By David Awopetu
Arsenal’s ill-discipline cost Mikel Arteta’s men again as the nine-man Gunners were beaten 2-1 at Wolves on Tuesday to halt their charge towards the Premier League’s top four.
Arsenal defender David Luiz was controversially sent off in the first half after Willian Jose went down inside the box at the strike of halftime, and Ruben Neves converted from the spot to cancel out Nicolas Pepe’s opener.
Nobody could miss Wolves’ winner. They re-emerged as if imbued with fresh energy and João Moutinho promptly scored a peach. Perhaps Bukayo Saka or Thomas Partey could have closed him down more quickly when he took possession 30 yards out, but it still required perfection to convert from there.
The veteran duly delivered it, giving Leno no chance with a vicious, rising blast that cannoned in off his right-hand post. “A worldie,” Arteta admitted, and on most other occasions it would have stood out as the defining moment.
Arsenal goalkeeper Bernd Leno was sent off in the 72nd minute which came after a VAR check deemed that the goalkeeper had handled the ball outside of his area while attempting a clearance.
Arsenal have now been shown nine red cards since Arteta took charge in December 2019, three times more than any other Premier League club.
This was Wolves’ first league victory since a 2-1 victory at Molineux against Chelsea on 15 December, although they had also won two FA Cup ties – against Crystal Palace and National League North side Chorley – since then.
Wolves climb a place to 13th, but will drop back to 14th if Crystal Palace avoid defeat at Newcastle United in a late game on Tuesday.
Arsenal, who would have gone sixth with victory, stay 10th, eight points behind fourth-placed Leicester City in the final Champions League qualification spot.
