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Wolverhampton Wanderers were unbeaten at the Molineux this season and did not concede a single goal at home since January 2020. That was until Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal came to town.
Nuno Espirito Santo’s men were stunned at home as Arsenal. As surprising as this may sound, the Gunners put in an absolute peach of a defensive show and capitalised on the chances to eke out a 2-0 win. Wolves, despite their fine run at home in recent weeks, were poor on both counts against Arsenal, as both their defence and attack had an off day.
The hosts' best chances of the game fell to Adama Traore, but it looked like the Spaniard was not up for the challenge. Emiliano Martinez got the better of him on each occasion and managed to keep Traore quiet. The 23-year-old, who got the better of both Ederson and Allison, could not repeat the trick against Arsenal's backup keeper Emi Martinez.
Arsenal were pumped up for one of their tricky away fixtures as the 2019-20 Premier League approaches a belated finale. The North London outfit conceded only one shot on target to Wolves, while having five on the other side of the pitch. So without further ado, let’s look at the five Arsenal players who deserve the most credit for this impressive win.
Five key Arsenal players in the Gunners' 2-0 win over Wolves
#5: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
Arsenal’s top scorer this season, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, failed to get on the scoresheet tonight but he showed Mikel Arteta and the fans why he is as good a team player as anyone in the squad. The Gabonese created the first goal of the game, as he played the ball across the pitch to Kieran Tierney, with Bukayo Saka eventually meeting Tierney's cross with an immaculate volley.
The 31-year-old has accepted his role as a winger (inside forward) instead of throwing his toys out of the pram. The work rate he gives his team every week is something that is not talked about enough. Aubameyang tracked back to mark the runs of Matt Doherty several times while pressing and closing down Wolves’ defence all game. His off-the-ball movements were once again top-notch.
Aubameyang had a chance in the dying minutes of the game to put the ball in the back of the net and get himself on the scoresheet, but he instead played it to Joe Willock who was on target but Conor Coady made a goal-line clearance. It was a small detail but he showcased why he is a complete team player.
With two dribbles completed, two aerials duels won, two tackles, two key passes and 50+ touches, it was another impressive performance by Arsenal's captain.
#4 Granit Xhaka and Ceballos
Every Arsenal fan was worried to see the likes of Granit Xhaka and Dani Ceballos go up against a midfield-three of Joa Moutinho, Ruben Neves and Dedoncker. But it is safe to say that Arsenal’s midfield duo, who have been severely criticised this season, outclassed Wolves and their midfield at Molineux.
Dani Ceballos made some good tackles and worked very well in the half-spaces, considering Wolves does not allow too many. However, he gave away the ball too many times but fortunately for him he was not punished for it.
Xhaka, on the other hand, was fairly decent throughout the 90 minutes. Ceballos had a whopping 94% passing accuracy while Granit Xhaka completed four tackles, joint highest along with Sead Kolasinac and Ainsley Maitland Niles. Not many times did Wolves manage to break through the centre of Arsenal like they did last season in the same fixture.
Arsenal commanded the game in the middle of the pitch, and both Granit Xhaka and Dani Ceballos deserve equal praise for their confident performances in what was a very tough away fixture for the Gunners. A European spot does not look like a far-fetched dream anymore if Arsenal can consistently perform and bag at least four wins in their remaining five fixtures.
#3: David Luiz
David Luiz's comeback to the team will obviously not get enough attention and praise due to his horrible performance away at Manchester City. But the Brazilian once again showed Arsenal fans why he is their best defender on his day. A first-half yellow card did not force the centre-back into making any rash challenges, and he demonstrated his experience at the back in immense fashion.
For a team as physical as Wolverhampton Wanderers, Arsenal stood up to them like a pack of wolves. Their defence cleared anything and everything that came their way, in a defensive masterclass rarely seen by players wearing the Arsenal jersey.
Completing a staggering 63 passes with an accuracy of 95%, the 33-year-old was equally effective without the ball, winning three aerial duels and making two recoveries during the game. As things stand, David Luiz is Arsenal's best midfielder on his day and in a 3-man defence, there is no one as impactful for the Gunners as the Brazil international.
#2: Kieran Tierney
With every passing week, Kieran Tierney gives Arsenal fans another reason to admire him even more. Since the Premier League's Project Restart commenced, there has not been a single instance when Tierney put a foot wrong.
Considering the fact that he returned from a severe back injury, Mikel Arteta deserves much credit for easing Tierney into the squad, despite the fact that he is Arsenal's best and most consistent defender.
The Scottish international has played three games in under a week, and it was visible that fatigue was catching up with him. However, in the 55 minutes he played agaimst Wolves, Adama Traore and Matt Doherty did not have a very easy time going past him.
Kieran Tierney is the best crosser of the ball at Arsenal, yet his stand out quality is his efficiency when it comes to defending. Sead Kolasinac was caught napping numerous times when either Joao Moutinho or Ruben Neves played a ball across the pitch, but Tierney was the only one tracking their runs.
It was another thumping performance from the 23-year-old.
#1: Shkodran Mustafi
Did Raul Jimenez play yesterday? Shkodran Mustafi might have a lot of technical flaws in his game, but on his day, the best of strikers would not want to come up against him. And speaking of mistakes, since Mikel Arteta took over the helm at Arsenal, there has not been a game where Shkodran Mustafi provided any reason for him to be on the club's transfer list in the summer.
Raul Jimenez is known for his aerial prowess; a centre forward who loves scoring headed goals. Last night, although he won the most aerial balls by anyone on the pitch, the Mexican could not guide any of his chances at the Arsenal goalkeeper as he was often caught sandwiched between Luiz and Mustafi.
The German defender won three aerial duels, completed a tackle and ended the game with a passing accuracy of 85%.
Of course, there are better defenders than the likes of Shkodran Mustafi and David Luiz in the market. But today was another reason why Arsenal should prioritise on buying a world-class midfielder instead. The season is suddenly looking a lot more positive for Mikel Arteta's men, and everyone at the club has played a part in it.
A special mention in this regard goes to Ainsley Maitland Niles, who absolutely dominated everything that came in his way against Wolves. The Englishman only played 40 minutes but he was most certainly Arsenal's best player in those minutes. It was a top performance from someone who was deemed not good enough not too long back and was apparently on the club's transfer list. Ainsley Maitland Niles definitely has a bright future at Arsenal if he excels in his role as a full-back.
