Arsenal survived a controversial first-half red card to Myles Lewis-Skelly as they trumped 10-man Wolverhampton Wanderers 1-0 at Molineux in the Premier League.
There may have been very little to write home about goalscoring wise in the first half, but there was a customary Gunners flashpoint, as Lewis-Skelly received a straight red card late on for bringing down Matt Doherty some 70 yards from David Raya's goal.
A decision which appeared baffling at first glance but made more sense upon review meant that Arsenal would have to navigate the entire second half with 10 men, although Mikel Arteta's side did not look like the team with a numerical disadvantage after the restart.
Michael Oliver then may have rebuilt some burned bridges with Arsenal fans by also sending off Wolves midfielder Joao Gomes for two bookable offences, just four minutes before the away end were sent into delirium by a slick Riccardo Calafiori opener.
The left-back's half-volley extended Arsenal's club-record scoring streak against Wolves, whom they have now registered at least one goal against in each of their last 35 meetings since 1979, and their deficit to leaders Liverpool at the top of the table remains six points having played a game more.
On the other hand, Wolves are still hovering dangerously close to the drop zone in 17th place, still only clear of Ipswich Town by virtue of a superior goal difference.
SPORTS MOLE'S VERDICT
© Imago
David Luiz in 2021. Gabriel Martinelli in 2022. Lewis-Skelly in 2025. All examples of Arsenal receiving highly contentious red cards at Molineux.
Gooners will of course not forget that Oliver was the man in the middle for the Martinelli double-yellow incident, but slowed-down footage did indeed show Lewis-Skelly's studs connecting with Doherty's calf, and he was indeed sent off for serious foul play as opposed to denying a clear goalscoring opportunity.
However, Arsenal fans may justifiably point to a perpetual lack of consistency - the under-fire Oliver was also the one who refused to send Mateo Kovacic off for a seemingly blatant second bookable offence in their home win over Manchester City last year.
Arteta's men seemed galvanised by that sense of injustice, though, aggressively attacking their hosts in a manner not often seen before it became 10v10, which was the catalyst for a well-taken Calafiori half-volley to break the deadlock.
The Italian had lost out to Lewis-Skelly for a starting role, but having written a remarkable story in the West Midlands, a recall to the first XI awaits against none other than Manchester City next weekend as Lewis-Skelly begins his suspension.
On the other side of the coin, Wolves have now lost their first four league games of a calendar year for just the third time - on both previous occasions, their fourth defeats also came against Arsenal -and their failure to do anything of note with their brief numerical advantage should be of concern to Vitor Pereira.
WOLVES VS. ARSENAL HIGHLIGHTS
43rd min: Myles Lewis-Skelly (Arsenal) red card
© Imago
Death, taxes, and controversial Arsenal red cards at Molineux! Lewis-Skelly takes the walk of shame, and it is fair to say that the Gunners are apoplectic.
The Hale End graduate brings down Doherty just outside the Wolves area as the hosts try to break from an Arsenal corner, and to Gooners' bewilderment, Oliver brandishes the red card immediately!
At first it seemed nothing more than a cynical, yellow card-worthy challenge, but replays show that Lewis-Skelly's foot was high and he caught Doherty on his calf.
That would certainly explain why the VAR room did not overturn Oliver's original decision, which seemed unbelievable at first, although the serious foul play judgement is more understandable upon a second look.
70th min: Joao Gomes (Wolves) red card
© Imago
A far less questionable decision than the Lewis-Skelly sending-off.
Gomes - who was already on a yellow card - catches Jurrien Timber's leg with an absolutely terrible studs-up challenge, arguably a little bit worse than the one that got Lewis-Skelly ejected.
Clear second yellow and could have even been a straight red had he not already been on a caution.
74th min: Wolves 0-1 Arsenal (Riccardo Calafiori)
© Imago
Quite the story unfolding at Molineux! Calafiori - the man who was brought on at half time for Ethan Nwaneri after Lewis-Skelly's dismissal - gives the Gunners the lead with a little over 15 minutes of normal time remaining.
Martinelli's cross to the back post is only partially cleared by Nelson Semedo, and the unmarked Calafiori fires an exquisite first-time finish across goal and in via the inside the of the post!
MAN OF THE MATCH - EMMANUEL AGBADOU
© Imago
Emmanuel Agbadou's side may not have come out on the correct end of the scoreline, but the Wolves centre-back was a duelling monster against the Gunners, contesting a mammoth 20 on the ground and in the air combined and winning 17 of them.
The January signing lost just one of his 11 ground duels as he put in six tackles, five clearances and completed all three of his dribble attempts - fair to say he has seamlessly adapted to the demands of Premier League football.
WOLVES VS. ARSENAL MATCH STATS
Possession: Wolves 51%-49% Arsenal
Shots: Wolves 9-9 Arsenal
Shots on target: Wolves 4-3 Arsenal
Corners: Wolves 1-5 Arsenal
Fouls: Wolves 20-10 Arsenal
BEST STATS
18 - Aged 18 years and 121 days, Myles Lewis-Skelly is the third-youngest player to receive a red card in the Premier League, older only than Wayne Rooney v Birmingham in 2002 (17y 63d) and Michael Owen v Man Utd in 1998 (18y 117d). Detention. pic.twitter.com/DVKBXcgzhc
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) January 25, 2025
The red card shown to Myles Lewis-Skelly was the fourth for an Arsenal player this season, more than any other team in the Premier League. 🟥😬 pic.twitter.com/Gnmswhn3PW
— Opta Analyst (@OptaAnalyst) January 25, 2025
WHAT NEXT?
Now set to turn their attention back to continental matters, Arsenal will qualify for the last 16 of the Champions League with a point against Girona on Wednesday, before a Premier League blockbuster against Man City on February 2.
As for Wolves - who are still facing uncertainty over the long-term future of rumoured Gunners target Matheus Cunha - Pereira's side have a week to recover before they host near neighbours Aston Villa next Saturday.
Ben Knapton
