Late Own Goal Rescues Arsenal as Wolves Push Leaders to the Brink

Arsenal survived a major scare at the Emirates Stadium, edging past bottom-placed Wolves thanks to a dramatic late own goal after the visitors had threatened one of the shocks of the Premier League season.

Wolves arrived in north London with just two points from 15 matches, the worst record in English league history at that stage, and were priced at 28-1 to win. Yet they produced a defiant, disciplined performance that left Arsenal frustrated for long periods.

The league leaders were sluggish and predictable in the first half, struggling to break down Wolves’ compact 5-3-2 setup. Their best early chance came from a Declan Rice corner, but Gabriel Martinelli headed wide. Wolves, meanwhile, looked dangerous on the counter, with Hwang Hee-chan forcing a save from David Raya after a powerful run from his own half.

Arsenal finally broke through in the 70th minute, albeit fortuitously. Bukayo Saka’s inswinging corner confused Wolves goalkeeper Sam Johnstone, who misjudged the flight of the ball as it hit the post, rebounded off him and rolled into the net for a freak own goal.

Instead of folding, Wolves responded bravely. Arsenal dropped deep late on, inviting pressure, and were punished in the 89th minute when substitute Tolu Arokodare headed home from a Mateus Mané cross to stun the Emirates and seemingly earn Wolves a famous point.

But deep into stoppage time, Arsenal found a lifeline. Saka’s cross caused chaos in the Wolves box, and defender Yerson Mosquera inadvertently diverted the ball into his own net under pressure from Gabriel Jesus. Mosquera was left devastated as Arsenal escaped with a 2-1 victory.

After the match, Mikel Arteta admitted his side had nearly paid the price for passivity.
“We had a period where we were totally passive with horrible defensive habits. That’s nowhere near the level required,” he said, calling the concession “unacceptable” despite the late win.

The result keeps Arsenal top of the table and restores a two-point cushion as they look to maintain pressure on Manchester City. Wolves, despite remaining winless, earned plaudits for a performance that deserved more than their league position suggests.