Henrikh Mkhitaryan found a way through four minutes from time to earn Arsenal a 1-1 draw against Wolverhampton Wanderers at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
The Armenia international caught out Rui Patricio with his cross, which went right the way through to bag the Gunners an undeserved point on the balance of play.
Wolves took an early lead through Ivan Cavaleiro and, if not for a mixture of good goalkeeping and some bad luck, they would have left North London with a first win in four league outings.
Relive how the 90 minutes of action unfolded with Sports Mole's live text coverage below.
Hello and welcome to Sports Mole's live text coverage of the Premier League meeting between Arsenal and Wolverhampton Wanderers at the Emirates Stadium. The Gunners head into this final match before the two-week international break sitting fifth in the table on 23 points, having put together a nine-game unbeaten run in the top flight, while Wolves have drifted slightly to 11th place.
The hosts may be on a long unbeaten run, taking in 15 matches when also accounting for Europa League and EFL Cup games, but they have drawn two of their last three in the top flight. An away draw to Crystal Palace halted their momentum somewhat, and they have since played out a 1-1 draw with Liverpool here. That was a positive result, but only if the Gunners can instantly bounce back with all three points today.
ARSENAL TEAM NEWS!
STARTING XI: Leno; Bellerin, Holding, Mustafi, Kolasinac; Torreira, Xhaka; Iwobi, Ozil, Aubameyang; Lacazette
SUBS: Cech, Papastathopoulos, Mkhitaryan, Ramsey, Maitland-Niles, Guendouzi, Nketiah
Starting with a look at the home team, boss Unai Emery has made mass changes to the side that played out a goalless draw with Sporting Lisbon here in the Europa League three days ago. No surprise there, as the Spaniard has rotated his side between league and cup games this term, though in terms of their last league outing - that 1-1 draw with Liverpool last Saturday - just one alteration has been made.
Alex Iwobi, one of the starters against Sporting in midweek, takes over from Henrikh Mkhitaryan on the right of Arsenal's three-man attacking midfield. Mesut Ozil and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang retain their places, while Alexandre Lacazette will be used through the middle. Nacho Monreal is close to a return to full fitness, but Emery would rather give him another two-week rest, so Sead Kolasinac will again be used at left-back.
Matteo Guendouzi is back in the matchday squad after serving a one-match domestic ban, as Lucas Torreira and Granit Xhaka are instead preferred in front of the back four. Elsewhere, Bernd Leno has very much nailed down the number-one spot in the games that matter, and Rob Holding is now a regular in the heart of defence, being used again from the off today alongside the more experienced Shkodran Mustafi.
WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS TEAM NEWS!
STARTING XI: Patricio; Bennett, Coady, Boly; Doherty, Moutinho, Neves, Jonny; Costa, Jimenez, Cavaleiro
SUBS: Gibbs-White, Jota, John Ruddy, Saiss, Ruben Vinagre, Dendoncker, Traore
Switching focus to the visiting side, Nuno Espirito Santo has gone with the same side that went down 3-2 to Tottenham Hotspur a little over a week ago. That is despite the return to fitness of Diogo Jota, who has missed out with a hamstring problem, and Adama Traore had also been pushing for a recall following that loss to Spurs last Saturday. As it is, Nuno - as he did for his side's first eight matches - names the same XI.
As well as having a fit Jota back in his squad, Nuno can all call on high-in-confidence youngster Morgan Gibbs-White following his stellar display from the bench against Tottenham, though he is made to wait for a first Premier League start. Wanderers' line will instead be lead by Raul Jimenez, who has Ivan Cavaleiro and Helder Costa either side of him in this familiar 3-4-3 setup.
Wolves will again be relying on technically-gifted duo Joao Moutinho and Ruben Neves to pull the strings in the middle of the park, while Matt Doherty and Jonny will operate in the two wing-backs positions. The back three, meanwhile, is comprised of Ryan Bennett, Conor Coady and Willy Boly, and Rui Patricio is selected between the sticks for the 12th league match running.
