Arsenal 1-2 Wolves: Daniel Podence sinks Arsenal as Raul Jimenez head injury overshadows game

Wolves were full value for a 2-1 victory over Arsenal at the Emirates, after seeing striker Raul Jimenez stretchered off following a hideous head clash with David Luiz.

The match was stopped for ten minutes while the Wolves number nine received treatment but, after an understandably tentative restart, the away side were superb with Pedro Neto and Daniel Podence scoring in between Gabriel's header for the Gunners.

After the game the Wolves players learned Jimenez is conscious in hospital but set to receive scans.

For the first goal, Traore beat Kieran Tierney, as he did throughout the game, and his pinpoint cross was headed against the bar by Leander Dendoncker and Neto reacted quickest to fire home from six yards out.

Then, after Gabriel headed home Willian's cross, two minutes before the interval Traore again started the move with a Maradona-esque 360-degree turn in the centre circle, from where he fed Neto whose effort from 20 yards out was blocked by Leno, but again a Wolves man reacted quickest and Podence brilliantly flicked the ball over the sliding challenge of Gabriel and then fired home.

Although Arsenal had most of the play in the second half, Wolves generally looked comfortable defensively with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's header wide from point-blank range eight minutes from time the closest the hosts came to an equaliser.

The result lifts Wolves to sixth position, while Arsenal remain in 14th ahead of a very important looking North London derby next Sunday.

It seems apt that this result came a year on from the sacking of Unai Emery.

It seems hard to believe less than four months ago, the Gunners ended the 2019/20 campaign winning seven of their last ten league games and humbled Chelsea in the FA Cup final.

The Gunners now look exactly what the table suggests they are, a mid-table side at best. Despite a plethora of attacking talent they have little impetus to their attacks and look fairly easy to defend against.

In the second half, Wolves had 13 dribbles from their Neto, Traore and Podense, while Arsenal had just two from their whole team. Their opponents gave them a lesson into the dynamism needed if Arsenal are to turn their form around and Mikel Arteta is to lead the club to better times, which seemed around the corner after their improvement in the summer.

Playing alongside Raul Jiminez, Adama Traore and now-Liverpool striker Diego Jota last season, Neto was overshadowed last season but he has probably been their best performer in this campaign and this was an electric performance.

With the ability to cut inside or race outside defenders when he matches up one-on-one on the wing and equally dangerous when receiving the ball in the number ten position he is so difficult to deal with.

Wolves' switch to 4-4-2 has set them free offensively and Jota and Traore caused problems for either side of the Arsenal defence whenever they were on a counter-attack.

They were both involved in each goal but Neto had the edge due to being involved in the game a little bit more.

Arsenal: Leno 5, Bellerin 6, Luiz 6, Gabriel 8, Tierney 5, Ceballos 6, Xhaka 6, Willian 6, Willock 5, Saka 7, Aubameyang 6.

Subs: Holding 5, Nelson 6, Lacazette 6.

Wolves: Rui Patricio 5, Semedo 6, Boly 7, Coady 8, Marcal 6, Traore 8, Dendoncker 7, Moutinho 6, Neto 9*, Podence 8, Jiminez 6.

Subs: Silva 6, Neves 6, Kilman 6.

28' GOAL! Neto nets from close range after Dendoncker saw his shot against the bar. Great work from Traore as he skins Tierney and pings a cross to the back post that Dendoncker headed against the bar and then Neto fired in from the edge of the six-yard box.

30' GOAL! Gabriel heads home Willian's cross to bring Arsenal level.

43' GOAL! Wolves in front after Leno can only block Neto's 20-yard effort and then Podence does incredibly well to clip the ball over Gabriel's sliding challenge and slot past the Arsenal keeper.

82' A great chance for Aubameyang. Bellerin's cross got a little deflection but seemed to sit up perfectly for the Arsenal striker but he headed wide under pressure from Semedo.