Watching my Arsenal on Saturday, well, it really was something. You just never know how it’s all going to turn out, do you? We’ve ended up five points clear now, which feels massive. Honestly though, it was a real struggle to get there against Wolves.
I mean, we won it so late. My heart was properly racing. They’re bottom of the league and everything, but they made it so hard for us. Shows you what this league is like. To get that goal in injury time, it just means more, you know? It wasn’t pretty but we just wouldn’t stop.
The whole ending was crazy. I thought they’d gone and spoiled it when they scored right at the end. Felt like a real punch. But then, almost straight after, we’re up their end and the ball’s in their net. Their own player ended up putting it in, from a Gabriel Jesus header I think. The stadium just exploded. Pure relief, more than anything.
Afterwards, Mikel Arteta said we showed real character. He’s right, we did. He admitted it wasn’t our best performance, which is true. But the mentality to keep going, that’s what he was happy about. Some teams might have just settled for the draw there.
For me, Bukayo Saka was just on a different level. He was trying to do everything. I read someone gave him an 8 out of 10, but he felt like a 10 to me. Arteta even said it was like he was playing them on his own sometimes. Saka himself said the team just dug deep. That’s what you have to do.
Some of our other players had a quiet night, to be honest. Our striker wasn’t really in the game much in the first half. He did a bit better later on. And then Ben White going off injured early was a big worry. It meant others had to shuffle around, but the young guy who came on did really well, made a big tackle.
Things got better in the second half. Declan Rice started driving forward more, had a good shot. When the substitutes came on, like Odegaard and Jesus, you could feel the energy change. Jesus especially looked sharp and was right in the mix for the winner. Having players like that to bring on makes a huge difference.
This kind of win, it’s the sort that builds belief. When you’re not at your best but still find a way, it matters. For Wolves, it must be so tough to lose like that, right at the death. It’s a really hard one for them to take. For us, it’s just about keeping going. One game at a time.
The atmosphere in the place, it was this mix of nerves and hope. You could feel everyone holding their breath together, then all that noise just bursting out at the end. It’s moments like that, why you put yourself through it all season long. Makes the tough parts worth it.
I keep thinking about last season and how we might have drawn or even lost a game like this one. There’s a different feeling in the team now, like a stubbornness. They don’t seem to get as frustrated when it’s not working. They just try something else, keep probing. It’s a really good sign, even when the football itself isn’t always beautiful to watch.
Looking at the table is a nice feeling, but you can’t get carried away. There’s so many games left. City and Liverpool, they just keep winning too. This was a big one to get through, a real test of nerve. We’ll need this same spirit again in the next match, because every single one is a final now, really.
