Wolves 0-1 Arsenal: 4 positives from Premier League win

Arsenal moved to within a point of the Premier League top four on Thursday with a hard fought 1-0 win over fellow Champions League chasing Wolves.

18 days since their previous match, it was imperative that Mikel Arteta’s side took advantage of the slip-ups around them to avoid falling further afield in the hunt.

With Spurs and Manchester United both hilariously dropping points, while West Ham are wobbling slightly of late and were also unable to bolster their squad in January, beating Wolves at Molineux could go down as a huge three points in the context of the season.

It wasn’t pretty, but that’s beside the point. If every game has to be a grind like this one then so be it, as long as the wins follow.

Wolves 0-1 Arsenal: 4 positives from Premier League win that moves Mikel Arteta’s side closer to the top four

Arsenal have a defined style, just as they have a limited squad. Getting players sent off, again, doesn’t help the latter point.

But there will be more matches like the one on Thursday where digging deep for a result will be a greater test of resolve and character than it will be quality and tactical execution. It felt like a cup final, and Arsenal do like those.

Gabriel proved to be the match winner with a poked effort on 25 minutes, and as the Wolves onslaught arrived late on it wasn’t enough to deny the Gunners their 12th win of the season.

Under those circumstances, barring the obvious sending off, it’s almost only positives to draw from the 1-0 victory, one that narrowly gives Arsenal the top four advantage after 22 matches.

1. Win When You’re Not at Your Best

It’s a classic adage that any team who can win when they’re not near their best is the sign of a strong side. It is fair to say Arsenal were not physically below their usual level on Thursday.

The reasons for that were clear, and expected: Arsenal hadn’t played a game for 18 days and Granit Xhaka, for example, hadn’t kicked a ball since 24 minutes into January 13th’s Carabao Cup first leg.

There was a lack of sharpness from a number of the players, with Kieran Tierney having a tough first half and even the central defenders struggling to progress the ball as they normally would.

Players grew into the game, like Tierney, but the overriding emotion was that this was a group who were not yet at full fitness. It made that goal after 25 minutes even more crucial as it allowed Arsenal to focus on natural instincts in defensive situations, but they held on despite their lack of freshness.

It wasn’t a kind fixture to be welcomed back to, even if the team would have been sharp. Getting three points under those circumstances, and the red card, makes it an extra special win.

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