Mikel Arteta's frustration boiled over following Arsenal's narrow 2-1 victory against Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday night, as he unleashed a torrent of criticism towards his players. He described their performance using strong terms like "passive," "horrible," and outright "unacceptable."
Despite securing the win and extending their lead at the top of the Premier League table to five points ahead of Manchester City, the Gunners’ victory was less than convincing. They benefited from two own goals by their opponents, a team that has struggled immensely this season, making it all the more concerning for Arteta and the fans.
Arteta was particularly incensed by how his team defended in the final moments of a match that was anything but pretty. After taking a fortunate 1-0 lead due to an own goal from Sam Johnstone, Arsenal adopted a "passive" low block strategy that allowed Mateus Mane to send a dangerous cross into the box, which Tolu Arokodare converted in the dying moments of the game.
Arteta expressed his disbelief during the post-match interview, stating, "We had a period of two or three minutes where we sat too deep and were completely passive, exhibiting horrible defensive habits. That level of play is nowhere near what is required, especially against a side that hadn’t managed a single shot until then. The very first time they got a chance, they scored."
Interestingly, contrary to Arteta’s assessment, Wolves had created the clearest opportunity of the first half when Hwang Hee-chan launched a solo counterattack that forced Arsenal's goalkeeper David Raya into a challenging save. In fact, it was a historic moment for Arsenal, as they failed to record a single shot on target during the first half of a Premier League match for the first time this season.
Though Arteta acknowledged the relief of winning, he insisted on the need for improvement: "While we’re glad to have scored and won, there’s a clear need for us to enhance our defensive work. I can’t just say, ‘Oh, at least we showed resilience.’ We should have dealt with that situation before it escalated, and that’s on us."
Arteta was particularly disheartened by his players’ lack of urgency while in a deep defensive formation, rather than the mere act of retreating toward their own goal. "It’s acceptable to defend deep when the opposing team commits many players forward," he clarified. "However, the intensity of our actions in that block needs to be significantly higher than what we displayed."
He also offered some credit to Wolves, recognizing that he anticipated a tough encounter but felt they made it even more difficult for themselves by conceding in such a manner, calling it "unacceptable."
Wolves, who are struggling at the bottom of the league, have not been known for their strong defensive play this season, yet Arsenal found it incredibly challenging to create substantial scoring opportunities throughout the match. Arteta pointed out, "We had one clear chance with Gabriel Martinelli just a couple of yards from goal, completely unmarked, and we failed to score. But it was tough for us to find our teammates in the box when we reached those critical areas; we found ourselves in similar situations numerous times and didn’t manage to convert them into real chances."
Eberechi Eze had a surprisingly quiet game, going almost unnoticed during his 57 minutes on the pitch, managing neither a shot nor a chance creation, and only having one brief touch in the opposition’s box. When Martin Ødegaard came on to replace him, his impact was minimal as well.
Viktor Gyökeres exhibited energy and determination but lacked a finishing touch, forcing Arsenal to revert to their repetitive strategy of passing to Bukayo Saka. As Arteta noted, even Saka struggled to find teammates in the box. Fortunately for Arsenal, the opposition in turquoise were more skilled at scoring own goals, allowing the Gunners to escape with a win.
