then deflected off Wolves' goalkeeper Sam Johnstone into the net, giving Arsenal a fortunate lead. Despite taking the lead, Arsenal failed to assert their dominance and allowed Wolves to stay in the game.
As the match approached its conclusion, Wolves substitute Tolu Arokodare headed home in the 90th minute, seemingly snatching a point for the visitors. However, the drama was far from over. In the 94th minute, another Saka delivery was diverted into his own net by Wolves' Yerson Mosquera, handing Arsenal a dramatic, albeit undeserved, victory.
Despite the win, Arteta was highly critical of his team's performance, particularly their defensive lapses. He expressed his fury at Arsenal's "horrible defensive habits" during a passive spell that allowed Wolves to equalize. Arteta acknowledged that Arsenal were fortunate to secure the three points and emphasized the need for significant improvement. "It was a relief, but we have a very clear understanding that the margins should have been bigger," Arteta stated. He further added, "The manner that we conceded the goal, and that is unacceptable".
Arsenal's struggles to convert chances into goals were also evident, with only two of their 16 shots hitting the target. The team's over-reliance on set-pieces for goals was highlighted by the fact that both goals came from Bukayo Saka's corners.
The victory keeps Arsenal at the top of the Premier League table, five points ahead of Manchester City. However, Arteta knows that his team will need to address their "unacceptable" defensive frailties and improve their overall performance if they are to maintain their title challenge. The Gunners will need to quickly learn from this unconvincing win if they are to achieve their goals this season.
