Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta was unhappy with his finishing and made defensive mistakes, but was relieved as Arsenal beat Wolves 2-1 to move four points clear at the top of the Premier League.
At home on December 2, Arsenal started explosively, leading 2-0 thanks to Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard within 13 minutes. But then, the "Gunners" squandered opportunities to widen the gap, including Gabriel Martinelli's curling shot hitting the post in the 37th minute, and almost paid the price.
In the 87th minute, Oleksandr Zinchenko lost the ball in the penalty area, opening up space for Matheus Cunha to curl a shot into the top corner, reducing the gap for Wolves. Two minutes later, Arsenal missed the chance to end the match when substitute striker Eddie Nketiah hit the post in a one-on-one situation.
Nketiah's shot hit the post in the 89th minute of Arsenal's 2-1 win over Wolves at Emirates Stadium in the 14th round of the Premier League on December 2. Photo: Reuters
This miss, along with Tomiyasu Takehiro's injury, left Arsenal fans in a state of anxiety for the final minutes of the match. In the end, the Gunners held firm through eight minutes of added time to secure the victory, thereby increasing the gap with second-placed Man City - who will face Tottenham at the Etihad Stadium today - to four points.
After the match, Arteta assessed that Arsenal played well, created many chances, started well with two goals, but should have had three or four. "The scoreline could have been very different," he emphasized this twice. "We were unlucky in certain moments, with two shots hitting the post. Arsenal had chances to kill the game in the second half but didn't, then made mistakes at the end. In the Premier League, you get punished for those mistakes and the game opens up again."
When asked further about Zinchenko's mistake, Arteta replied: "Zinchenko has more strengths than weaknesses. That mistake can happen to any player, the problem is that we have to learn from it. In situations like that, holding the ball is not the right thing to do, especially after the previous disputes. That's it, we will continue to improve."
Arteta talks with defender Zinchenko during the 2-1 win over Wolves on December 2. Photo: Reuters
Saka's sixth-minute opener was Arsenal's earliest goal of the season, and also the club's 100th in 2023. In Europe's top five leagues, only Man City, Real Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen and Bayern Munich have also reached the 100-goal mark this calendar year.
Arsenal's 100 goals were scored by 21 players, and Arteta was pleased. "Everyone wants to score," said the 41-year-old. "Contributions have to come from every position on the pitch, and when you see them interacting, switching positions, opening up spaces, the connection within the team gets better and better. Today, I thought Arsenal played very well."
With Thomas Partey out with a long-term injury and Kai Havertz yet to settle in, Arteta has pulled Leandro Trossard into midfield alongside Declan Rice and Odegaard in the last two Premier League games, winning 2-1 against Wolves and 1-0 against Brentford. The Spanish coach praised the Belgian for his versatility, intelligence, constant pressing, and good use of space, so he can play in many positions, from centre-forward, winger to attacking midfielder. He also praised Martinelli, Odegaard is in good form, and revealed that Tomiyasu felt tired and immediately substituted him when he didn't want to take risks.
In the next two rounds, the Gunners will visit newcomer Luton Town on December 5 and Aston Villa on December 9.
Hong Duy
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