Wolves are off to a losing start in the Premier League.
Wanderers fell to a 2-0 defeat against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium yesterday, but very few fans expected the team to get points leading up to the game.
Arsenal will surely contend for the Premier League title this season, and their quality was too much for Wolves.
But Wanderers did not roll over, and had some good periods in the game.
Had Jorgen Strand Larsen scored his headed chance in the first-half, then it could have been a very different game. It was a great save from David Raya though.
Kai Havertz then did what Strand Larsen could not. He headed home, with Jose Sa caught in no man’s land.
Saka then scored Arsenal’s second in the second-half, and his goal prompted criticism for one Wolves player from Tim Sherwood and Ian Wright after the game.
Wolves star Rayan Ait-Nouri criticised for defending after Arsenal
Wolves fans can take heart from yesterday’s performance.
While there were not too many chances created, Gary O’Neil’s side looked good on the ball in periods.
The three debutants – Jorgen Strand Larsen, Rodrigo Gomes and Yerson Mosquera – all played well. Mosquera has come in for particular praise for his display.
It was always going to be hard keeping a side like Arsenal out. Getting points was going to require top defending, and that just wasn’t there.
Both goals came from Arsenal’s right side, and Rayan Ait-Nouri came in for some criticism on the second goal from Saka.
Tim Sherwood said (via Premier League Productions): “See there. The restriction now is not standing in front because they could get a yellow card. If they are standing in front there, I will take a yellow card because that is a dangerous situation.
“Once you let him in on his left foot, Ait-Nouri has to do better, You are waiting for that to go into the bottom right-corner as we have seen him do many times for Arsenal and England. He cuts it back into the near post. I mean, this boy has got everything.”
Ian Wright added: “To be honest, Ait-Nouri, he knows. He has played against him enough times now. He should be showing him down the line.”
Ait-Nouri not the only guilty party
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Ait-Nouri could probably have done better on the second goal yesterday.
The Algerian has played against Saka several times now and there is always a strong possibility the England man is going to cut inside from the right, as a left-footer.
That said, sometimes there is little you can do. Mikel Arteta said after yesterday’s game (via football.london): “With good players, it’s like that (you can’t stop them). With Messi I know he’s gonna come here and put the ball there, but he does it all the time. You can’t stop him. That’s the quality of the players.”
£10 million man Ait-Nouri still needs to work a lot on his defending. But others also came up short yesterday defensively.
On the first goal, Mario Lemina might have done more to block the cross from Saka to Havertz. Toti Gomes also looked quite uncomfortable at times, gifting Arsenal possession in dangerous areas.