Wolves vs Arsenal result: Ruben Neves sparks first-half blitz to damage Gunners’ top-four dream

Wolves 3-1 Arsenal: After an embarrassing evening, no-one at Arsenal was laughing and the Champions League seems a good deal further away than it did at kick-off

On an evening of painful blows on the field, a jibe from the stands might have been the hardest thing for Arsenal fans to take.

‘Champions League, you’re having a laugh,’ sang jubilant Wolves supporters as their team lauded it over Unai Emery’s shambolic side.

After an embarrassing evening, no-one at Arsenal was laughing and the Champions League seems a good deal further away than it did at kick-off.

One defeat should not derail the Gunners’ pursuit of a top-four finish but the manner of their loss to a razor-sharp Wolves at Molineux might yet prove to be a damaging blow to their psyche ahead of a crucial run-in after Ruben Neves, Matt Doherty and the outstanding Diogo Jota put them to the sword.

Having dominated possession and appeared in control, Emery’s men crumbled in the space of 17 first-half minutes and left the Midlands licking horrid, largely self-inflicted wounds.

Wolves were devastating, combining pace with devastating finishing, but all three of their goals were at least in part of Arsenal’s making with goalkeeper Bernd Leno enduring a torrid evening.

Arsenal had the better of the early exchanges with Nacho Monreal on their left finding space from which to threaten Wolves.

Twice in the first nine minutes he posed a serious threat, first with a cross that was met with a poor Sokratis volley, then with a weaving run that was stopped on the edge of the six-yard box by Matt Doherty.

When Monreal played a clever one-two with Alex Iwobi and was fouled by Doherty to prevent him bursting once more into the Wolves box, it earned the Irishman the first yellow card of the evening.

Wolves had been overrun in the early stages but the middle period of the first half saw them build up a head of steam that eventually resulted in the opening goal.

Wolves celebrate their third goal of the game (Reuters)

The warnings for Arsenal came in the form of a weaving run down their right flank by Diogo Jota, who left three defenders standing before running out of turf, and a powerful burst down the opposite wing by Doherty, who teed up Joao Moutinho for a shot that curled narrowly wide.

So when Jota ran at the heart of the Gunners defence moments later and fed Jonny Castro Otto, there was panic in the visitors’ ranks that prompted a coming together in which Jonny was tripped by Monreal.

Neves accepted the invitation in style as he curled the resulting free-kick over the wall and in, past the despairing dive of a fully extended Bernd Leno.

The concession of the opening goal had the visitors rattled, but they did fashion a chance with a quickfire counter-attack, only for Alexandre Lacazette to blaze horribly wide.

And they were 2-0 down seven minutes before half-time after Leno unconvincingly pushed a Jota shot behind.

Jota exchanged passes twice with Moutinho from the corner before curling a shot onto the head of Doherty, who outjumped Leno to nod home.

Things got worse for Emery and Co in stoppage time as Granit Xhaka’s awful pass was intercepted by Jota, who simply stepped past Sokratis and ran away from Henrikh Mkhitaryan before his low shot was spilled by Leno.

Further damage was narrowly averted for the Gunners minutes into the second half as Jimenez crossed for strike-partner Jota, who just needed a sure first touch and finish to make it 2-0.

It let him down, however, and his poor control let Emery’s men off the hook.

Lacazette had a strong penalty appeal rejected when he tangled with Ryan Bennett and hit the turf, but he claim was rejected by referee Stuart Attwell.

And Wolves were soon back on the attack with Jota, whose centre found Jimenez, only for Wolves’ leading scorer to lash his effort across the face of goal and wide.

There was a late consolation as Sokratis headed home a Xhaka corner but it could not cover up the failings of them or their team.