Arsenal 1 Wolves 1 – Report and pictures

Ivan Cavaleiro gave Nuno Espirito Santo's team a first half lead and they clung on until the 86th minute when Henrikh Mkhitaryan's cross evaded everyone and dropped in the corner.

Valiant Wolves almost won it twice in injury time but Adama Traore's shot was saved and then Morgan Gibbs-White hit the bar.

Analysis

This wasn't supposed to happen, writes Tim Spiers at the Emirates.

Wolves had lost three in a row, Arsenal were unbeaten in 14, there was only supposed to be one winner.

As it was, Wolves could have won 4-3, they could have lost 4-1, but somehow it ended up as just about the most thrilling, tension-filled, frenetic 1-1 draw you'll see.

Wolves more than played their part in a fabulous encounter which has goals, quality, chances, near misses and late, late drama.

That drama wasn't just restricted to Arsenal's heartbreaking equaliser, only four minutes from the end of the 90. Twice in injury time Wolves could, perhaps should, have won it but substitutes Adama Traore and Morgan Gibbs-White were both denied by Bernd Leno and the crossbar.

Arsenal piled on almost insurmountable amounts of pressure in the second half but no one could have complained had Wolves won it.

They gave a performance of heart, of commitment, of soul, of team spirit and of plenty of quality.

This was about more than earning a point in a game of football. This was about restoring a bit of faith after three consecutive defeats and proving, not that Wolves necessarily needed to, that they are a team to be reckoned with this season.

Four times they've taken on the big boys – four times they've matched them.

Match report

Nuno showed faith with the same XI that had lost 3-2 to Spurs last weekend. There were a couple of changes on the bench with the fit-again Diogo Jota and Romain Saiss replacing Leo Bonatini and Kortney Hause.

Arsenal came into the game on the back of 14 unbeaten games – a run that included a sequence of 11 consecutive victories – while Wolves had lost three on the bounce.

But an almost perfect first half from Wolves belied both those statistics.

They sat deep, defended resolutely and created several chances on the counter attack – and deservedly led at the break for the first time this season.

Arsenal began as they meant to go on by dominating possession in the early stages, but Ruben Neves and Joao Moutinho were regularly winning it in midfield and Wolves were getting a bit of joy down the flanks, too. Jonny Castro Otto and Matt Doherty pushing high up the field.

After just 13 minutes their passive/aggressive approach paid an early dividends. Granit Xhaka inexpicably allowed the ball to run across him in midfield and Ivan Cavaleiro picked the ball up and headed straight for the box. Cavaleiro played right to Raul Jimenez who instantly returned the favour for Cavaleiro to side-foot home from six yards.

It was a clinical goal, with Wolves taking full advantage of an opposition error, not something that's happened too often this season. It was also a fifth assist of the campaign for the unselfish Jimenez, who again made a mockery of those calling for a new first-choice striker in January.

Arsenal began to pile the pressure on but Wolves' determination just grew stronger.

It was blood and guts defending of the unsubtle variety – and Ryan Bennett and Conor Coady in particular excelled at it. Coady made a stupendous block when he threw himself at the ball to deny Alexandre Lacazette who look set to fire home from six yards, before later executing a perfect sliding tackle in the box.

The tenacious Bennett also stopped a certain goal when he put his head in the way of a powerful Hector Bellerin strike, which was bound for the top corner.

Wolves' granite-like backline meant Rui Patricio didn't have a thing to do in terms of saves.

It was a half reminiscent of Wolves' performance at Manchester City in the Carabao Cup last season when their discipline and commitment was top drawer. And, like at the Etihad, they were so bright on the counter attack, creating numerous chances.

Helder Costa looked lively and should have done better when racing in from the right flank, but he delayed his shot and Bernd Leno saved. The ball rebounded to Jimenez but the keeper was quick to grab at his feet to deny an open goal.

Jimenez also dragged a 20-yarder wide after more sloppy Arsenal defending. It could have been even better for Wolves.

It was a half that few in the stadium expected and the Gunners reacted by making a change at the break, with Matteo Guendouzi replacing Alex Iwobi.

The hosts started the second half strongly but Wolves were still untroubled where it really counted, with Patricio's first save an easy gobble from a Guendouzi shot.

