19-year-old Tom Edozie made his dream come true on his Premier League debut for Wolves by scoring against Arsenal, handing the Gunners a nightmare in the process.
Arsenal are dropping points for fun in the Premier League, and a lot of that has to do with the poor game management Mikel Arteta’s side is showing.
After scoring a stoppage-time equaliser in Wolves’ 2-2 draw against Arsenal at Molineux, the Old Gold’s academy star Edozie commented on what he noticed about the Gunners from the bench.
The teenager saw that Arsenal were crumbling rather than finishing strong to get a much-needed three points over the line, which is some humiliating feedback for Arteta.
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Wolves goalscorer Tom Edozie noticed Arsenal’s game management struggles at Molineux
Edozie didn’t expect to be called into action by Rob Edwards against the Premier League leaders, but he knew exactly what was needed just by watching how Arsenal let the game drift.
Speaking to the media after the game, the teenager shared what he saw from the bench that inspired him to take advantage of the Gunners.
“As I was watching the game, I saw it was becoming a bit tense, and we had more control of the ball than before,” the goalscorer said, as per Wolves’ official website.
“I knew that going into the last couple minutes of the game, it was going to be more end-to-end. I just tried to do as best as I can and luckily I scored.”
Edozie saw what he needed to from Arsenal before coming on in the 84th minute, later putting his assessment to use by scoring the last-gasp equaliser.
For the Gunners, the review is punishing and should come as a real concern to Arteta, whose side are showing a weakness late in games that could cost them the title.
Arsenal’s second-half performance against Wolves was not typical of a title-challenging team
It comes as no surprise to learn that Arsenal’s chances of winning the Premier League title shrank as a result of the Wolves draw.
Arsenal’s nerves are so clear, and like clockwork, that lack of mental strength to win comprehensively is reappearing.
The Gunners weren’t good in the first half against Wolves, but they had control, which is more than they had in the second half.
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After Arsenal went 2-0 up in the 56th minute, it looked like game, set and match, but that only allowed complacency to slip in, as the statistics from the second half reveal.
Arteta’s side had 68% of possession in the first half, which dropped to 49% in the second half, and the same applied to their rate of winning duels.
Arsenal won 62% of their first-half duels and only 53% of their second-half duels, a clear indicator of complacency.
Edozie noticed Arsenal’s drop in level and exploited it, giving Arteta a lot to answer for after yet another missed opportunity in the title race.
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