LONDON — Mikel Arteta has warned Arsenal‘s “horrible defensive habits” almost cost them victory against Wolves.
The Gunners moved five points clear of the top of the Premier League but only after a fraught and nervy performance at Emirates Stadium against the division’s worst team.
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Wolves goalkeeper Sam Johnstone inadvertently turned Bukayo Saka‘s 70th-minute corner into his own net before Arsenal dropped deep in an attempt to preserve their lead, only for substitute Tolu Arokodare to equalise in the 90th minute.
Arsenal snatched a precious win as Yerson Mosquera headed Saka’s 94th-minute cross into his own net, but Arteta focused on the late concession of territory and possession that almost caused major damage to their title bid.
“[The mood in the dressing room] is relief but with a very clear understanding that the margins should have been bigger,” Arteta told reporters.
“After not being precise enough in the first half with the amount of situations that we generated inside the opposition box and we didn’t pick the right colour of shirt, we had to improve in the second half.
“We did it, we generated more chances to score a goal but after we had a period of two or three minutes, deep, totally passive with horrible defensive habits that is nowhere near the level that is required against a team that hasn’t had a single shot.
“The first time they had an opportunity to do it, they scored a goal and this is the Premier League. Fortunately we are relieved because we scored a goal to win it but we need to improve in that sense for sure.”
Ben White limped off after 31 minutes with a hamstring problem and Arteta suggested the defender is set for a spell on the sidelines.
White started his fourth consecutive match in the same season for the first time in over a year.
“He hasn’t played a lot of minutes because of the previous knee issue that he had [and] then the moment he started to get some momentum, he had to play a lot because we didn’t have any other solution,” said Arteta.
“We had to even risk today Willy [William Saliba] because probably it wasn’t the best call to play 90 minutes because we were buying tickets for another injury, but we don’t have anybody else. But that’s bad news [for Ben] for sure.”
