Arsenal 2-1 Wolverhampton Wanderers: Post-match review, Stats, Key moments

Dive into Ladbrokes’ post-match review of Arsenal 2-1 Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League on Saturday, 13 December 2025, with stats, key moments and our take on the match.

Arsenal beat Wolverhampton Wanderers 2-1 in a tense Premier League encounter at the Emirates. The first half saw Arsenal dominate possession but fail to break through a resilient Wolves defence, with an early substitution forced when Myles Lewis-Skelly replaced Ben White at 31 minutes. Arsenal’s recent strong home form, including wins over Brentford and Tottenham, helped them maintain pressure, but the game remained goalless until the second half.

The breakthrough came at 70 minutes when Wolves goalkeeper Sam Johnstone scored an own goal to put Arsenal ahead, shortly after a flurry of substitutions including Martin Ødegaard for Eberechi Eze and Leandro Trossard for Gabriel Martinelli. Wolves, reeling from a run of five straight league losses, fought back with Tolu Arokodare equalising at 90 minutes, assisted by Mateus Mané. But Arsenal snatched the win deep in stoppage time when Yerson Mosquera put through his own net at 90+4 minutes, extending Wolves’ dismal form.

Arsenal’s 69% possession underlined their control of the game, allowing them to rack up eight corners while Wolves managed none, pointing to sustained pressure on the visitors’ defence. Both sides showed flair in attack with similar successful dribbles—67 for Arsenal and 57 for Wolves—but the hosts’ dominance limited Wolves to counter-attacks, and the visitors picked up four yellow cards compared to Arsenal’s none, reflecting their frustration under pressure.

Substitutions played a key role, with both teams using all five available; Arsenal made changes like Myles Lewis-Skelly replacing Ben White early on and Gabriel Jesus coming on for Viktor Gyökeres late, while Wolves introduced Tolu Arokodare for Jørgen Strand Larsen at 69 minutes, which led to their goal. One assist was recorded overall, coming from Wolves in their late equaliser, and no penalties or red cards disrupted the flow.

The match turned decisively in the second half, starting with Wolves’ Hee-chan Hwang picking up a yellow card at 60 minutes, followed by Matt Doherty’s booking at 65 minutes for a late challenge. Arsenal took the lead at 70 minutes through an own goal by Sam Johnstone, but Wolves responded with substitutions like Tolu Arokodare replacing Jørgen Strand Larsen and Jackson Tchatchoua for Matt Doherty at 69 minutes, setting up Arokodare’s 90th-minute equaliser assisted by Mateus Mané, who had come on for Toti at 86 minutes.

Drama peaked in added time when Yerson Mosquera scored an own goal at 90+4 minutes to hand Arsenal the win, before receiving a yellow card at 90+6 minutes, with Emmanuel Agbadou also booked at 90+8 minutes amid the late chaos. Arsenal’s earlier changes, such as Martin Ødegaard replacing Eberechi Eze at 57 minutes and Mikel Merino for Martín Zubimendi at 58 minutes, helped maintain their momentum.

Arsenal lined up in a 4-3-3 formation, with Bukayo Saka providing width and creativity on the right flank, where his key passes and big chances created stood out. Partnerships like Leandro Trossard coming on for Gabriel Martinelli added attacking threat, while Mikel Merino’s midfield role after replacing Martín Zubimendi bolstered control.

Wolverhampton Wanderers set up in a 3-5-2 shape, relying on defensive solidity from players like Yerson Mosquera and Toti, though own goals from Mosquera and goalkeeper Sam Johnstone proved costly. Substitutes such as Tolu Arokodare, who replaced Jørgen Strand Larsen and scored, and Mateus Mané, on for Toti to provide the assist, offered some attacking spark in the wide areas.

Bukayo Saka earned Ladbrokes’ Man of the Match award for his influential performance, creating one big chance and delivering three key passes that kept Arsenal’s attack ticking. Though he didn’t score or assist directly, his constant threat on the wing was vital in a game where Arsenal dominated possession but needed quality to unlock Wolves.

Recent Premier League matches:

• Win: 2-1 vs Wolverhampton Wanderers (H)
• Loss: 1-2 vs Aston Villa (A)
• Win: 2-0 vs Brentford (H)
• Draw: 1-1 vs Chelsea (A)
• Win: 4-1 vs Tottenham Hotspur (H)

Recent Premier League matches:

• Loss: 1-2 vs Arsenal (A)
• Loss: 1-4 vs Manchester United (H)
• Loss: 0-1 vs Nottingham Forest (H)
• Loss: 0-1 vs Aston Villa (A)
• Loss: 0-2 vs Crystal Palace (H)

Arsenal have just beaten Wolverhampton Wanderers 2-1, maintaining their position at the top of the table with 36 points after a run that includes wins over Brentford and Tottenham but a recent loss to Aston Villa. They face Everton next on 20 December 2025 at 20:00, with the opponents sitting ninth on 24 points, offering Arsenal a chance to extend their lead and keep chasing the title.

Wolverhampton Wanderers have just lost 2-1 to Arsenal, leaving them rooted at the bottom in 20th place with only two points following five consecutive defeats, including heavy losses to Manchester United and Crystal Palace. Their next fixture is against Brentford on 20 December 2025 at 15:00, with the opposition in 14th on 20 points, making it a crucial game for Wolves to pick up points and climb away from relegation danger.

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Odds and market details are accurate as of the time of publication.