Arsenal Vs Wolves: 5 things we learned – What the f***?

4. No incision whatsoever

The first half-hour, the Gunners were the better team. When the first goal went in, they had just short of 75% of the possession. At half-time, that had dropped to 71.7%, but their command of the match was clear, at least in terms of dictating the ball. The fluidity and intelligence of Alex Iwobi, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Mesut Ozil was critical in their dictation of the ball. But there was a problem: no cutting edge.

How many times did Arsenal engineer a vague opening around 30 yards from goal and, instead of looking for a riskier, killer pass that might not succeed, turn and play the conservative ball back into the midfield or defence? There was no incision, no creativity, no one willing to drive at defenders and dribble past them — incidentally, the one time someone did was when Alexandre Lacazette created an excellent chance for himself in the first half, only he shanked the shot high and wide.

This has been a weakness of this team throughout the year, particularly in the wide positions. Much has been said of this major vulnerability, and now it has come back to bite them. Spending this summer is an absolute necessity.