GIFT OF THE GAB
Wolves 0 Arsenal 1: Gabriel goal sends Gunners up to fifth despite Martinelli’s crazy red card
GABRIEL MARTINELLI collected Arsenal’s fourth red card of 2022 as the young Brazilian was booked twice in a matter of seconds by Michael Oliver.
Oliver had waved play on when Martinelli tried to prevent a quick throw by Daniel Podence in the 69th minute.
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But when he then raced back to haul down Wolves sub Chiquinho, Oliver decided that both offences were worthy of a yellow card and sent the young Gunner packing.
Boss Mikel Arteta could barely believe his eyes as he furiously remonstrated with fourth official Michael Salisbury.
But his protests fell on deaf ears as his team’s appalling lack of discipline once again left them to battle it out with ten men.
No team has incurred more red cards than Arsenal since Arteta was appointed manager in December 2019 and this year alone they have had Gabriel, Gabriel Xhaka, Thomas Partey and now Martinelli taking an early bath.
Yet even with their backs to the wall for a frantic last 20 minutes of Molineux madness, they were still able to cling on to their wafer thin lead to get their season back on track.
And while Arteta will be rightly concerned about his team’s inability to keep a full complement of players on the pitch, he can also take huge heart from the character they showed to grind out this priceless victory.
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Gabriel’s first-half tap in ended Arsenal’s barren spell of 444 minutes without a goal to carry them to within one point of fourth-placed West Ham with two games in hand.
Wolves were convinced that keeper Jose Sa had been fouled by Alex Lacazette as they challenged for Ben White’s 25th minute header into the six-yard box.
But neither man got a decisive touch on the ball and Oliver barely consulted VAR Lee Mason before allowing Gabriel’s goal to stand.
It was a huge disappointment for a Wolves team with top four ambitions of their own after creeping up on the rails in recent weeks.
They were bidding to win a fourth straight Premier League game for the first time in their history but never really got going on a night of huge frustration for the Molineux fans.
Aaron Ramsdale was barely tested in the Arsenal goal until the final few minutes as Bruno Lage’s team were left crying out for inspiration.
They thought they had finally cracked Arsenal’s resistance when Rayan Ait-Nouri’s free-kick was turned into his own goal by Xhaka immediately after Martinelli’s red card.
But Raul Jimenez had strayed offside to get the slightest brush of his head to the ball before Xhaka’s more forceful contact.
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Marcal had an earlier effort charged down by Thomas Partey and Nelson Semedo stepped inside for a shot which flashed just the wrong side of Ramsdale’s near post.
But it was Arsenal who carried most of the attacking threat before shutting up shop with some heroic last-ditch defending.
They could have been ahead in the 22th minute when Bukayo Saka’s cut-back found Ben White for a goalbound shot which was blocked by Max Kilman.
Lacazette was just unable to apply a finishing touch to Cedric’s inviting cross and Martinelli was furious when he raced the length of the pitch with half the Wolves team in pursuit only to discover that none of his team-mates had joined the attack.
Lacazette’s glancing header from a Saka corner struck Conor Coady’s arm from close range before the Frenchman fired another Saka cross straight at Sa.
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Even when they were down to ten men Lacazette had the chance to put the game beyond doubt but fired wide with only Sa to beat.
Yet Wolves were unable to take advantage of that let-off and as Arsenal celebrated like mad things at the final whistle Bruno Lage could only reflect on the damage this result has inflicted on his team’s prospects.
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