The players Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal began the season on the right foot, defeating Wolves 2-0 at the Emirates Stadium.
Arsenal’s Premier League campaign began on a high point with a 2-0 triumph over Gary O’Neil’s Wolves.
Kai Havertz pulled the hosts ahead inside the first 25 minutes with a wonderful header past Jose Sa after Bukayo Saka floated in a delightful cross for the German International to head home.
The England player then transitioned to goal scoring mode, executing his signature technique. Cutting in on his left foot, he takes another tiny touch to create space before releasing a powerful strike into the near post that had little hope of preventing.
It wasn’t all one-way travel; there were times in the game when Wolves overpowered and under attack but usually, Arteta and his players enjoyed a successful day at work.
With a difficult first five games of the season, involving Aston Villa, Tottenham, and winners Manchester City, getting three points were necessary for the Gunners.
Here is what we learned from the Gunners’ first game:
Left-back remains an issue.
Oleksandr Zinchenko had a very positive pre-season this summer, returning to his old form, particularly while shifting inside to midfield. His weakest point has always been defense, as evidenced by his performance against Wolves.
Wolves are beginning to acquire a hold on the game, they began to attack with greater force down the left side of the pitch, yet there may have been some defensive worries, leading to Zinchenko’s substitution.
Jurrien Wood was added, which is a positive trend for many, while new addition Riccardo Calafiore stayed on the bench. Arteta has stated that he does not want to push the Italian into the team, so this should not be a major issue.
This will not be a major concern for the time being, but tactical inquiries remain about Zinchenko; does what he gives when in control balance the defensive issues he also portrays?
The England striker continued where he left off last season, scoring a goal and helping on another in the season’s first game. He played a fantastic pass to Havertz for the first goal before scoring a greater goal himself in the second half.
What had been impressive about his second goal was his command over the ball, how he manipulated the defender to not be too tight, and his capacity to create a yard of space before continuing to the near post – which is a somewhat unique finish than his usual one, as he typically opts for the far post rather than the near.
This will be advantageous to Saka in the future as keepers, He might not anticipate his finish because he has typically preferred a far post finish, but if he remains able to finish both close and far, he may score a lot of additional goals this season.
It wasn’t just his goal assists that demonstrated why he was so good this weekend; his overall game was fantastic, and he looked frightening every time he was on the attack. He is obviously someone Arsenal cannot afford to lose due to injury, as the cover in that area is not as good as it is elsewhere on the pitch.
David Raya hopes to win another Golden Glove.
The Arsenal number one has been in North London for just over a year and, if he hadn’t previously, this weekend demonstrated why Arteta was correct to bring him in last year – while relegating Aaron Ramsdale to the bench.
Raya made a crucial save against Jorgen Strand Larsen, who had a clear shot from point blank range. The Spanish goalkeeper was caught off guard, but Raya stretched out a glove to claw the ball away. It was an illegal save, but he made it anyhow.
He won the Golden Glove by a significant margin last time out, and he will be trying to win the award in consecutive years.
This summer, the major area where Arsenal needs to improve has been the top of the field. Last time out, Havertz had the cutting edge when his team needed it, as Gabriel Jesus was sidelined for significant periods due to injury.
The season, however, Havertz has looked ready, sharp, and fresh for the new season, and he has already scored his first goal of the season, which will be a tremendous relief for him. The same is true for Jesus, who has had a fantastic preseason and appears to be as prepared as he was when he first joined Arsenal in 2022.
