Liam Keen analysis: Sickening Wolves defeat will hurt but players must take heart

It was not the cricket score many feared, instead Wolves were organised, compact, hard to break down and frustrated a talented Arsenal side.

Just like they had done in Rob Edwards' other away game at Villa, Wolves seemingly played with less pressure and more focus as they stuck to the game plan.

The wing-backs David Moller Wolfe and Matt Doherty were tight and compact when defending and managed to do a good enough job on Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli.

Arsenal are known for being effective from set pieces but the three centre-backs Yerson Mosquera, Emmanuel Agbadou and Toti Gomes were all strong in the air, offered good cover in behind and were helped by an energetic midfield that put in a lot of hard yards.

Wolves also offered some threat on the counter and Hwang Hee-chan had a glorious chance when he broke from his own half and only had David Raya to beat - under pressure from five recovering defenders - but he shot too close to the goalkeeper.

Jorgen Strand Larsen had a good chance on the stroke of half-time too when Wolfe's low cross found him in some space inside the box, but his effort was blocked.

Wolves were good value for 0-0 at half-time and survived the odd scare from an Arsenal attack to put in a solid performance.

The hosts pushed for a goal in the early stages of the second half but Wolves stood firm, even if it was more chaotic than the first half.

Referee Robert Jones was making it difficult for Wolves to get out in the second half with some nit-picking fouls given against them as they tried to counter.

In the first half he bizarrely did not book Eberechi Eze for his high foot on Joao Gomes, while in the second half Hwang was rightly given a yellow card for a foul on Myles Lewis-Skelly. VAR briefly checked that one for a red card, but nothing was given.

It was an inconsistent officiating display that was making it harder for Wolves, although that was not the reason they went behind in the 70th minute.

Saka's corner was certainly targeted at the far post and it was a moment of quality, and Sam Johnstone is definitely unlucky to see it come off the post and back off him before going in.

But the goalkeeper also has to take a portion of the blame for a comical and avoidable moment, even if Edwards publicly wanted to put more focus on Saka's delivery.

"He's aiming for that, for the corner, he'll be aiming for that position," Edwards said.

"It's brilliant from them, but then it's just unfortunate for us, how it went in."

Wolves rallied and Edwards made attacking changes, throwing caution to the wind, and it paid off.

Two substitutes combined as 18-year-old Mateus Mane whipped in a cross for his first assist for the senior side, as summer signing Tolu Arokodare headed home his first Premier League goal.

The away end erupted after the 90th minute equaliser that seemed destined to earn Wolves a point, and it should have.

Instead, Fer Lopez was far too relaxed in stopping Saka's cross in the 94th minute, Gabriel Jesus got the run on Mosquera but somehow missed the ball, and it came off the defender's head before beating Johnstone.

Similar to the first own goal, there was an element of bad luck but Mosquera also has to do much better in a moment that cost Wolves the game.

Edwards added: "They're flat, they're down. Yerson especially, he's an emotional guy. You could see him on the floor for a long, long time. It's tough for him. 

"These are the basic things that we've got to value and be better at. We've got to stop crosses, they've got players that can deliver quality and they did that.

"But that one moment then can't change my whole outlook and emotion on the game because if almost that hadn't happened or if we'd have cleared that, then I could be sitting here talking to you about a brilliant performance, we've taken a point and we can build on it. 

"We still should be able to do that, taking that last 90 seconds or so out of the game."

This one will hurt because Wolves deserved much more, but it now matters how the players respond to it.

Following the good performance at Villa, Wolves put in a dire display in the defeat to Nottingham Forest and were then battered 4-1 by an average Manchester United side.

On this occasion, they have to follow-up a good performance against the Gunners and use it as fuel against Brentford at Molineux.