Arsenal find late escape against resilient Wolves
Arsenal left the match painfully late but emerged with three vital points as a Yerson Mosquera own goal in stoppage time sealed a dramatic 2-1 victory over Wolves at the Emirates Stadium. For long periods it felt like an afternoon slipping through their fingers, but it ended in relief and noise, the kind that only comes when tension has been pushed to its limit.
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Wolves arrived bottom of the table but well organised, defending deep with a five-man back line which cluttered space and slowed the pace. Arsenal dominated territory but not their momentum, probing without penetration and failing to register a shot on target in the first half. The rhythm was fractured, the crowd agitated, the growing feeling that patience alone would not be enough.
A breakthrough based on pressure
The breakthrough finally came in the 70th minute, and it owed as much to perseverance as precision. Bukayo Saka, Arsenal’s most consistent source of invention, delivered a curling corner which Sam Johnstone could only deflect towards the post. The ball ricocheted off the goalkeeper and over the line, a goal born of pressure rather than clarity.
Even then, calm did not follow. Arsenal pulled back instinctively, looking to protect rather than extend their lead, and Wolves sensed an opportunity. Long balls were starting to come into the box with increasing regularity, and by the 90th minute that pressure was being felt. Mateus Mane’s cross was met by Tolu Arokodare, whose header silenced the stadium and threatened to reshape the title race.
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What followed was chaos, fear, and then liberation. With seconds remaining, Saka cut inside from the right and delivered a teasing cross towards Gabriel Jesus. Mosquera, stretching to clear, could only throw the ball past his own keeper. Relief invades the stands, joy mixed with exhaustion.
The wolves leave with conviction but without reward
For the Wolves, the defeat was cruel. Rob Edwards’ side executed their plan with discipline, absorbing pressure and striking late through Arokodare, a rare moment of attacking quality. And yet, once again, they left empty-handed. Without a win in 20 Premier League matches and now nine defeats in a row, the gap to safety extends to 13 points.
Arsenal, five points ahead at the top, will quickly follow up with a demanding trip to Everton. Performances like this may not be remembered, but such results often set title challenges.
