At the Emirates, Arsenal needed two home goals from Wolves, who are bottom of the table and on track to equal their worst record in Premier League history, to win 2-1 and re-establish a 5-point lead.
3 points is the only thing Arsenal can take away from this match. And at the moment, that is enough. They found a way to win. However, the way the "Gunners" put themselves in a difficult position did not help ease the doubts surrounding the biggest question of the championship race. Will Arsenal be brave enough to keep their spirits up as the pressure increases?
Almost every aspect of the game evokes the image of Arsenal that Mikel Arteta had hoped for in the past. That is the lack of sharpness in finishing and the need to rely too much on Bukayo Saka to create breakthroughs.
After a stalemate and more positive signals than the beginning of the second half, the turning point came in the 70th minute when Saka's corner kick was pushed by goalkeeper Sam Johnstone to the post, before the ball bounced back at his head and rolled over the goal line.
It seemed like the goal had ended the match, but in reality, things were just starting. Like the scenario against Sunderland a month ago, Wolves were given more confidence from Arsenal's passiveness in defense and ability to put less pressure. The away team adjusted their formation, moved higher and continuously put the ball into the penalty area to find an equalizer.
That effort was rewarded in the 90th minute when Tolu Arokodare headed past David Raya, putting the Emirates in a state of extreme tension. At that moment, The Gunners were at risk of losing the top spot. A draw, in the context that Manchester City could win all 3 points against Crystal Palace, will cause the "Gunners" to fall behind in the championship race.
And then, in the 90+4 minute, Saka - the player who constantly stirred up and searched for space - made the decisive pass. Gabriel Jesus failed to touch the ball, but Wolves defender Yerson Mosquera accidentally headed the ball into the net, bringing the home team a free goal.
It is worth noting that Arteta did not occupy himself with the joy of victory, but immediately pointed out the problems that had put Arsenal in a dangerous situation.
"The atmosphere in the dressing room was relieved, but it came with a very clear awareness that the score should have been more diverse. In the first half, we created many opportunities in the opponent's penalty area but were not accurate enough and often made wrong decisions. We have to improve that after the break," the Arsenal captain admitted.
The Spaniard continued to point to moments that almost got the game out of control: "We played better and created more chances in the second half, but then there were two or three minutes of passive defense, lacking flexibility and not meeting the necessary standards, especially when the opponent had not had a shot before.
The first time they had a chance, they scored. That is the Premier League. We were lucky to score the decisive goal and felt relieved, but there are still many things to improve."
Arteta spent a lot of time stirring up the atmosphere at the Emirates, exploiting the emotions of the audience to turn his home stadium into a real support. However, the consequence of that was that emotions were pushed too high in a match that should have been relatively easy to control. In that context, Arsenal's players have been forced to prove that they can still stick to the game plan and stay alert under pressure.
In recent weeks, Man City have created some pressure in the championship race. And that seems to be part of the reason why Arsenal are struggling, in addition to a tight schedule and the absence of many key players.
Pep Guardiola has even repeatedly stressed that he "knows how to win the championship" - a rare mid-season statement, but it has a lot of meaning when putting Arteta's limited experience in long-term races aside.
