Might latest ref rage energise Arsenal's season?

The Arsenal manager and his players used Myles Lewis-Skelley’s debatable dismissal as fuel for their fire.

Sun, 26 Jan, 2025 - 22:30

Nick Callow, Molineux

Premier League: Wolves 0 Arsenal 1

Conspiracy theories consumed the energy of many an Arsenal fan on the football phone-ins and social media chat in the wake of their fourth red card this season. Their eighth in total from Michael Oliver. Fortunately, for the unhinged, the Arsenal manager and his players used Myles Lewis-Skelley’s debatable dismissal as fuel for their fire and focussed on how to win against the odds for the first time this season.

Perhaps, Oliver, unwittingly, has done Arsenal a favour by creating a situation that has galvanised them and reconnected them with their supporters.

“Games like this gives you energy,” agreed defender Jurrien Timber. “Especially with how the fans reacted to the red card and in the second half. It gives you energy to keep going. This is our job and we love it, so that love brings us through.”

The Dutch international is yet to see red in an Arsenal shirt, though he has served a ban for his five yellow cards last year. He also allowed us an insight into how Arteta and the players handled the situation in the dressing room by explaining how they reacted to being a man down shortly before half-time and how it differed to that of many supporters.

“It was so tough mentally,” he conceded. “We already knew coming here is tough but, in this situation, as well. We discussed at half-time that it was going to be even tougher in the second half, so be prepared and I think everyone could see we were prepared, and we deserved the win.

“I don’t always agree with the decisions, but you just have to accept it and then go. You have to react. That’s the only thing you can do; that’s the only thing in your hands. Sometimes it is frustrating but mentally, emotionally, you have to find a way to get over it and pick it up as a team. We did that.

“I didn’t expect the red card, but when it happens, you have to react. We can’t keep talking about red cards. We didn’t talk about it much at half-time either. It is not the first time. It is still hard, but we also know how to deal with it now. It is not nice to go into a second half like this, but it is what it is. We showed character. That’s what we needed.

“At half-time and after full-time, we don’t speak about it. That’s it. We just react and deal with situations. Now the game is over, and also in other games where we have drawn and things like that [red cards] have happened, you can’t do much about it. Sometimes you agree, sometimes you disagree, sometimes you have the feeling or everyone has the feeling it is not the right decision, but that’s it.

“It is not about proving a point - we just wanted two more points! We were with 10 men and wanted the three points because we feel like we deserved it. We wanted to come out and still control the game and we did that. We pushed forward, we took momentum. The manager told us at half-time to use courage, we have to sacrifice a lot. Together, defending, we did it.”

Now off to Spain for their ninth match in January with a visibly weary squad and sleep deprived manager. Manchester City-owned Girona, an hour’s train trip from Barcelona, are the Champions League opposition. Arsenal will probably progress to the knockout stage, but Arteta cannot afford to take out a ‘B squad’ and rest legs ahead of this weekend’s Premier League visit of Man City proper, as he does not have one.

WOLVES: Sa 7, Semedo 6, Doherty 6 (Guedes 87), Bueno 6, Agbadou 6, Ait-Nouri 6 (R. Gomes 87), Andre 6, J. Gomes 6, Sarabia 7, Cunha 6, Larsen 5 (Hwang 32).

Subs: Johnstone, Dawson, Toti, Lima, Doyle, , Bellegarde.

ARSENAL: Raya 7, Timber 6, Saliba 7, Gabriel 7, Lewis-Skelly 6, Partey 6, Rice 7, Nwaneri 6 (Calafiori 46), Trossard 7, Martinelli 6, Havertz 5.

Subs: Neto, Porter, Tierney, Zinchenko, Kiwior, Jorginho, Sterling, Butler-Oyedeji

Ref: Michael Oliver 1

Att: 31,503 Ends…