Arsenal kicked off their Premier League title challenge with a confident 2-0 victory at home against Wolverhampton Wanderers, thanks to goals from Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka on Saturday.
While the Gunners’ performance wasn’t entirely polished in the summer sunshine, Mikel Arteta’s team, widely seen as the strongest contenders to challenge Manchester City‘s dominance, fully deserved the three points.
The breakthrough came in the 25th minute when Havertz expertly headed in from Saka’s pinpoint cross. Despite taking the lead, Arsenal never appeared entirely at ease until Saka secured the win with a clinical finish late in the match.
Wolves had their moments, particularly through Rayan Aït-Nouri and Rodrigo Gomes, but neither could seriously test Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya when the game was still delicately poised at 1-0.
Reflecting on the match, Arteta expressed his satisfaction, saying, “I am really happy. With the first game, there’s always some uncertainty in how you will respond. We had our moment after going 1-0 up where we lost control, but after Saka’s goal, we were much more comfortable. The way the boys go about their job is unbelievable, so very happy.”
Just three months have passed since Arsenal narrowly missed out on their first English title in 20 years, losing out on the final day of the season against Everton. However, the atmosphere at the Emirates was far more relaxed this time around, both on and off the pitch, as Arsenal secured the win without needing to shift into top gear.
Wolves, who introduced new signings Jørgen Strand Larsen and Gomes into the fold, enjoyed a fair share of possession but posed little threat overall. Arsenal, runners-up to City for the past two seasons, dominated the early stages and took the lead when Saka was afforded time to deliver a precise cross for Havertz, who made no mistake with his header.
However, Arsenal became somewhat careless as the game progressed, and Wolves nearly capitalized when Hwang Hee-Chan’s cross found Larsen, whose header was well saved by Raya.
The Gunners labored after the interval, but the result was put beyond doubt when Saka, Arsenal’s most dangerous player on the day, cut in from the right and fired a powerful left-footed shot past José Sá.
Speaking about his teammate, Havertz praised Saka, stating, “Saka is unbelievable. There are not a lot of players like him on the planet, and he is still so young.”
With this solid start, Arsenal’s fans will be hoping that their team can sustain this momentum as they once again aim to end Manchester City’s reign at the top of English football.
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