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Mike Hewitt/Getty Images (CNN)
Morning all.
The welcome midweek victory for Arsenal in Belgium helped us a lot to forget that last minute heartbreaking defeat in Birmingham. But in truth the real business was yesterday at the Emirates where the Gunners got back on the saddle again with the visit of Wolverhampton Wanderers. I’d heard and seen some daft comments online from Arsenal fans suggesting that Arsenal would score a mountain of goals against a Wolves team bereft of any modicum of confidence, but football is rarely as simple as that, even though I thought that Arsenal would win comfortably.
Arsenal simply needed to win. To win well would be great, but win and get the show back on the road because the disrespect coming out of the Etihad was and is growing exponentially, they still see us as weak bottlers – as do their friends in the media of course. Snide remarks are the rudimentary bread and butter of that corrupt mob in Wastelands but this is going to be a long, gruelling season and wiping the grin off of those Mancs faces would be very very enjoyable.
Fitness and rotation was still the name of the game but with that in mind Arteta went down the road of common sense knowing he had a full week to prepare for the difficult visit to the new home of Everton next weekend and two games a week there-after for what seems like the rest of the season. Martin Odegaard, two goal Madueke and Mikel Merino were rotated onto the substitutes bench alongside Gabriel Jesus and in came Bakayo Saka, Declan Rice, Eze and Jurrien Timber who dropped in alongside Big Bill Saliba. Yes, he was back!
The Emirates was rocking in anticipation of a goal feast at kick off and the Gunners went for it. Wolves were defending desperately in the lowest of low blocks but Saka got free and sent in a tantalising cross for the unmarked Timber on the 7th minute who inexplicably headed over the bar when it looked easier to score. Never mind we’ll soon open them up – but Arsenal’s incessant pressure began to wane after 20 odd minutes of quite rushed approach play. Rice wasn’t hitting his straps, Martinelli was frustratingly sloppy, Gyokeres was being bullied and worryingly, was caught on his heels when a low Saka cross fizzed across the goal area. Eze was lacking the magic we love to see and Wolves almost caught us out a couple of the times. The crowd quickly became anxious and then quiet, the feast was more famine and to make matters worse we lost Ben White to another muscular injury – when will it end. Myles came on and looked good, but there was no snap to our play.
Half-time 0-0
Arteta made no half-time changes, which surprised me and the team continued to play below their level. Misplaced passes, rushed phases when maybe a bit more composure was required, yes play the ball quicker, speed things up but do it accurately and with purpose. Arteta gave the team just over 10 more minutes but nothing was sticking although on 57 Martinelli spun on the edge of the box and finished his run with a great shot that just went past the far post. No matter he was replaced by Trossard moments later, Odegaard came on for the disappointing Eze and Merino took over from the tired looking Zubimendi.
Trossard made an immediate impression and began to link up really well with Gyokeres. On 61 our best player Saka sent in another cross and Gyokeres flicked it on to the onrushing Trossard who just couldn’t quite connect on the far post. On 68 great close control work by Trossard put Rice free to run at goal but his low shot was parried and just squirmed away from Saka following up – that was better!
The on the 70th minute a goal which summed up this crazy game, Saka bent in an amazing corner which arched and bent into the area, Johnstone got a finger to it but the ball thudded onto the far post and rebounded into the goal via the head of Johnstone. It was a daft goal and should have broke Wolves but it had the opposite effect. Wolves pushed forward and more space appeared as Rice set up Trossard on the break on 72 but he lost his footing and the chance went begging. Then Trossard set up Gyokeres on 75 but he was shoved off of the ball and another chance went.
I was surprised to see Gyokeres taken off on 81 for Jesus as the Swede was having his most productive spell, then two minutes later Odegaard set up Trossard whose near post shot shaved the post. Meanwhile Wolves were building up a head of steam and Arsenal were dropping deeper. With no Gyokeres to mark the big men in the Wolves defence suddenly popped up around the Arsenal penalty area.
Wolves piled on the pressure and it was looking similar to the late assault we suffered at Sunderland when we couldn’t clear the ball and as the clock ticked towards the 90 a cross into the Arsenal box was headed home for the equaliser. It was a goal of Villa Park proportions and left us all stunned – the Etihad must have been laughing their stupid heads off?
As we clicked into added time it was all hands to the pump, no point engaging in game management now and finally Bakayo put over another inviting cross into the Wolves box and Jesus leaped with a large Wolves defender leaping behind him as the ball was somehow deflected into the Wolves goal. We all thought it was a Jesus goal but replays showed the large Wolves defender had actually flicked it past Johnstone.
It didn’t matter, it was a goal, the winner but I was too relieved to celebrate even if it had been a reverse of Villa Park and maybe it was our turn to enjoy a piece good fortune.
All champions need to enjoy good fortune when it comes.
We march on…
**By Kev.**