Arsenal won against Wolves with a goal from Calafiori despite a red card to Lewis-Skelly. Both teams ended with 10 players after a second yellow for Gomes.
Arsenal managed to clinch a hard-fought victory against Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux, despite a tumultuous match marked by controversial red card decisions. The game saw both teams reduced to ten men, but a second-half goal from Riccardo Calafiori proved decisive for the Gunners. The match was overshadowed by a contentious first-half sending-off of Arsenal’s Myles Lewis-Skelly, who was shown a straight red card by referee Michael Oliver for a challenge on Matt Doherty. The decision sparked immediate outrage, with Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta visibly displeased. Despite the numerical disadvantage, Arsenal persevered. Wolves, facing their own struggles, lost Jørgen Strand Larsen to injury adding to their woes on the day.
The first half was not without its moments of attacking play. Arsenal created a couple of opportunities, with Ethan Nwaneri involved in the build up play, that ultimately led to Kai Havertz having two chances. One was a header which went wide and another one was a header that forced a save from José Sá. Wolves also threatened, with David Raya having to make a save to deny a deflected shot from Matheus Cunha, and Cunha himself side-footing wide shortly after. Towards the end of the first half, Lewis-Skelly’s red card came after he tripped Doherty to stop a counter-attack. The decision led to heated protests from the Arsenal players. The referee was escorted off the field at half-time by security, with Gabriel Magalhães, who was captaining the side in the absence of Martin Ødegaard, seen arguing with the referee. The Arsenal manager expressed his frustration after the game but also alluded to Bruno Fernandes’s overturned red card earlier in the season, hoping that a similar decision would be made.
At halftime, Calafiori was brought on to replace Nwaneri, and Calafiori proved to be Arsenal’s saviour by scoring the winning goal. After some sustained pressure from Arsenal, a headed clearance from Nélson Semedo fell to Calafiori, who swivelled and sent a low, half-volley into the far corner. This was his second goal for the club, with the first also a left-foot shot coming against Manchester City earlier this season. Wolves’ problems were further compounded when João Gomes received a second yellow card for a late tackle on Jurriën Timber, levelling the playing field to 10 players each. Before this, he was already booked in first half for kicking the ball away. Arsenal capitalized on this advantage and pushed to secure the victory. Wolves head coach Vítor Pereira pointed to a better showing from his players compared to the previous defeat at the hands of Chelsea.
In the context of the game, VAR Darren England supported Michael Oliver’s decision, however, the match was not without other contentious incidents. Arsenal will be hoping that the red card decision on Lewis-Skelly will be overturned. The victory ensures Arsenal stays in the title race. The match also included a few other key moments, like a slide tackle from Emmanuel Agbadou on Martinelli. Arsenal, however, managed to scrape out the win. Despite the drama and controversies surrounding the game, Arsenal left Molineux with all three points after an important win away from home. The result was all that mattered for Arsenal on the day.
Sources: https://www.theguardian.com/football/2025/jan/25/wolves-arsenal-premier-league-match-report
https://arseblog.news/2025/01/wolves-0-1-arsenal-player-ratings-2/
https://www.shieldsgazette.com/sport/football/newcastle-united/mikel-arteta-fuming-as-arsenal-dealt-fresh-newcastle-united-blow-premier-league-issue-official-statement-4960520