At the other end Jonny typified Wolves' whole-hearted approach when he put his face in the way of Mesut Ozil's boot to stop the Gunners breaking from a Wolves corner.

Arsenal were ramping it up and Patricio was almost at full stretch to tip a Lucas Torreira dipper from 20 yards over the bar.

Nuno then made his first change, with the tiring goalscoring Cavaleiro replaced by Diogo Jota, like-for-like in the left forward role.

Wolves were almost exclusively defending now (albeit doing so brilliantly), with Costa their most likely outlet on the break with the Portuguese forward sprightly and direct.

Then with 19 minutes to go Arsenal were within a whisker of an equaliser, when a ball across the box from the left reached Bellerin and he flashes a left-footed shot inches over the bar from 15 yards.

It was one-way traffic and the Gunners came closer still when Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, anonymous thus far, side-footed against the post from just six yards, totally unmarked, from Bellerin's low cross.

Unai Emery sent for his cavalry, with Aaron Ramsey and Henrikh Mkhitaryan entering the fray, while Adama Traore replaced an injured Costa for Wolves.

Every tackle and every clearance was being cheered heartily by a tense away end – and then it could and should have been 2-0 with just a few minutes left when Jimenez broke down the right and played across goal where Jota's shot was blocked at point blank range.

The tension was unbearable. And then Arsenal broke Wolves' hearts.

An inswinging Mkhitaryan cross from a short corner went over Coady's head and dropped into the bottom corner, beating everyone. It was a devastating moment for Wolves – and so cruel.

They almost responded instantly when a Gibbs-White corner wouldn't quite fall for Boly just a few yards out and then Jota headed at Leno.

Then after a lengthy stoppage while Doherty received treatment for a head injury, Traore absolutely bounded clear on the counter attack, beat Holding and was in on goal...but Leno made the block. It was a huge opportunity for an injury time winner, sadly spurned – and then Wolves created another.

Again Traore was involved, he raced down the right and teed up Gibbs-White whose fabulously-struck curling 20-yard effort smackled off the underside of the bar and somehow stayed out.

It was a breathtaking end to a fabulous, nerve-shredding encounter and Wolves were rightly given a hero's ovation by their 3,000 travelling fans.

Key moments

13 - GOAL!! Wolves go ahead in sensational style! Xhaka gives the ball away in the middle of the park and, within seconds, Nuno's side put it in the net. Cavaleiro bursts forward and plays a perfect one-two with Jimenez before finishing low from close range. Utterly ruthless.

22 - What a breathtaking minute of football, with chances at either end! Superb blocks from both Coady and Bennett deny Arsenal from grabbing an equaliser. It then falls kindly for Costa, who dribbles from the halfway line and has a side-footed effort saved by Leno.

71 - Huge opening for the Gunners! Kolasinac finds Xhaka and, from the byline, he drives the ball to Bellerin. Fortunately for Nuno's charges, the Spaniard fluffs his lines - slicing it a dozen rows behind the goal.

87 - Goal! A sickener for the visitors as Arsenal grab an equaliser. Substitute Mkhitaryan's inswinging cross from the left-hand side evades everyone, including Patricio, and nestles in the corner of the net.

90 - Wolves could not have come any closer to winning it! Neves releases Traore. He pauses and plays it to Gibbs-White, whose beautiful curler smacks the underside of the woodwork. The teenager cannot believe it did not go in.

Teams

Arsenal (4-3-3): Leno; Bellerin, Mustafi, Holding, Kolasinac (Mkhitaryan, 75); Torreira, Xhaka, Ozil (c) (Ramsey, 75); Iwobi (Guendouzi, 46), Lacazette, Aubameyang

Subs not used: Cech, Sokratis, Maitland-Niles, Nketiah

Goal: Mkhitaryan (87)

Wolves (3-4-3): Patricio; Bennett, Coady (c), Boly; Doherty, Moutinho, Neves, Otto; Costa (Traore, 75), Jimenez (Gibbs-White, 85), Cavaleiro (Jota, 61)

Subs not used: Ruddy, Dendoncker, Vinagre, Saiss

Goal: Cavaleiro (13)

Referee: Stuart Attwell (Nuneaton)

League position

11th (16 points from 12 matches)

Next up

There's an international break now, with Wolves not in action until they host Huddersfield two weeks today (November 25), kick off 4pm.