Wolves beat Arsenal 2-1 in a crazy game at Molineux and gained their first win in nine Premier League games, one which saw the visitors reduced to nine men in the process.
Arsenal started the game the brighter of the two sides and went exceptionally close with just 40 seconds on the clock, when Bukayo Saka sent a thunderous effort crashing back off the post.
The 19-year-old thought he had put the Gunners deservedly in the lead when he rifled the ball in instinctively after being teed up by French striker Alexandre Lacazette – but a VAR review (as has become standard with most goals nowadays) found the Frenchman to be straying offside and the goal was ruled out.
Wolves grew into the game following their initial lucky escapes and went close when Max Kilman headed just over following a well-worked corner routine.
However, it was Arsenal who went ahead first on a rainy night in Wolverhampton. Nicolas Pepe showed great skill to wriggle past Wolves’ summer signing Nelson Semedo and curl past the onlooking keeper, Portuguese mainstay Rui Patricio.
Despite finally going ahead, Arsenal were not able to hold on for long, as on the stroke of half-time David Luiz brought down Wolves’s new recruit, Willian Jose as he chased down a ball played into the area.
As Luiz made no attempt to win the ball and simultaneously denied a clear goalscoring opportunity, he was shown a straight red card, and a penalty was awarded to Wolves.
There was a little delay as the red was confirmed, and although soft, the rules clearly show his offence was worthy of a straight dismissal.
Talismanic midfielder Ruben Neves slotted home a great penalty, coolly wrapping his foot round the ball and sending his effort flying into the top-right corner.
Straight after, the half-time whistle went. Wolves returned to the dressing room with renewed hope they could make something of the opportunity presented to them, whilst Arsenal had 15 minutes to work out a perfect survival plan.
However, just four minutes into the second-half, those plans were in the bin.
Joao Moutinho picked up the ball 30-yards-out, and with no obvious pass available the 34-year-old unleashed a bullet of a strike. It flew past the diving Bernd Leno in the Arsenal goal, stopping only briefly to graze the post on its fast track to the back of the net.
It was the stalwart’s first ever goal at Molineux, and what a way to get it. It is just a shame there were no fans in to share the moment with.
The lethal Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was brought on for the goalscorer Pepe as Arsenal attempted to salvage something from the game, but they never managed to create that elusive chance.
However, things would only go from bad to worse for the London club. Keeper Bernd Leno handling the ball outside the area with the best part of 20 minutes still to play, as the onrushing German attempted to prevent Adama Traore from making it three.
Leno was duly sent off and Thomas Partey was withdrawn from the field to make way for third-choice keeper Runar Alex Runarsson, making his league debut after joining from French outfit Dijon in September.
This means Arsenal will be without Leno for their next three games: Aston Villa away, Leeds at home and, perhaps most crucially, Manchester City at home.
Arsenal kept searching for a way back in, but it was fairly comfortable work for Wolves to keep the remaining nine players at bay.
Young Wolves’ striker Fabio Silva did however miss a golden chance in added time to make absolutely certain of the three points.
Nonetheless, the home team held out and gained a valuable three points, their first three since December 15, pulling them further away from the already unlikely scenario that they’d be dragged into a relegation battle this season.
They moved up to 13th, but that was only temporary, as Crystal Palace beat Newcastle to move back above them.
They play host to Leicester City at Sunday lunchtime and will be looking to make further progress up the table.
Arsenal remain in the West Midlands, and must now prepare for a trip to Villa Park on Saturday with two vital pieces of their defensive machine, that before tonight had kept five clean sheets in their last six games, suspended.
