Alexandre Lacazette and Nicolas Pepe proved the catalyst for a late win at the Emirates as Arsenal boosted their top-four chances.
Arsenal left it late to snatch all three points out of a feisty encounter at the Emirates with Wolves, with Alexandre Lacazette forcing a Jose Sa own goal right at the death. The winning strike came around the 95th minute, helping the Gunners keep pace in the top-four race.
An early mistake from Gabriel Magalhaes gifted Wolves the opening goal as Hwang Hee-chan put the ball into an empty net from an acute angle. Aaron Ramsdale had come to collect the Brazilian defender’s weak back-pass before the South Korean intercepted and gave the away side the lead.
Gabriel was fortunate a few minutes later as his error was caught out by Raul Jimenez, who shot wide from what was a brilliant chance to double Wolves’ lead. From that point onwards, Arsenal pressed hard and tried to get an equaliser. The Gunners mustered 26 shots, with only five finding the target.
Mikel Arteta also deserves praise for the way the two late goals were built up as his two attacking substitutes had the best impact. Eddie Nketiah was instrumental in the equaliser after collecting a great ball over the top from Martin Odegaard and then setting up Nicolas Pepe.
Like this? ? https://t.co/1JkhprAUhC pic.twitter.com/gf6dpJctTX
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) February 24, 2022
The Ivorian took a terrific first touch to turn and smash it home beyond Jose Sa. Following that equaliser, Arsenal looked like the likelier team to win the contest. However, there was a moment of redemption for Gabriel, who got a crucial block on a Pedro Neto shot late on, with the ball travelling inside and possibly beyond Ramsdale’s reach.
In the end, Pepe collected the ball deep into injury time from a Sa save off a Saka shot. The Ivorian then combined with Odegaard and Lacazette before passing it to the Frenchman. The Arsenal skipper looked for Saka at the far post and sent in a hopeful cross, which deflected off Sa’s hand and into the net. Here’s how the Arsenal players fared in their dramatic home win against Wolves.
Aaron Ramsdale: 6/10
Ramsdale cannot be blamed for the opening Wolves goal, although he got a crucial touch later on an effort by Hwang, which may have gone into the net. Beyond that, he was largely untroubled and would have been delighted with the final result.
Cedric Soares: 5.5/10
Cedric did not have the same impact as against Brentford, as he struggled to get his movements right in the final third. While his combination play with Saka or Odegaard was relatively poor, he did find success with few diagonal passes.
Ben White: 6/10
White has had better games, although he was largely untroubled for most parts. He found some joy with long balls beyond the Wolves defenders, although his build-up play was limited due to a lack of quality options to pass around.
Gabriel Magalhaes: 5/10
Gabriel would have been the most relieved man on the pitch after the final whistle, as his early mistake almost cost the team three points. He also gave Raul Jimenez a chance after the first goal, although he redeemed himself late in the game by getting a small but crucial block on a Pedro Neto shot.
Kieran Tierney: 5.5/10
Tierney’s defensive duties limited his participation in the final third. Daniel Podence often troubled him on his flank. He will likely look to shake off this game from his mind and prepare for the next one better.
Thomas Partey: 8/10
Thomas Partey for Arsenal vs. Wolves:
◉ Most ball recoveries (13)
◉= Most duels won (6)
◉= Most take-ons (3)
◉= Most fouls won (2)
◎ Second most chances created (3)Was immense in the second half. ? pic.twitter.com/kV6Sd0BXLI
— Squawka Football (@Squawka) February 24, 2022
Partey’s response to his new role as the anchor-man has been tremendous as the Ghanaian put in another exemplary display. His screening play was excellent, and he wielded great control in midfield. From now on, he will prove crucial to how Arteta wants the team to play his style of football.
Granit Xhaka: 7/10
Xhaka worked hard throughout the night as he slowly gets to grips with Arteta’s new role. While his passing from an advanced midfield role lacked the usual sharpness, the Swiss international’s recycling of possession often helped his team massively, as he kept improving with the game.
Martin Odegaard: 7/10
Wolves had Odegaard covered properly, limiting his overall impact. Yet the Norwegian played a key part in both goals, producing crucial passes to unlock their stout defence.
Martin Ødegaard’s game by numbers vs. Wolves:
56 touches
19 passes in the final third
4 take-ons attempted
3 take-ons completed
3 duels won
3 crosses
3 ball recoveries
1 chance createdSuch a silky footballer. pic.twitter.com/FZVjIuoIcu
— Squawka Football (@Squawka) February 24, 2022
Bukayo Saka: 6/10
Despite leading the chance creation charts with six for Arsenal, Saka did not have the necessary impact. He had a few bright moments, but they did not have the effect he or the fans might have wanted.
Alexandre Lacazette: 6/10
Despite all the shenanigans, in the end, it was an average game from Lacazette. Incredibly enough, the Frenchman finds a lot of chances in the box only for his shooting boots to disappear. Even the winning goal was an intended cross, which hit Jose Sa’s hand before going in.
Gabriel Martinelli: 5/10
Martinelli worked hard as always, but he did not find much luck in beating the defenders. He was operating on his usual left-hand side for most parts but did not receive enough support from Xhaka and Tierney.
SUBSTITUTES
Nicolas Pepe: 8/10
Pepe came on and had the most impact in the match, scoring the equaliser and creating the winning goal. It is a shame he won’t get the assist for Jose Sa’s own goal, although he looked a different player like Arteta said.
Nicolas Pépé has scored in the Premier League for the first time since May 2021.
Off the bench to draw the Gunners level. ⚽️ pic.twitter.com/OscadU3toH
— Squawka Football (@Squawka) February 24, 2022
Eddie Nketiah: 7/10
Amid some criticism in recent games for his work rate, Nketiah produced a lively cameo. He was crucial in the build-up to the equaliser as he played a perfect cut-back for Pepe to score.
Nuno Tavares: N/A
While he was involved in the build-up to the winning goal from a distance, Tavares was barely five minutes on the pitch after replacing the cramped Tierney.
