A 2-1 win against Wolverhampton Wanderers at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday moved Arsenal five points clear at the top of the Premier League table at the time of writing.
Despite starting the contest as clear favourites, Mikel Arteta’s side were forced to dig deep, as Rob Edwards’ outfit delivered a resolute defensive display.
Coming off last weekend’s defeat to Aston Villa, the Gunners were aware a response was required against the division’s bottom side and were close to allowing relegation-threatened Wolves to secure just their third point of the campaign.
Across the opening half at the Emirates, the Gunners attempted six shots before the interval yet failed to hit the target, marking the first occasion since December 2024 that they went through a Premier League first half without registering a shot on target at home.
It took individual quality from Bukayo Saka, whose delivery into the area proved crucial on two occasions, with the first — swung in from a corner — forcing goalkeeper Sam Johnstone into turning the ball into his own net.
Although Tolu Arokodare struck late to level matters, Wolves’ resistance eventually collapsed when Yerson Mosquera diverted Saka’s cross into his own goal in the 94th minute.
Beyond his direct contributions to the goals, the 24-year-old dominated his individual battles, winning all 11 duels he contested. He also completed every dribble attempted (4/4) while registering two ball recoveries.
Individual quality
That performance saw him become the only Arsenal player across the last 10 Premier League seasons to contest at least 10 duels in a single match and win every one.
Saka was equally outstanding in Arsenal’s dominance, registering 63 touches while completing 90 per cent of his passes and supplying five successful crosses.
He was Arsenal’s best player in attack, as he recorded the highest number of touches inside the opposition box (6), created the most chances (4) and beat his marker more often than any other Arsenal player with three completed take-ons.
Across much of the campaign, Arsenal have been outstanding, yet recent weeks have brought a slight dip, with draws against Chelsea and Sunderland coupled with defeat to Villa in their last six league outings.
Mikel Arteta will hope his side extends their winning momentum when they travel to the Hill Dickinson Stadium to face Everton on Saturday, 20 December.
