15/12/2025 – Arsenal 2-1 Wolves “From Panic to Euphoria: Arsenal Edge Wolves”

We can count our lucky stars after that shocking performance, I thought Jesus had come through for us at Christmas, but it turns out it was just Wolves sticking in their own net twice that saved our blushes. Off the back of the Brugge performance midweek, I thought we might have been in the best position to put on a show but in the build up to the game I felt it was going to be much tougher than people anticipated. Around Christmas we always struggle and I knew Wolves wouldn’t go down without a fight. Wolves defended very well and packed their box, making it especially difficult for us to break them down and as expected, Sam Johnstone had a cracking game until the own goal, I think that was the only way we were going to break the deadlock.

I have a few criticisms to get through but I want to start with Arteta. Changing the back four in the way he did was a mistake in my opinion, not because they can’t defend as well as usual because they can, but the lack of attacking intent when Hincapie was at left back meant our midfield was short of the creativity they usually have when Califiori plays there. When the team sheet came out, I assumed that Saliba would play his usual right-sided CB role and Hincapie play left CB with Timber at LB. Timber and White as our full-backs worked well before their injuries. Just on a side note you have to feel for White, seemingly he has pulled his Hamstring and will be out until the New Year, another injury set back in the defence, thankfully with Califiori back for Everton it will mean Timber can move back to his best position. Hincapie, although I know he can play on the left he didn’t have enough movement into the midfield and with Timber and White pushing up the right it crowded Saka’s space and gave him less room to operate.

On a positive note though I was happy to see Arteta pull the trigger on his substitutions much earlier than usual, bringing off and Eze and Martinelli for Odegaard and Trossard was cutthroat when we needed it. Eze had a shocking game once again. He didn’t manage to pick up any threatening positions and didn’t battle hard enough in the middle of the park. Martinelli was more just a case of bringing on some more creativity and trying a different approach in Trossard, less about pace and more about picking the pass. My biggest nag of all though is this reversion to panicking against every team when there is less than ten minutes left, it’s what we used to do when Arteta joined, and we relied on Mustafi and David Luiz to hold on. Dropping into our own box with no pressure on the ball is enough to bring any team onto us and even Wolves had enough quality to score. We went from completely controlling the game to not being able to hold the ball. Everyone in the ground had seen this rubbish before, the goal was always coming once we did that, and although I know Arteta cannot physically get on the pitch and press there needs to be a way of making the team step up. That’s now two weeks on the bounce where we have let a team score in the dying minutes by panicking and not winning any second balls.

Saturday was the first time this season that I saw the cracks of Arsenal in the last two seasons. When Wolves scored, I thought that could’ve been the moment we dropped the lead at the top of the table and we didn’t deserve anything else if I’m honest. We’ve had a pretty rough run over the last five league games with 2 wins, 2 draws and a loss, we really need to get going again as our next five league games are: Everton, Brighton, Villa, Bournemouth and Liverpool. If we can come through those games still at the top of the pile, then I will be over the moon. I don’t like to focus too much on the teams around us but Villa are on their longest winning streak since 1914 and City are starting to gain some serious momentum after dispatching of a good Palace side 3-0. Now is the point in the season where dropped points will be punished, we need to make sure we get a run going. Despite the three points there definitely needs to be some work done to ensure we put out a stronger performance next weekend at Everton where we always struggle. Having the six days recovery is a blessing, it’s the longest break we have until January the 11^th. I’m hoping to see us come back refreshed and raring to put in a performance and get the confidence back up before Brighton and Villa.

I will finish by saying that despite the negatives; games like those are why you’re a fan. The flip in emotions of feeling everything crumbing around you, drawing with the bottom side and seeing any lead at the top of the table disappear, to complete and utter euphoria as everything corrects itself in the last seconds and you end up hugging strangers completely relieved and ecstatic. That’s football and those are the moments we might look back on in May… who knows just how important those three points could be, they are the games you have to grind out if you have any hopes of winning the title. So, Everton up next with Saliba back and a more conventional back four set up I’m feeling good about our chances of going out and getting a result. COYG!!

The Northbank Blogger.

Match Ratings:

Raya 7/10

White N/A

Timber 7/10

Saliba 8/10

Hincapie 7/10

Zubimendi 7/10

Rice 7.5/10

Eze 5/10

Saka 8.5/10

Gyokores 6/10

Martinelli 6/10

Subs:

Trossard 7/10                 Merino 6/10

Odegaard 7.5/10           Jesus 7.5/10

Lewis-Skelly 8/10

Predicted lineup:

Raya

Timber

Saliba

Hincapie

Califiori

Zubimendi

Rice

Odegaard

Saka

Gyokores

Trossard