Arsenal recorded an opening-day win against Wolves on what was an eventful afternoon for Kai Havertz.
The 2024/25 Premier League campaign got off to a good start for Arsenal, who beat Wolves 2-0 at the Emirates Stadium.
Mikel Arteta will have plenty of positives to take from his side’s display, with the most important thing being the three points gained.
In the first half, Bukayo Saka expertly assisted Kai Havertz to open the scoring before the German returned the favour to set up his teammate in the second half.
Havertz continued where he left off last season as the versatile forward hit searing form during his debut campaign in North London.
His performance against Wolves was expected after shining in pre-season, with the fixture marking a memorable day for the 25-year-old for reasons beyond his contribution to the goals.
Arsenal fans react to bizarre moment v Wolves involving Kai Havertz
In the second half of the fixture, Havertz got caught up in an unwanted tussle with Wolves defender Yerson Mosquera.
The Colombian shielded the Arsenal star from the ball and then went on to not only force the forward to the ground but also choked him.
It appeared that Mosquera then attempted to claim his innocence by gesturing that he was falling with his hand firmly around Havertz’s neck, which Arsenal fans weren’t best pleased with.
On X, one supporter said, “That seem like a straight red card. He was trying to choke Havertz,” to which another agreed “Awful decision! Straight up choking Havertz!”
The Wolves centre-back didn’t receive punishment for the altercation, which left many Gooners bemused.
“Of course, it’s okay now to choke players in the Premier League,” one fan said, with others comparing the incident to Saka’s booking for kicking the ball away, “So no card for choking, but a card for Saka when he kicks the ball.”
One Arsenal follower saw through Mosquera’s claim to be falling, “This went on for at least 5 seconds straight btw. And he wasn’t breaking his fall. Ridiculous that this isn’t a red.”
Other fans had to check if they were watching football, “He’s in the wrong sport. I’ve definitely seen this move in WWE,” and “I don’t even think I’m watching football at this point.”
Yerson Mosquera was lucky to escape punishment
It’s difficult to understand why the Wolves man was not even booked for putting his hands on Havertz, particularly when both Saka and Gabriel Jesus received yellow cards for lesser offences.
While the game went in Arsenal’s favour, it’s clear that fans were perplexed by the decision on the pitch, with VAR also not deciding to punish the defender.
It will certainly be interesting to hear why the incident was dismissed, as Havertz was pinned to the ground by his neck.
Inconsistent decisions were a huge problem for PGMOL last season, with a need for change crucial this year to ensure the game is managed sufficiently.
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