Arsenal vs Wolverhampton Wanderers score: Pedro Neto and Daniel Podence inflict misery on Mikel Arteta
A 2-1 win for Wolves means Arsenal have lost their last three home games in the Premier League

Arsenal slipped to their third consecutive home defeat in the Premier League as Wolverhampton Wanderers picked up a 2-1 victory to heap pressure on Gunners manager Mikel Arteta.
In a match marred by an early collision between the heads of David Luiz and Raul Jimenez, after which the latter was sent to hospital where he is conscious and responding well, Pedro Neto struck in the 27th minute to earn the visitors a lead at the Emirates Stadium. Gabriel soon equalised with Arsenal's first open play goal in over eight hours of Premier League football but parity lasted for just 12 minutes before Daniel Podence pounced on a spilled shot by Bernd Leno.
Defeat gives Arsenal just 13 points, their lowest tally after 10 games in a Premier League season.
Read on for the key talking points from the game.
David Luiz's injury
Before delving into the action it is incumbent to ask questions over some of the decisions made after Luiz and Jimenez's heads connected with each other in a sickening of thumps. The Wolves striker has been taken to hospital after spending almost 10 minutes on the Emirates Stadium turf.
From the same collision Luiz was bandaged up and restored to the game. Arsenal's medical staff are widely considered to be among the best in the sport and beyond and there is no reason to assume they did anything other than carry out the in game protocol in full and with their sole priority being the wellbeing of the player.
Yet within 15 minutes of the incident Luiz's bandages were caked in blood, looking rather like the Brazilian's head had been wrapped up in a scrap of Arsenal's raspberry ripple away kit. Throughout that period Rob Holding was warming up along the Emirates Stadium sideline, which can't help but raise the question of how sure staff were as to their player's physical state.
Sending strength and best wishes to Raul 🧡🖤#ARSWOL https://t.co/4XnWfFa6Kc
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) November 29, 2020
Only Luiz will know to what extent he was hindered after the clash of heads, certainly his curious marking of empty space in the build-up to Wolves' first goal suggested a man not entirely aware of the situation he found himself in.
A subsequent assessment at half-time prompted Luiz to be withdrawn for Holding. Why did it take 45 minutes for a second look to be taken at the defender? This is not a criticism of Arsenal's medical staff but there are clear questions to be asked about how the league deals with concussions, ones which may be answered at least somewhat if the FA's plan to allow additional substitutions for the injury to take place.
Wolves cut loose
After their forced move to a four man defense for the first time since their promotion to the Premier League brought a much improved attacking display against Southampton on Monday, it was not entirely surprise to see Nuno Espirito Santo deploy it again at the Emirates Stadium. He has so many dangerous attacking players, why would you not endeavor to get them onto the pitch together?
Even the early loss of Jimenez did not quell Wolves' attacking thrust with Daniel Podence and Adama Traore in particular devastating Arsenal on the wings. It felt rather cruel to blame Kieran Tierney for his inability to defend the latter in one-on-ones, in such situations the Spaniard is close to unstoppable.
What a goal from Podence! Wolverhampton take the lead again! #MyPLMorning pic.twitter.com/lI8HCQgr9B
— NBC Sports Soccer (@NBCSportsSoccer) November 29, 2020
Meanwhile Pedro Neto was a wonderful roving forward, free to gang up on whichever flank he fancied or ghost into the area in front of the hardworking, mobile target man Fabio Silva. For all that Wolves' goals were aided by Arsenal defensive ineptitude there was real quality on display, typified with the impudent clip of the ball that allowed Podence to volley into an empty net.
That Wolves did not sacrifice defensive discipline to add their additional forward was a tribute both to the commitment of a back four that would throw themselves at any loose ball and to the composure and positioning of Joao Moutinho and Leander Dendoncker. On the subject of which...
Xhaka and Ceballos build shaky foundation
It is curious to think that Granit Xhaka and Dani Ceballos looked to be such a strong pairing in big games last season. Curious because by rights there is no reason why they should pair well together. Both are relatively immobile, do not push forward and do not have especially excellent track records when it comes to shielding the defense.
In theory what they should do well is keep a team ticking over, passing the ball neatly to ensure that whoever gets the ball off them can continue to build an attack. And yet too often Xhaka and Ceballos were at best playing their team-mates into pressure if not giving the ball away themselves.
By full time team-mates who had received passes from Xhaka and Ceballos had completed 64.4 percent and 67.2 percent of their subsequent passes respectively. Around three out of every 10 moves that went through Arsenal's midfield pivot broke down soon after. By way of contrast Moutinho's second pass completion percentage was at 74.1 percent.
From their midfield Arsenal's front four were getting slow balls often in a position where they could do little to develop moves subsequently. There will be plenty of questions asked about Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's ongoing woes in front of goal - he is without an open play goal since the opening day of the season - but when he has so little to work with it feels impossible to appropriately assess him.
Notable performances
Conor Coady: There had been questions before the game as to whether the England international could cope in a back four. He answered them emphatically with an excellent anchoring display in Wolves' outstanding rearguard. RATING: 8
Bernd Leno: The past two years have proven that he is a good Premier League goalkeeper but he does have an infuriating habit of making basic errors such as palming a tame low shot straight in front of him and into Podence's path. RATING: 3
Pedro Neto: Usually we attempt to spotlight players in this section who were not discussed at length earlier on but it is worth a second celebration of Neto's exceptional display in both attack and defense. Three chances created and a host of defenders infuriated with his energetic pressing made for an excellent performance. RATING: 9
















