Arsenal’s players were extremely critical of their own performance after Saturday’s late win over Wolves, despite securing all three points at the Emirates Stadium. The match was eventually settled by a 94th-minute own goal from Yerson Mosquera, but the manner of the victory, and celebrations on the pitch, did little to mask the frustration felt inside the dressing room from both the players and manager. Reports claim there were honest conversations among the squad after full-time, with several senior figures - including Rice and Odegaard - making it clear that the overall display fell well short of expectations, as reported by The Telegraph.
The former was visibly unhappy at the final whistle and headed straight down the tunnel. His frustration had already been apparent during the celebrations on the pitch, in which he did not take part. Captain Odegaard and other experienced players also addressed the group. There were no disputes or raised tensions between team-mates post-match. Instead, the mood was one of shared disappointment at how the game unfolded.
Arsenal had conceded a late equaliser through Tolu Arokodare before regaining the lead moments later, a sequence that summed up their defensive issues and lack of control on the afternoon. Mikel Arteta shared that assessment. Speaking after the match, the Arsenal manager criticised his side’s defending and made it clear the performance was not acceptable. "I knew it wasn’t going to be an easy game, but we made it harder ourselves with the way we conceded," Arteta said. "That’s unacceptable."