Liam Keen analysis: Wolves' defeat at Arsenal no surprise - they were due a tough afternoon
After a good start to the season where Wolves have beaten Manchester City and Spurs, they were due another difficult afternoon.
Gary O’Neil’s side have upset the odds this campaign and surprised many, but it came as little surprise to see Arsenal race away with a 2-0 lead after 13 minutes.
The head coach gave quite a positive outlook on the performance after the final whistle, and regardless of whether this was to keep his players happy in the public domain, it is difficult to agree with his assessment.
Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard’s early goals were avoidable and frustrating, while Wolves struggled to get going in a first half littered with mistakes.
Wolves had little attacking threat in that first half, despite the valiant efforts of Matheus Cunha, who had little service or support around him.
O’Neil’s side did settle and see more of the ball, but they did little with it, and some super saves, alongside the woodwork, kept it at 2-0 as Arsenal threatened to add to their lead.
It was a lacklustre display and although the second-half performance was more assured, it had its own issues. Mainly, as a spectacle, it was a boring second 45 for the most part. Wolves huffed and puffed but rarely got going, while Arsenal sat in first gear and coasted.
It was only when Cunha curled home a beautiful strike that the game burst into life and Wolves played with some purpose.
Too little, too late however, and the defeat was deserved against a strong side that will certainly battle for the Premier League title this season.
There is no shame in Wolves losing this fixture and the context makes it very clear as to why.