Alexandre Lacazette, who has been directly involved in 16 goals in his 18 Premier League starts at the Emirates Stadium, scoring 12 and assisting four, will once again lead the line for Arsenal this afternoon. Unai Emery brings in Alex Iwobi for Henrikh Mkhitaryan in the only change from the 1-1 draw with Liverpool, whereas Wolverhampton Wanderers boss Nuno Espirito Santo goes with an unchanged XI.
PREVIOUS MEETINGS! Wolverhampton Wanderers have avoided defeat in just one of their previous eight Premier League meetings with Arsenal, though that was on their most recent trip to the Emirates Stadium in December 2011 - a 1-1 draw under Mick McCarthy. The Gunners have not so much as trailed for a single minute in those eight games; only one team, Chelsea against Portsmouth (14), has gone longer against an opponent without falling behind.
Arsenal started the weekend fifth in the Premier League and are still in that position ahead of this showdown with Wolves, although the gap on the side directly above them - arch-rivals Tottenham - has extended slightly. Spurs, who beat Wanderers last weekend, picked up a slender 1-0 victory at Crystal Palace on Saturday to move four points in front of the Gunners. Victory is therefore imperative for Emery's men today.
The North Londoners stretched their unbeaten run in all competitions to 15 matches with their goalless draw against Sporting on Thursday - a victory that was somewhat overshadowed by the serious ankle injury sustained by Danny Welbeck. That long-term layoff for the Englishman may well force Emery to delve into the transfer window two months from now, with a new attacker and a central midfielder - compensating for the likely loss of Aaron Ramsey - no doubt top of his wishlist.
Arsenal did at least progress through to the last 32 of the Europa League with that point here in midweek, meaning that they can focus on domestic matters between now and February. The Gunners have done well in the Premier League in Emery's first three months at the helm, and they are also still fighting in the latter stages of the EFL Cup, with Tottenham up next in the last eight. The FA Cup, meanwhile, begins in early 2019.
It is still difficult to ascertain what exactly a positive campaign for Emery would be, though bettering last term's sixth-placed finish under Arsene Wenger is surely one of his top priorities, as well as challenging for some silverware. Even with three draws from their last four matches, the only win in that time coming against lower-league side Blackpool in the EFL Cup, there is a real feel-good factor around the Emirates Stadium these days.
That is almost entirely down to Emery, who has managed to get the best out of his players on the back of a tricky opening fortnight. Should Arsenal avoid defeat to Wolves today, it will be their longest unbeaten run in the Premier League since December 2016, having gone nine matches without tasting defeat since back-to-back losses at the hands of champions Manchester City and Chelsea to kick off this new era.
As the sceptics will point out, though, Arsenal lost those two matches against their fellow top-six elite, while also drawing with Liverpool. Emery has, in his defence, confessed that his side must learn to better compete in those big matches, and last week's draw with the Reds was far from a bad display - in fact, some will argue that the Londoners should have come away with all three points in the end.
Seeing off mid-and-lower-table opposition did not exactly come easily to Arsenal in Wenger's final couple of campaigns, however, so there are plenty of positives to take from the opening quarter of the season. Arsenal have a tough set of fixtures to prepare for in December, including games against Tottenham in the Premier League and EFL Cup, as well as Manchester United and Liverpool, again, either end of the month.
DID YOU KNOW? Arsenal have taken 59 points from the last 63 on offer from home Premier League games against newly-promoted sides, stretching back to a 1-0 loss against Newcastle United in November 2010. Wolverhampton Wanderers, meanwhile, have not beaten a side that started the day in the top half of the division in 25 attempts.
Arsenal can move to within a point of the Premier League's top four with a return to winning ways this afternoon, and the record books certainly suggest that the Gunners should get the job done. Wolverhampton Wanderers struggle for victories against top-half sides, while the hosts very rarely drop points at home to newly-promoted teams.
Wolves put up a real fight in going down 3-2 to Tottenham last weekend, but they ultimately gave themselves too much to do after falling three goals behind after an hour, leaving them without a point in three matches. This three-match losing run is in contrast to the streak that preceded it, as they went six matches without tasting defeat prior to the losses versus Watford, Brighton & Hove Albion and Tottenham.
