ARSENAL 1 WOLVES 1
by Ricky Butler at The Emirates
Arsenal did not enjoy any Festive cheer as they failed to break down the stubborn resistance of Mick McCarthy's strugglers at The Emirates yesterday.
Despite the luxury of an early goal - a cool finish from Gervinho inside eight minutes - Arsene Wenger's side missed the opportunity to jump above Chelsea into the top four, as they ran into a goalkeeper on the very top of his game.
Wayne Hennessey was the only thing that stood between Arsenal and a comfortable victory as he made a series of outstanding saves, even after his team had been reduced to ten men following the controversial dismissal of Nenad Milijas fifteen minutes from time.
''Yes it is frustrating,'' said Wenger. ''But I am more frustrated with the result and not the performance. You cannot fault our attitude, commitment or desire to win the game.''
His side were given the perfect start. A Wolves attack broke down in the 7th minute and the ball fell to the recalled Tomas Rosicky down the right, who fed Yossi Benayoun. The Chelsea loanee, making his first Premier League start for the club in place of Theo Walcott, threaded a lovely ball through to Gervinho, and the Ivorian coolly rounded Hennessey before slotting into the bottom right-hand corner of the net.
It looked like being a case of how many Arsenal would get after that as Wolves struggled to get out of their own half. Robin van Persie, just two short of Alan Shearer's record of 36 Premier League goals in a calendar year, was denied by Hennessey, while Mikel Arteta saw an effort blocked by Christophe Berra.
But McCarthy's men shocked the Emirates with an equaliser seven minutes before the break. A corner from the left by Milijas was cleared only as far as Stephen Hunt, who's deflected effort fell kindly for Steven Fletcher to nod beyond the stranded Wojciech Szczesny from eight yards.
The second half became attack against defence as Wenger's team threw everything forward in search of the win they so desperately needed. On another day they may have scored four or five, but with Hennessey in this sort of form they ended up with only frustration.
His best save was from a Per Mertesaker header midway through the second period - following a superb left wing cross from Rosicky with the outside of his right foot - while he performed further heroics to deny van Persie, twice, and Gervinho.
The hosts claimed they should have had a penalty when a cross from Laurent Koscienly clearly struck Roger Johnson's arm, but referee Stuart Atwell waved away their appeals and booked Thomas Vermaelen for his protests instead.
Whether that was on his mind when Milijas dived in on Arteta soon after is unclear, but despite the challenge being neither two-footed or malicious, Atwell produced a red card and the game now appeared to be Arsenal's for the taking. However, despite a flurry of late chances, they could find no way past Hennessey, who denied Vermaelen with another outstanding save at the death.
''We could play that game 20 times and we would win 19,'' said Wenger. ''The keeper had the game of his life. Yes, we have missed an opportunity, but we need to keep going and take the positives from the performance,'' he added.
With London derbies to come against QPR and Fulham over the next six days, things are not about to get any easier for them either.
ARSENAL - Szczesny 6, Djourou 6 (Chamakh 82), Mertesaker 7, Koscielny 7, Vermaelen 7, Song 6 (Ramsey 72, 6), Atreta 7, Rosicky 7, Gervinho 7, Benayoun 7 (Arshavin 64, 6), van Persie 7.
WOLVES - Hennessey 9, Zubar 7 (Stearman 51, 6), Johnson 7, Berra 7, Ward 7, Forde 6 (Guediorra 72, 6), Henry 6, Milijas 6, Jarvis 7, Hunt 6 (Doyle 86), Fletcher 7
REFEREE; S. Atwell 5 - Got the big calls wrong and seemed to lose control.
ATTENDANCE; 59, 686
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