Arsenal v Wolverhampton Wanderers Live Commentary & Result, 28/5/23, Premier League

Pos	Team	P	W	D	L	F	A	+/-	PTS	Form
1	MCI Manchester City	38	28	5	5	94	33	+61	89	L D W W W
2	ARS Arsenal	38	26	6	6	88	43	+45	84	W L L W W
3	MUN Manchester United	38	23	6	9	58	43	+15	75	W W W W L
4	NEW Newcastle United	38	19	14	5	68	33	+35	71	D D W D L
5	LIV Liverpool	38	19	10	9	75	47	+28	67	D D W W W
6	BHA Brighton & Hove Albion	38	18	8	12	72	53	+19	62	L D W L W
7	AVL Aston Villa	38	18	7	13	51	46	+5	61	W D W L L
8	TOT Tottenham Hotspur	38	18	6	14	70	63	+7	60	W L L W L
9	BRE Brentford	38	15	14	9	58	46	+12	59	W W W L W
10	FUL Fulham	38	15	7	16	55	53	+2	52	L D W W L
11	CRY Crystal Palace	38	11	12	15	40	49	-9	45	D D W L W
12	CHE Chelsea	38	11	11	16	38	47	-9	44	D L L D W
13	WOL Wolverhampton Wanderers	38	11	8	19	31	58	-27	41	L D L W L
14	WHU West Ham United	38	11	7	20	42	55	-13	40	L W L W L
15	BOU AFC Bournemouth	38	11	6	21	37	71	-34	39	L L L L W
16	NFO Nottingham Forest	38	9	11	18	38	68	-30	38	D W D W L
17	EVE Everton	38	8	12	18	34	57	-23	36	W D L W D
18	LEI Leicester City	38	9	7	22	51	68	-17	34	W D L L D
19	LEE Leeds United	38	7	10	21	48	78	-30	31	L L D L L
20	SOU Southampton	38	6	7	25	36	73	-37	25	D L L L L

Thanks for joining our commentary. Until next time, goodbye.

Both teams return to Premier League action in August for the 2023-24 campaign.

Arsenal sign off their Premier League campaign with a thumping 5-0 win over Wolves at the Emirates Stadium. Xhaka capped his final appearance for the Gunners with two goals, heading home Jesus' cross before slotting home a second. Saka put his team in complete control after 27 minutes with a third. Jesus made it four in the second half before Jose Sa fumbled Kiwior's strike into his own net to round off the scoring. Arsenal finish the campaign in second five points off the pace of Manchester City, and although they would have taken it before the start of the season, Arteta may look back on the last few months with regret. Wolves end the campaign in 13th, seven points clear of the relegation zone, but there will be natural concerns about their prowess in front of goal heading into next term.

90' + 6' FULL-TIME: ARSENAL 5-0 WOLVES

90' + 6' Gabriel looks for a sixth for Arsenal as he meets Vieira's cross, but his header is deflected away from goal.

90' + 3' Jorginho gets back on his feet and the game resumes for the closing minutes.

90' + 2' Jorginho gets the ball blasted off his head unintentionally and he goes down on the field.

90' There will be four minutes of added time.

89' Hodge latches onto Traore's cross into the middle, but can only loop his header over the top.

89' Wolves have not had a shot on target as we approach stoppage time. Lopetegui's men have been lacklustre in the final third.

87' Jorghino is encouraged to shoot from 25 yards by the Arsenal fans, but he launches his effort well over the top.

J. Hodge

João Gomes

84' Hodge replaces Gomes in the Wolves midfield for the closing stages.

83' CLOSE! Arsenal are inches away from a sixth goal, but Nketiah just cannot make contact on the stretch after Nelson sends the ball across the face of goal.

K. Tierney

J. Kiwior

80' Kiwior leaves the field after opening his Arsenal account. He is replaced by Tierney.

E. Nketiah

L. Trossard

79' Nketiah enters the action to replace Trossard after a fine performance from the Belgian.

E. Smith Rowe

Assist

78' Smith Rowe nudges the ball to Kiwior, who does the rest courtesy of a mistake from Sa.

J. Kiwior

Goal

78' GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!! KIWIOR GETS HIS FIRST ARSENAL GOAL!!!!! 5-0!!! Sa has a nightmare between the posts as he fumbles Kiwior's shot into the net. Wolves fail to clear the danger from an Arsenal corner and Kiwior swings a leg at the ball after Smith Rowe nudges an offload to the defender. His effort does not have a lot of pace, but Sa makes a terrible mistake and can only knock the ball over his own goal line. It sums up Wolves' performance.

77' Lemina produces a great challenge at the back to halt Jesus on the charge, winning the ball on the slide. He had to time that to perfection.

E. Smith Rowe

M. Ødegaard

75' Smith Rowe enters the action to replace Odegaard for the final 15 minutes.

Fábio Vieira

G. Xhaka

75' Xhaka gets a standing ovation after making his way from the field for the final time as an Arsenal player. Not a bad way to sign off with a brace. Vieira replaces the midfielder.

73' White gives away a corner that Neves whips towards the near post, but the Gunners are able to clear their lines.

70' Arsenal are knocking the ball around at their leisure now. The game has a real feeling of an end of season contest.

B. Traoré

Hwang Hee-Chan

68' Hwang makes way in the final third for Traore.

Toti

M. Kilman

68' Kilman comes off at the back for the visitors and is replaced by Gomes.