Wanderers have already proved themselves against the division's elite this season, though, claiming a home point against Man City - one of only two sides, along with Liverpool, to halt the champions this term - and an away point at Old Trafford. The visitors are perhaps guilty of taking their eye off the ball, though, having initially found their return to the top tier of English football a little too easy.
For the first time since taking over at Molineux in May 2017, Nuno has to steady the ship somewhat. The Portuguese coach named the same starting lineup for his side's first eight matches, setting a Premier League record in the process, but the first of these three successive losses - 2-0 at home to Watford on October 20 - has forced a rethink. Fifteen points from the first 24 on offer has since become none from the last nine.
This is not exactly the ideal fixture for Nuno, then, as his side have - statistically speaking - struggled against Arsenal more than any other Premier League opponent. Wanderers have gone more matches without a win against the Gunners than any other side, with their last triumph in this fixture coming nine matches ago. All three goals scored in that run, meanwhile, came via corners - not the best of records, it must be said.
RESULT! The full-time whistle has just blown at Stamford Bridge, where Chelsea have been held to a goalless draw by Everton. That is a good result for Arsenal, who have their eyes on all four of the sides above them. Liverpool returned to the top of the Premier League table with a straightforward 2-0 win over Fulham earlier in the day, while Manchester City and Manchester United are scheduled to kickoff at 4.30pm.
Of the 25 matches Wolves have gone without tasting victory against a top-half side in the Premier League, 15 of those have ended in defeat - most recently to Tottenham last weekend, when finding themselves three goals down in an hour. The good news for Santo is that his side face all four of the teams that started the weekend in the bottom four of the division before the end of the year - plenty of opportunities to get some points on the board.
Wolves have have scored just three away league goals this term - only Cardiff City, with two, have netted fewer. However, Wanderers have conceded just four times on their travels in 2018-19, which is a record bettered only by Man City and Chelsea. A low-scoring match can therefore be expected at the Emirates Stadium this afternoon and, despite their three game losing run, Wolves will have confidence that they can nick at least a point here.
MANAGERS' COMMENTS!
Unai Emery: "Against Liverpool I think we had more in the 90 minutes of the game. Our idea is to repeat matches with this pace over 90 minutes. It is about the progress in the team. The progress is about continuing to create confidence and creating also tactically different ways to improve."
Nuno Espirito Santo: "We're not in the best moment but we have to react to it. We reacted well from the bad performance against Watford, we didn't achieve the result against Brighton or Tottenham but we performed well. We don't think about the result first - no matter what, it's perform well, do your tasks and try to win."
Emery concedes that there is still room for improvement from his players when they come up against the division's elite, though they have had less trouble when it comes to earning all three points against those outside of the top six. Crystal Palace put an end to the Gunners' winning run a couple of weeks back, but that aside Emery's side have been pretty ruthless and are favourites to get back to winning ways today.
"We are not in the best moment," admits Wolves boss Nuno, who has seen his side lost to Watford, Brighton and Tottenham over the past few weeks. Despite those losses, though, the Portuguese has been happy with the performance of his players and, as ever, is confident of surprising a few people today. Nuno certainly has faith in his men, having stuck with the same XI that featured from the off against Spurs in the most recent of those losses.
PREDICTION! Last week's point at home to Liverpool may be considered a positive result for Arsenal, but they need to get back to winning ways if they are to keep pace with the top four. Wolves have dropped off over the past few weeks, meanwhile, and this is not the type of match that Nuno would have wanted ahead of the two-week break. We are backing a 2-0 home win.
Both sets of players are now out on the field, with kickoff in North London just a couple of minutes away. All focus may be on events taking place in Manchester this afternoon, where City and United lock horns, but this is also a big match. Ahead of the final international break of the year, only three points will do for the Gunners in this third home outing in eight days.
KICKOFF: Arsenal, seeking a return to winning ways after back-to-back draws in the Premier League, get us up and running at the Emirates Stadium. There was an impeccably observed minute's silence before the game to mark Remembrance Day.
