Arsenal narrowly beat the bottom-ranked team thanks to two own goals

14/12/2025 07:05:00 ChampionChatter

Arsenal had a challenging night at Emirates Stadium, narrowly defeating the last-placed Wolves 2-1 in a match where the "Gunners" failed to score from any of their shots on target.

Two own goals by the visitors, including one in the final added minutes, helped Mikel Arteta’s squad secure all three points and further consolidate their Premier League lead.

Ahead of a match widely seen as heavily one-sided, Arsenal started with their familiar dominant style. The home side controlled possession overwhelmingly and consistently pressed Wolves with attacks from both wings. However, the visitors’ large defensive block made it very difficult for Arsenal. Throughout the first half, despite holding the ball over 70%, the "Gunners" managed only one shot on target and had a very low expected goals figure.

Wolves intentionally played deep defense, waiting for counterattack opportunities. This approach not only slowed Arsenal’s attacking tempo but also caused the home team to become impatient. The most notable chance in the first 45 minutes belonged to Gabriel Martinelli, whose close-range header narrowly missed the post.

Arsenal narrowly win against the bottom-ranked team thanks to two own goals

In the second half, the game saw little change. Arsenal remained frustrated in breaking down Wolves’ tight defense and had to rely on set pieces. In the 70th minute, from a right-side corner, Bukayo Saka curled the ball toward the far post. Goalkeeper Sam Johnstone touched it, but the ball hit the post and then bounced off him into the net, giving Arsenal a somewhat fortunate opening goal.

With the lead, Arsenal surprisingly dropped deeper to protect their advantage. This choice cost them late on. In the 90th minute, from a cross by Mateus Mane, Tolu Arokodare rose powerfully to head home an equalizer for Wolves, much to the shock of the home supporters.

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