Mikel Arteta Slams Arsenal's 'Horrible Defensive Habits' As Gunners Scrape Through Wolves Test

Last Updated:December 14, 2025, 16:22 IST

Arteta expressed his frustration as the Gunners fell back into ill-defensive habits, but managed to pick up all points on offer thanks to a couple of own goals from Wolves.

Mikel Arteta. (AFP Photo)

Arsenal put a five-point diffeence between them and chasers Manchester City, who have the opportunity to chop down on the lead when they visit Crystal Palace on Sunday, with a 2-1 win over Wolves on Saturday.

An own goals from Wolves keeper Sam Johnstone put the Gunners ahead before Tolu Arokodare’s 90th minute strike cancelled out Mikel Arteta’s lead. However, a second own goal, this time by Yerson Mosquera, gave Gunners the win.

Arteta expressed his frustration as the Gunners fell back into ill-defensive habits, but managed to pick up all points on offer thanks to the own goals.

“It was a relief to win, but it’s clear the margin should have been bigger," Arteta said.

“After not being precise enough in the first half despite generating numerous situations inside the opposition box, we didn’t pick the right passes on many occasions. We had to improve in the second half, and I think we did," the Spaniard added.

“We created more chances, scored a goal, but then had a period of two or three minutes where we were totally passive and displayed horrible defensive habits, which is far below the required level against a team that hadn’t had a single shot."

“The first time they had the opportunity, they scored the goal," Arteta added.

Arsenal, who look to end a two-decade title drought, have amassed 36 points in the ongoing season ahead of their upcmoming encounter against Everton.

Arteta urged his player to take learnings from the frustrating Wolves game and make the most of a hectic December calander.

“Learn from it and then move on. Every time you win in the Premier League, you should be happy," he added.

“You should be aware of the difficulty, but we made it even harder for ourselves today and that’s the big lesson," Arteta said.

News sports football Mikel Arteta Slams Arsenal's 'Horrible Defensive Habits' As Gunners Scrape Through Wolves Test

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