The home side are being allowed to knock the ball around inside their own half in this early stages. Alexandre Lacazette is given a ball to chase down, but his cross from the right is easily dealt with down low by Rui Patricio
Arsenal are continuing to boss the ball, without managing to get it into the feet of their forward players in the areas where it matters. A patient move down the left-hand side comes to an end before the ball is played into the box.
The tempo of this game has been very slow so far, it must be said. The atmosphere inside the Emirates Stadium is also very flat as a result, which you have to say is something that will surely favour the visitors.
Alex Iwobi, brought back into the starting lineup today from the 1-1 draw with Liverpool, wants a penalty after being clattered by Ryan Bennett in the box. Referee Stuart Attwell saw nothing in it, though, and a goal-kick was instead awarded.
Wolves are constantly looking to find their wing-backs with diagonal passes, but they have not had a great deal of luck thus far. Eleven minutes on the clock and Arsenal have barely put their opponents under any sort of pressure.
GOAL! ARSENAL 0-1 WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS (IVAN CAVALEIRO)
Arsenal are punished by Wolves for this incredibly slow start as the visitors edge in front. Granit Xhaka was culpable, allowing a pass to run straight past him for Ivan Cavaleiro to pounce on. Cavaleiro exchanged passes with Raul Jimenez and tucked the ball past Bernd Leno from close range.
Even since going behind, the Gunners have struggled to do anything with the ball. The hosts have a serious problem when it comes to taking the lead in the first half of matches - a streak that does not look like ending this afternoon.
Arsenal have had 71% of the ball, but they have yet to register a shot of any note, whereas Wolves have had three attempts - one of those Ivan Cavaleiro's shot for the game's opening goal. It is not going to plan for the home side so far.
Now the visiting side, who are into the top half of the table as things stand, just have to see through the next 70 minutes...
A quarter of the match has now been played and Arsenal are continuing to struggle. Emery's men are unable to break their opponents down and may well need to tinker with their formation if that is to change.
DOUBLE SAVE! Finally, with 24 minutes on the clock, Arsenal spark into life. Alexandre Lacazette sets himself for the shot inside the box, only to be thwarted by Conor Coady with his powerful drive. Wolves counter and Helder Costa is denied by Bernd Leno inside the box, and the keeper bravely kept out Raul Jimenez's follow-up attempt.
Arsenal's players were unhappy with Raul Jimenez for catching Bernd Leno with his boot, but he had every right to go for the loose ball. Chances for both sides in the space of 30 seconds, then, in what is shaping up to be a lively encounter.
SAVE! Bernd Leno is by far the busier of the two goalkeepers, getting down to keep out this latest Helder Costa attempt. Arsenal are lacking ideas in the final third, whereas Wolves look dangerous whenever they get forward on the counter.
Joao Moutinho chips a dangerous ball into the middle, where Shkodran Mustafi is waiting to clear the ball. Far from convincing from an Arsenal perspective, as they continue to struggle here. The match was not meant to pan out like this!
Wolves are putting bodies on the line when Arsenal do eventually get the ball into the box - Ryan Bennett the latest to get in the way of a shot, coming via the boot of Hector Bellerin. Arsenal need to step things up in the final 13 minutes of the half.
It has to be said, Wolves are deserving of this one-goal advantage here. Arsenal have been pretty poor throughout, creating just one opportunity, which French striker Alexandre Lacazette could not quite take advantage of.
SHOT! Shkodran Mustafi makes a complete of his intended clearance and Matt Doherty is waiting to pounce. The wing-back laid the ball off for Raul Jimenez, who rather scuffed his shot wide of the target from 20 yards.
Alex Iwobi is the player doing more than any other to inject some tempt into Arsenal's play. Too many of the Gunners' attacking talents are dropping deep to collect the ball, leading to a rather disjointed feel to their game.
Some nice play from Arsenal down the right, culminating in Alex Iwobi getting in behind, but the offside flag wrongly went up for offside. The Gunners are running out of time to find a leveller in this first half.
