Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
A BUNCH OF LUIZERS
Gunners snatch defeat from the jaws of victory
ARSENAL finished up with nine men as they completely shot themselves in the foot at Molineux.
David Luiz’s sending-off on half-time proved the real turning point but they also had keeper Bernd Leno red-carded with 20 minutes left.
Gunners boss Mikel Arteta cut a dejected figure standing in the swirling rain as Wolves completed the double over his men.
His side looked like going in a goal up at the interval when Luiz was red-carded for a clumsy challenge on Wolves new boy Willian Jose.
Ruben Neves cancelled out Pepe’s 32nd-minute opener from the spot and there was worse to come when Joao Moutinho sent a 30-yarder screaming into the net.
For out-of-sorts Wolves this was a welcome win – they had only managed one in the 11 games since they lost ace marksman Raul Jimenez with a fractured skull after a clash of heads with Luiz at the Emirates in November. The whole dynamic of the game was turned on its head right on the stroke of half-time.
Neves sent Leno the wrong way with what proved to be the last kick of the half and Arsenal trouped off wondering what the hell had gone wrong.
The Gunners had ripped into the home side in a barnstorming opening three or four minutes and could easily have been two or three goals to the good.
Bukayo Saka was at the centre of everything, tearing Wolves apart down their left flank and he should have put Arsenal ahead within a minute but thumped the ball against the post.
A couple of minutes later
Saka’s shot on the turn from 12 yards was saved by Rui Patricio and then he ‘scored’ only to see VAR rule Alexandre Lacazette offside.
Pepe broke the deadlock, somehow managing to wriggle his way past Nelson Semedo and Neves before picking his spot and sweeping the ball into the far corner.
All was looking well for the Gunners when the wheels came off, down to 10 men and on level terms.
Arteta sacrificed Lacazette at half-time and within four minutes was left shaking his head in disbelief as Moutinho put Wolves in front with a belting 30-yarder which just eluded Leno’s fingertips and went in off the post.
Things were going to get worse for Arteta.
He lost his keeper when Leno rushed out of his area to clear the danger but inexplicably used his arm to shunt the ball out of play. Once again, that left referee Craig Pawson no choice but to send him packing.