The Gunners made it 3 wins in a row and importantly, strengthened their position for a top-four finish in the Premier League. The 2-1 win over Wolves for Arsenal could be a season-defining one as the pressure and consequences of the outcome were huge for this game.

But the hard-fought win took every ounce of energy from the players. It took 82 minutes to level the score and a stoppage-time goal to win the game and take full three points. Nevertheless, a win against the well-rehearsed Wolves team will certainly have a positive impact going forward.

Starting on the front foot, the Gunners did get some chances early, but it was the visitors who took lead through Hwang Hee-Chan within the first ten minutes of the game. The next 70 minutes’ play was a huge tussle between the sides, with the hosts seemingly eager for a goal.

Substitute Nicolas Pepe equalised for the North London side on the 82nd minute as his swift turn and shot went past the Wolves keeper. The momentum now shifted towards the home team and the Gunners were rewarded with a winning goal in the 95th minute. Mikel Arteta’s substitutions were bang on. The substitutes made a significant impact on the outcome of the game.

🙌 Your highlights are here, Gooners!

🍿 Catch all of the best moments from a huge home win#ARSWOL | Match highlights 📺 pic.twitter.com/2gKSuKRQhc

— Arsenal (@Arsenal) February 25, 2022

With this win, the Gunners consolidated their position in the Premier League. They are now one of the top contenders to finish with a Champions League spot at the end of the season. They currently sit sixth on the points table. They are level on points with fifth-placed West Ham and just two points behind fourth-placed Manchester United with three fewer games played.

Arsenal Player Ratings Against Wolves

Starting XI:

Aaron Ramsdale (GK) – 7.0: Ramsdale only faced 6 shots against Wolves but the Arsenal keeper did make some important saves. The goal from Hwang Hee-Chan cannot be blamed on the keeper as he tried to cover the shooting angle with his position. His ball distribution was good, especially in the second half.

Cedric Soares (RB) – 5.0: Good performance in previous games granted him another opportunity on Friday. However, this time his positioning was poor. The Portuguese full-back did not track back when needed and the goal conceded was partly due to his poor positioning at that moment.

Ben White (CB) – 6.5: Ben White provided some good through and over-the-top balls in the middle of the field. It was more of attacking play from the English defender as he had very little workload at the back. He made some good attempts to regain possession from the visitors.

Gabriel Magalhaes (CB) – 5.5: The goalscorer from the last meeting between these two sides was sadly the main culprit for the goal conceded in this match. Hee-Chan pounced on his weak back pass and rounded off Ramsdale for a neat finish. He lost possessions on many occasions and even struggled in one-on-one situations.

Kieran Tierney (LB) – 6.5: The offensive left-back played majorly as an out-n-out defender this time around. The visitors made most of their runs on the left flank, forcing the Scot to stay back and defend. Also, Xhaka’s positioning was not helping Tierney to try for a quick counter-attack.

Thomas Partey (CM) – 8.0: A key reason for Arsenal’s survival on Friday was Partey’s intelligent positioning and clean tackles. The 28-years-old Ghanaian was certainly the mainstay for the Arsenal in midfield against Wolves and set the tone for them.

💫 Midfield madness

👏 How good was @Thomaspartey22 last night?#ARSWOL pic.twitter.com/9yByHj11bL

— Arsenal (@Arsenal) February 25, 2022

Granit Xhaka (CM) – 6.0: It seemed like Xhaka played two different games in one night. He was lost in the first half, making no serious impact on the game, while in the second half, he moved deep into his own half and started making accurate passes. His deadly connection with the favoured left-wing was completely nullified by his positioning and passing in the first 45 minutes.

Gabriel Martinelli (LAM) – 6.0: Second game in a row against Wolves for Martinelli to forget. After a red card in the previous meeting, he was dreadful on the left-wing for the first time this season. He couldn’t beat Semedo or Kilman on the wing, nor did he make any impact on connecting plays with Odegaard and Lacazette. Replaced in the 71st minute by Pepe.

Bukayo Saka (RAM) – 6.5: First half performance was more impactful than the second half. He did miss Tomiyasu playing behind him but played his part well connecting with other players on the pitch.

Martin Odegaard (CAM) – 8.0: The difficulty level of this game was high, given the strong defensive line of the opposition. However, it didn’t stop Odegaard from having a good game. He troubled the keeper with some occasional shots on the goal, but couldn’t find the back of the net.

Alexandre Lacazette (ST) – 6.0: A late goal saved the Frenchman from a poor show in the Arsenal vs Wolves game, but unfortunately, the goal was deemed as an own goal. His shot selection was poor throughout the game. But finally, it was his intuitive shot in the 95th min that bounced off the keeper’s hand and went in. Sadly though, he remains on 3 Premier League goals this season.

Substitutes:

Nicolas Pepe (8.5): Played just 19 minutes plus 8 minutes of stoppage time, but performance-wise, he was far better than most of his teammates starting the game. Scored a brilliant goal to bring the Gunners level. The efforts to win the ball back in the 94th minute was very crucial as it resulted in the winning goal.

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• Martinelli Absence, Odegaard Impact, Xhaka Controversy and More | Important Noting Points From Arsenal’s Win Against Brentford

Eddie Nketiah (6.5): The youngster came on the field for Soares, indicating Arteta’s intentions for the game. He did make a huge impact with an assist to Pepe’s equalising goal, uplifting the fans and players’ morale.

Tavares (NA): Came on too late, replacing Tierney, to make an impact, but was part of the voracious celebration after the winning goal.

Do you agree with the given player ratings for the Arsenal vs Wolves game? Let us know your opinions in the comments section below.

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