A positive sign for Emery, as Hector Bellerin is the latest player to get in behind down the right. The full-back's cross was rather poor, though, ending in the site-netting of Rui Patricio's goal. Far more is needed from the Gunners.
Just one minute of normal time left to play in the first half, and Wolves do not look as though they are going to concede. Emery will surely tinker with his system, or bring on a different player, for the start of the second half.
The home supporters, who have been very quiet all afternoon, urge their side on for the final throes of the first half. Arsenal may have bossed possession, but it is Wolves who have looked the livelier in front of goal.
HALF TIME: ARSENAL 0-1 WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS
HALF TIME: ARSENAL 0-1 WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS
Arsenal win a corner at the end of the first half which, as a perfect representation of their play throughout the opening 45 minutes, comes to little. The Gunners have been poor this afternoon, rightly trailing at the interval to an Ivan Cavaleiro strike.
Arsenal's slow start to the match was punished 13 minutes in by Ivan Cavaleiro, who picked up the ball in central midfield after Granit Xhaka let it roll right past him, before exchanging passes with Raul Jimenez and tucking past Bernd Leno. That goal marked the first time that Wanderers had ever taken the lead in a Premier League game with today's opponents - a run spanning eight matches.
The Gunners finally appeared to spark into life with over a quarter of the contest played, but Wolves quickly countered from Alexandre Lacazette's blocked shot and should have had a second. Helder Costa was kept out by Leno inside the box and the German goalkeeper quickly pounced on the loose ball to prevent Jimenez from firing home.
Leno also had to be alert to keep out another Costa attempt later in the half, this time from the edge of the box, while Jimenez fired a shot wide after making the most of a scuffed Shkodran Mustafi clearance. Plenty for Emery to ponder at the midway point, then, with his side a goal down and in need of some inspiration from somewhere.
ARSENAL SUBS: Cech, Papastathopoulos, Mkhitaryan, Ramsey, Maitland-Niles, Guendouzi, Nketiah
WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS SUBS: Gibbs-White, Jota, John Ruddy, Saiss, Ruben Vinagre, Dendoncker, Traore
KICKOFF: Wolverhampton Wanderers get us back underway at the Emirates Stadium, where there is news of a half-time change. Alex Iwobi, who I felt was one of Arsenal's livelier players in the opening 45 minutes, is replaced by Matteo Guendouzi.
Just like the first half, Arsenal have not really got going early in this second period. There is a little more intensity to the Gunners' game, but they have been unable to create anything in front of goal all match.
Wanderers have relied on the counter-attack this afternoon - there is no shame in that - but they have been penned into their own half since the restart. A big 40 minutes coming up for both sides.
Wolves manage to get the ball forward and they cause yet more problems when the ball is worked into the box. Raul Jimenez battled for the ball with Rob Holding, and the Arsenal defender looked to drag his opponent to the ground. Nuno wanted a penalty, but replays show that there was not actually a great deal in it.
UPDATE! Sergio Aguero has added to David Silva's first-half strike in the other Premier League match currently taking place. The top two are starting to pull away on what is shaping up to be a pivotal weekend at the top.
Wolves are not looking as dangerous as they did in the first half. Not that it matters - Arsenal are still struggling, despite requiring a couple of goals with a little over half an hour to play.
The flow of the game has remained constant pretty much throughout, with Arsenal dictating things but struggling for creativity. The Gunners have still yet to register a single attempt on Rui Patricio's goal.
Wolverhampton Wanderers lead 1-0 at the Emirates Stadium through Ivan Cavaleiro's first-half goal. Arsenal have struggled in front of goal all match and do not look as though they have a goal in them - never mind two.
SAVE! Arsenal win a sixth corner of the match, and it leads to their first shot on target. The ball is worked to Lucas Torreira, whose shot from the edge of the box is tipped over the bar by Rui Patricio.
WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS SUB! Ivan Cavaleiro, whose goals separated the side, is replaced by Diogo for the remaining 25 minutes. Emery must be considering a second change around about now.
