Red cards ramp up
With a pre-match light show involving literal flames shooting up from the pitch, Wolves made it very clear from the off that they wanted the atmosphere to be as heated as possible for their Premier League clash against Arsenal.
The Gunners have folded under the pressure of hostile ambiences away at Old Trafford, Anfield and Goodison Park already this season, so the question now was how would they stand up to the test?
The response was mixed.
While the backs-to-the-wall defensive performance in the closing stages of the game deserves credit - and will get plenty later - there was an air of inevitability to the way Arsenal found themselves down to 10 men.
From the early stages the Gunners made it clear that they intended to use every single trick in the book to frustrate their opponent and as the Molineux crowd became more rowdy, you could almost have done a sweepstake at half time of which player would be the first to be dismissed.
Not many will have had their money on Gabriel Martinelli, but it was a red card typical of the self-destructive gene Arsenal seem to carry in almost every match they play.
Yes, of course that criticism needs to be caveated by the bizarre nature of the dismissal.
Mikel Arteta was spot on in pointing out that Michael Oliver had to be "very willing" to make the decision to send Martinelli off for two bookable offences within the same sequence. Had the fouls come earlier in the game when it's tone had not quite yet been set, then you would imagine the Brazilian would have happily taken his caution as punishment and carried on.
The Arsenal boss can rightly point to a few similar calls this season where it appears that officials have been almost insatiable in their eagerness to dish out the harshest possible punishments to his players, and promised talks soon enough with the PGMOL.
"If you ask me if I’m happy with the decisions we’ve had this season, I’m not at all," the Spaniard said in his post-match press conference.
"But that’s a conversation I will have privately with the officials. We need explanations, we need explanations with what happened in VAR and I need explanations with what happened today."
The reality remains though that the Gunners, despite their recent progression, can never truly feel safe in games when they have played themselves into a position of strength, due to that seemingly unshakeable tendency to go off the rails.
When asked about how he plans to combat this issue, Arteta admitted that he was running out of ideas.
"To be fair it’s difficult to find more arguments and more ways to transmit that to the players," he said. "Everybody says it’s the most disciplined group they’ve seen in the last 15 years, but still we are getting red card for other things."
Aside from the immediate in-game impact it also means that Arsenal again find themselves a player light going into a vital Premier League match against Brentford in 10 days time.
In 2022 the Gunners have double the number of red cards than they do goals, and the fact that Thursday night was their first win of this year is indicative of the toll that has taken on Arteta's selection options.
After a January that saw the squad gutted of the majority of its fringe players Arsenal are a side who can ill-afford to lose players as frequently as they have been recently if they want to be in next season's Champions League.
This is a reality Arteta accepts.
"We know that playing with 10 men in this league you’re not gonna get points, enough points, the points that we want and we have to stop it," the Spaniard said.
With just 16 matches of the campaign remaining, the Gunners boss will be hoping his wish comes true sooner, rather than later.
Top four hopes boosted
Perhaps what makes the tone of the discourse around the latest red card more philosophical is the fact that Arsenal were actually able to come away with the win.
In a week where both Manchester United and Tottenham had both dropped points, the chance to gain ground in the race for the top four was one Mikel Arteta's side couldn't afford to pass up.
In the past though, they have tended to squander these opportunities when the pressure is on.
The early tone of the performance suggested that history could be on course to repeat itself as Wolves dominated the early exchanges, missing key chances to go in front via Raul Jimenez, Nelson Semedo and Leander Dendoncker.
Probably against the run of play though Arsenal were able to force their way in front when Gabriel pounced following Alexandre Lacazette's collision with Jose Sa.
From that point on Arsenal continued to ride their luck and despite the red card eventually held on for a win that really does put them in the driving seat for the Champions League race.
If the Gunners are dining at Europe's top table next season, it is not the comfortable and exciting wins in late December that will be looked back upon as the reason, but rather victories like Thursday night's at Molineux against a tough opponent when not playing well that will be the key.
Last season you feel Arteta's side might have drawn this one. Perhaps the biggest change between that side that finished eighth, and this one that could finish fourth, is the ability now to turn those one point games in to threes.
Defence to thank again
A big part of Arsenal's transition to a team unable to qualify for the Europa Conference League to one that is pushing for Champions League football has been the improvement in their defence.
Backs-to-the-wall defending has gone from something the Gunners used to dread in the later days under Arsene Wenger and Unai Emery's time in charge, to something that they now seem to relish.
The most eye-catching presence in the backline seems to always be Aaron Ramsdale due to his charismatic presence, and all-action style, but in reality the England keeper's only real big save on the night came just outside his six yard box to block a powerful drive from Roman Saiss.
This is testament to how impressive Arsenal have become as a defensive unit.
Cedric, Ben White, Gabriel and Kieran Tierney were all superb after the red card, while Rob Holding has become something of a cheat code in these situations where the Gunners are forced to defend their penalty box for prolonged periods of time.
Going into last night Arsenal ranked up in the 88th percentile for clear shots conceded in the Premier League this season when excluding the catastrophic first three matches.
They are also up in 76th percentile for expected goals against, 75th for xG per shot and 79th for xG against from set pieces.
On Thursday night those statistics would have been handed even more of a boost last night as the Gunners made 41 clearances in the match - eight more than they have done in any Premier League match this campaign.
After the game Arteta was keen to shine a light on the collective nature of his side's defensive display.
"I keep telling you guys how close they are, how much they like to play together," the Spaniard said. "The unity and togetherness around that dressing room and how willing they are to defend that shirt every single match.
"I really mean it when I say that and today was another example.
"I think we have so many and that’s why I’m proud to be the coach of these players."
At the full time whistle it was the defensive unit who were quick to embrace each other and in social media posts afterwards it was clear yet again just how close this group are. As a side without a consistent goal threat at the top end of the pitch, they could be invaluable in the home stretch of the season.
Laca's lack of goals
It was another game without a goal for Alexandre Lacazette, whose Premier League tally this season remains at just three.
It wasn't as if the Frenchman didn't have chances. In the first half after some excellent play by Bukayo Saka and a one-two with Martin Odegaard, the 30-year-old shot straight at Jose Sa. He then missed a headed chance following a superb cross from Cedric not long after.
The worst of the bunch though came as he was played through one-vs-one just after the red card by Gabriel, and curled wide despite having the chance to make it 2-0 and secure the points. This miss was so poor that Lacazette himself felt compelled to apologise for it on social media after the match.
"Disappointed," the Frenchman said. "I know I should score that one, gonna keep working to be back!!"
It's hard to be too critical of the forward, though, as what he does for the team is so essential.
His play dropping deep helped pull Wolves tightly organised defence out of position to create opportunities for the likes of Saka and Gabriel Martinelli to run into. The 30-year-old's willingness to put his body on the line also resulted in the match-winning goal.
Contrast that to Eddie Nketiah's anaemic cameo after he was introduced in the second half and Lacazette's commitment to the cause cannot be questioned.
However, the limitations to his game continued to be showed up week in week out, and Arsenal are a poorer side for it.
On one occasion during the first half, Martinelli went on a driving run that progressed the ball into the opposition half from deep, dragging as many as five Wolves defenders along with him.
As the Brazilian eventually ran out of road he played a ball blindly to where he was expecting support from Lacazette to be, but the Frenchman's lack of mobility meant that he was nowhere near it, prompting a frustrated reaction from Martinelli.
There is no doubting that Arsenal need a striker desperately, but until they do it appears that Lacazette is all they have.
But with the obvious deficiencies in the 30-year-old's game and Champions League football at stake, it is a risk that they continue to take at their own peril.
