February 11, (THEWILL) – Despite being reduced to 10 men for more than 25 minutes, Arsenal won a critical Premier League match against Wolves at Molineux on Thursday night to climb up to fifth place on the League table.
Gabriel Martinelli was shockingly sent off in the 69th minute with his team leading 1-0, after receiving two yellow cards in the same phase of play.
Despite having the majority of the ball, the Gunners had the best of a first half of little chances and led at the break.
After a great interplay between Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka, Ben White saw a strong effort stopped midway through the half, and the defender was involved two minutes later as Arsenal took the lead.
Jose Sa, the goalkeeper for Wolves, failed to deal with White’s headed knockdown, missing the ball and colliding with Alexandre Lacazette, who nudged it into the path of Gabriel. The Brazilian centre-back only needed to poke it in from a yard away to give Arsenal the lead. The keeper was not granted a reprieve after a quick VAR assessment of the collision with Lacazette.
Raul Jimenez sent a header straight down Aaron Ramsdale’s throat as Wolves went in search of a leveller, and Nelson Semedo flashed a shot well wide from the edge of the box. The home side was indeed struggling to create any clear-cut chances before halftime.
While the score did not change after the break, Arsenal’s poor discipline this season was evident once again with 20 minutes to go, after a muted start to the second period.
Martinelli was given two yellow cards in the same period of play for two bookable offences, with the second as ridiculous as the first. Referee Michael Oliver flashed the first because Martinelli shoved Daniel Podence as the latter made to grab a throw-in, and the second after Martinelli chased down Chiquinho and barged into him.
However, the Gunners had the chance to extend their advantage moments later, but Lacazette was far too careless when clean through on goal, sweeping his finish well wide.
Following that, Wolves launched an onslaught on the Gunners’ area, but despite a torrent of crosses and headers, the hosts were unable to break through Ramsdale and the Arsenal defence. Romain Saiss came the closest, but his shot was deflected and before long it was over. Arsenal had survived to earn maximum points.
Mikel Arteta’s side was second best in the second half, with only three shots compared to Wolves’ ten. Yet, it is to their credit that they managed to hold out for the win after going down to 10 men. They are now in fifth place in the Premier League, one point behind West Ham United with two games remaining. Wolves are in seventh place, out of the European race but not out of contention.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