Helder Costa gets away from Matteo Guendouzi with a brilliant little flick down the right, but he fails to pick out a teammate in the middle. Wanderers are back on top and may live to regret not taking one of these opportunities.
Conor Coady boots the ball to safety after Alexandre Lacazette fired a cross into the box. No sort of sustained pressure from the Gunners, who are heading for a rare home loss to a newly-promoted side.
YELLOW CARD! Mesut Ozil is shown the game's first yellow card for kicking the ball away in dissent. Granit Xhaka was penalised for halting the run of Helder Costa, sparking the reaction from a frustrated Ozil.
CHANCE! Pretty much Arsenal's first chance of the contest so far falls to Hector Bellerin, who guides the ball over the crossbar when picked out unmarked 10 yards from goal. The full-back did well to create some space and should have done a lot better with the shot.
YELLOW CARD! Matt Doherty is the next player to be shown a yellow card after catching Granit Xhaka with his arm. Incredible that Aaron Ramsey and Henrikh Mkhitaryan remain on the bench for Arsenal, who have been stuck in first gear throughout.
OFF THE POST! The good news for Arsenal fans is that their side have created two chances in the last four minutes. The bad news is that both of them have been missed, including this sitter from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who flicked the ball against the post when picked out by Hector Bellerin in the middle.
SUBS! Arsenal boss Emery finally turns to Mkhitaryan and Ramsey for the final stages of the match, taking over from Sead Kolasinac and the ineffective Mesut Ozil. Helder Costa is replaced by Adama Traore for the visiting side.
Much better from Arsenal over the last 10 minutes, as they finally enjoy some sustained pressure. Lucas Torreira has come as close to anyone as netting, but he passed up the chance to shoot a couple of moments ago and the chance went begging. Bellerin is booked for dragging down Traore.
Arsenal so often turn it around in the second half... not today! Less than 10 minutes to go here - they are fast running out of time for a leveller and potentially a winner.
Brilliant closing down from Adama Traore, who puts his fresh legs to good use. Arsenal have been knocking on the door for a good 15 minutes now, but Wanderers are holding them at bay. Still time for one late chance here...
SAVE! Alexandre Lacazette and Aaron Ramsey exchange passes in the box and so nearly work a shooting chance for the former. It does not quite come off, and Wolves then break forward through Traore on Jimenez. Jota runs on to the ball at the back post but is kept out by Leno. Gibbs-White comes on for Jimenez.
GOAL! ARSENAL 1-1 WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS (HENRIKH MKHITARYAN)
Arsenal are back on level terms with just a few minutes to play here! Aaron Ramsey had a shot kept out by Rui Patricio but, from the resulting corner, the ball was worked to Henrikh Mkhitaryan and his intended cross went right the way through.
A fortunate leveller for Arsenal, to say the least. The Gunners are not happy with just the one goal, though, and they now have five minutes of added time to bag all three points. That said, Wolves also look like they could snatch the points!
Matt Doherty is caught in the face and is badly bruised, but he will stay on the pitch for the remainder as his side have no further subs available to make. Two minutes off added-on time have been played but we can expect a few more.
SAVE! Adama Traore should have won the game for Wolves. The visitors once again break forward on the counter and Adama Traore had just Bernd Leno to beat, but it was the German who came out on top in that personal battle.
OFF THE BAR! What a conclusion to the game! Morgan Gibbs-White guides a first-time shot against a mixture of the post and crossbar to give Arsenal yet another let-off. We are now into the final seconds in North London...
FULL TIME: ARSENAL 1-1 WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS
Arsenal hold on for a point, which on the balance of things they did not deserve. Henrikh Mkhitaryan's cross went right the way through and caught Rui Patricio cold, cancelling out an early opener from Ivan Cavaleiro. Wolves should have won it in added time, only for a mixture of good goalkeeping and some bad luck to prevent them from doing so.
That concludes Sports Mole's live text coverage of events from the Emirates Stadium. An on-the-whistle report can be found by clicking here, while updates from the La Liga clash between Celta Vigo and Real Madrid will be up and running elsewhere on the site in the next 10 minutes. Thanks for joining us this afternoon!
