Mikel Arteta praised an “unbelievable” contribution from Bukayo Saka after the winger fired in Arsenal’s second goal in their 2-0 win over Wolves at the Emirates to kick off their Premier League campaign.
The Gunners are looking to end a 21-year wait for the title, having finished second to Manchester City in each of the last two seasons, missing out by two points in May despite winning 16 of their final 18 games.
And they got off to an ideal start in north London against Gary O’Neil’s side when Kai Havertz dashed towards the six-yard box to meet Saka’s cross in the 25th minute, squeezing between goalkeeper Jose Sa and defender Yerson Mosquera and heading his side into a deserved lead following early pressure.
At that stage they might already have led after Saka, Ben White and Declan Rice had all had sights of goal, a combination of good goalkeeping and wayward finishing keeping Wolves in the game before Havertz struck.
David Raya saved brilliantly from Jorgen Strand Larsen’s header to preserve the lead and Matheus Cunha missed a golden chance from a William Saliba error before Saka settled nerves around the Emirates when he lashed in at Sa’s near post 16 minutes from time, allowing Arteta to celebrate a deserved win.
“First half we were really good,” he said. “Really aggressive, really intense. A lot of purpose to our attack. A lot of threat in the box.
“We generated a lot. We probably we should have scored two or three. Second half we became a bit sloppy, we had some giveaways, then the game was a bit more open. Bukayo had an unbelievable action to score the 2-0.
“What I see is the willingness. We started well the first game. With the first game, you have some uncertainty in how you will respond against a really difficult opponent. Score two, clean sheet, win.”
More than once throughout the game Saka was allowed space to cut inside from the right on to his left foot, most notably in crossing for Havertz’s goal and then in firing in himself to score the second late on.
Arteta was asked whether he was surprised teams continue to allow the England winger space to come in from the flank to such devastating effect.
“With good players it’s like that,” he said. “With (Lionel) Messi, I know he’s going to come in and do that, but you can’t stop him.”
The game was notable for fine individual displays from Rice, Saka and Raya just 34 days after the Euro 2024 final between England and Spain in which all three were involved.
“I’m not surprised (at their performances),” said Arteta. “That was their mentality straight away after the last game, they said I’m going to be ready for the first game.
“They wanted to come and be here early. If players are doing that, the compromise, it will grow around the team, and it will step up the level.”
Thank you for all of your support at the Emirates today.
We''ll see you all back at Molineux next week 💛 pic.twitter.com/4gR00nDR13
— Wolves (@Wolves) August 17, 2024
Wolves boss O’Neil reflected on a game in which he felt his side retained a ready threat until finally succumbing to the second goal.
“Good game I thought,” he said. “I thought we played a huge part in it. We acquitted ourselves well against a very tough test.
“At 1-0 we were right in the game, we had some really good territory, kept Arsenal pinned back for a while and created a couple chances in that moment.”
[(Shimizu S-Pulse) Weakness]: 1. Shimizu S-Pulse are 13th in the J1 League table. Facing 2nd-placed Kashima Antlers, they will find it hard to win this match due to their declining form, indicating doubtful motivation.2. Shimizu S-Pulse defender Yuji Takahashi and forward Sena Saito will miss this league game due to injuries.3. Shimizu S-Pulse were winless with 2 draws and 3 losses in the last 5 g...
Liverpool table fresh Guehi bidAccording to The Athletic, Liverpool have submitted a fresh bid worth £35 million ($47m) to sign Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace. The Reds had earlier seen two bids rejected by the Eagles, but they remain hopeful that this time the offer will be accepted.Fenerbahce eyeing move for EdersonTurkish Super Lig giants Fenerbahce are eyeing a move for out-of-favour Manc...
Roma medical for Liverpool fullback TsimikasAS Roma are holding a medical for Kostas Tsimikas today.The Liverpool fullback is leaving Anfield after finding himself third-choice this season behind fellow left-backs Andrew Robertson and Milos Kerkez.La Gazzetta dello Sport says the Greece international is expected in Italy today to finalise his move.Tsimikas will undergo a medical ahead of signing a...
FBL-ENG-PR-CHELSEA-FULHAMMarco Silva has demanded an explanation from the Premier League after lambasting three "shocking" refereeing decisions in Fulham's 2-0 Premier League loss at Chelsea.WHAT HAPPENED?The Whites thought they had taken the lead against their west London rivals Chelsea when 18-year-old Josh King coolly slotted past Robert Sanchez. However, the goal was chalked off by referee Rob...
[(Shonan Bellmare) Strength]: 1. Shonan Bellmare are one of the bottom teams in the table, taking 25 points and being in the relegation zone. They are strongly motivated to grab points.[(Shonan Bellmare) Neutral]: 1. Shonan Bellmare drew the last 4 home games, revealing mediocre home performances.[(Shonan Bellmare) Weakness]: 1. Shonan Bellmare lost 1-0 to Fagiano Okayama on the road in the last g...
Manchester United Training Session And Press Conference - UEFA Europa League Final 2025Chelsea have completed the signing of Alejandro Garnacho from Manchester United.WHAT HAPPENED?Garnacho has signed a seven-year contract with the Blues after the two Premier League clubs agreed a deal worth a fixed £40 million fee ($54m) with a 10 per cent sell-on clause, Goal understands. The 21-year-old ha...
Marc Guehi Crystal Palace 2025-26Liverpool have launched a fresh bid for Marc Guehi as they hope that Crystal Palace will finally accept their proposal and agree to sell their star defender before the summer transfer window closes on Monday. The Reds have been linked with a move for the England international throughout the summer and the champions are determined to secure his signature.WHAT HAPPEN...
West Ham United v Lille OSC - Pre-Season FriendlyAston Villa are close to signing West Ham United midfielder Lucas Paqueta on an initial loan with an obligation to buy next summer.WHAT HAPPENED?Villa are on the brink of agreeing a £47 million (€54m/$63m) package for Paqueta which includes a loan fee and add-ons, according to Fabrizio Romano. The report also states the 28-year-old has ac...
[(Nagoya Grampus) Strength]: 1. Nagoya Grampus currently have only 28 points and are near the bottom of the league table. To avoid relegation, they need to earn points.[(Nagoya Grampus) Neutral]: 1. Nagoya Grampus' 7 successive games ended with OVER.[(Nagoya Grampus) Weakness]: 1. Nagoya Grampus lost 2-4 to Sanfrecce Hiroshima in their last Emperor's Cup game, with poor performance.2. In the lates...
Cody Gakpo Liverpool 2025Premier League champions Liverpool have confirmed that star attacker Cody Gakpo has put pen to paper on a new long-term contract, which has extended his stay at Anfield beyond 2028. The Dutchman who joined the club in January 2023, during the Jurgen Klopp era, has established himself as a regular starter under new boss Arne Slot and has now committed his future to the Reds...