67' SA TO THE RESCUE! Trossard surges forward at the Wolves defence and he hammers a strike towards the top-left corner that Sa stretches and turns away from goal with strong hands.

64' SAVE! Sa stretches out a hand to deny Nelson, who fails to connect with his effort following another piece of sublime build-up work from the hosts from Odegaard.

63' Lemina makes a crucial header at the back for the visitors to clear Jesus' cross away from Trossard after brilliant skill from the Brazilian.

62' Nelson releases the run of Jesus on the charge, but the Brazilian looks for one pass too many as his offload to Xhaka is cleared.

R. Nelson

B. Saka

60' Saka has taken a couple of knocks in the game and is now withdrawn for Nelson.

L. Trossard

Assist

58' Trossard makes a brilliant burst down the left flank to latch onto Jorginho's ball over the top. He then supplies a perfect cross for Jesus to score.

Gabriel Jesus

Goal

58' GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!! JESUS SCORES ARSENAL'S FOURTH!!!!!! 4-0!!!!! The Gunners do get their fourth goal as Jesus powers home a header at the back post. Jorginho releases Trossard behind Semedo down the left flank before the Belgian floats a cross for Jesus to attack. The forward plants his header low and hard into the bottom-right corner giving Sa no chance.

54' Traore bursts forward and tries to fire at goal from the edge of the box, but he sends his effort well wide of the target. Semedo picks up the loose ball and sees his effort blocked. Wolves are getting nowhere near the Arsenal goal.

53' DISALLOWED GOAL! Partey hammers a loose ball home from Saka's corner, but the goal is ruled out by the referee. There was a bit of pushing in the box, which Jose Sa was complaining about. It may have been what caused the goal to be disallowed.

51' Arsenal win a corner down the right flank that will allow the home side to send men forward from the back.

48' Saka returns to the field after Odegaard sees his cross from the right flank cleared to safety.

47' Saka wins a free-kick from a strong challenge from Ait Nouri and remains down in need of treatment.

46' We're back under way at the Emirates Stadium.

R. Aït-Nouri

Hugo Bueno

46' Bueno had a tough first half and is replaced by Ait Nouri.

Rúben Neves

Matheus Nunes

46' Nunes makes way for the visitors and is replaced by Neves.

Wolves have the look of a side that is just waiting for the final whistle. The Gunners cut through them with ease to score all three goals, while the visitors have offered very little in response. Lopetegui will want to see more from his team before they head off for the end of the season.

Arsenal are cruising at the break in their Premier League clash against Wolves, taking a 3-0 lead into half-time. On his final appearance for the club, Xhaka was on the spot to head home the opener and he scored a second three minutes later with a close-range finish. Saka capitalised on poor defending to score a third for the Gunners, leaving them in complete control.

45' + 2' HALF-TIME: ARSENAL 3-0 WOLVES

45' There will be two minutes of added time.

44' Traore works a low cross in from the left flank towards Jimenez, who uses his back to fend off Gabriel. But, he lacks the support and his pass back to Hwang is cleared.

43' Arsenal have lost a bit of their attacking impetus towards the end of the first half. Considering their position in the game, they've got nothing to be concerned about.

41' BLOCK! Odegaard takes the free-kick, but slams his strike and then the rebound straight into the Wolves wall.

39' Gomes brings down Trossard on a run on the edge of the Wolves box. Odegaard will be licking his lips from this position from the free-kick.

38' Nunes surges through the Arsenal defence and looks for support. But, his offload towards Jimenez is deflected away from the forward by Gabriel.

36' In the story of Wolves' season, the visitors are looking fairly toothless in their bid to get back into the game.

34' Arsenal are playing relaxed football and are putting the visitors under a huge amount of presssure every time they break forward. Arteta will be wondering where this Arsenal team have been for the last three months.

32' XHAKA MISSES A SITTER! The Switzerland international should have his hat-trick, but he slices his effort from 10 yards away from goal. Saka and Odegaard open up the Wolves defence down the right flank. On this occasion, Xhaka lets them off the hook.

30' SAVE! Odegaard lifts the ball over the top for Saka to collect. He has to take on the strike with his right foot, only to send a tame effort at Sa.

28' Traore almost gets the better of Kiwior in the final third. The defender gets a touch on the ball, but then gets in a tangle with the Wolves man, who goes down in the box. The referee waves play on, and VAR agrees with Andre Marriner.

L. Trossard

Assist

27' Trossard releases Saka into the inside-right channel with a crisp pass before the winger completes the finish.

B. Saka

Goal

27' GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!! SAKA CURLS HOME A BEAUTY!!!! 3-0 ARSENAL!!!!! The Gunners are firing on all cylinders today as Saka buries a left-footed strike into the far corner. Quick feet between Partey, Odegaard and Trossard opens up the Wolves defence. Trossard completes the final pass for Saka in the inside-right channel, who takes a touch away from Bueno before bending a super effort away from Sa.

25' CLOSE! Bueno swings a cross to the back post for Collins to attack. He nods his effort towards goal and has Ramsdale scrambling, but Partey is there to clear the danger in the six-yard area.

24' Kiwior pulls back Semedo on a run down the right flank and hands Wolves a free-kick in a useful position.

24' Jorginho gives the ball away on the edge of the Wolves box and brings down Hwang with a cynical challenge. The midfielder is fortunate not to get booked.

22' Arsenal can threaten again from a set-piece as Semedo brings down Trossard on the left flank. Xhaka is forward looking for a hat-trick.

21' Xhaka has scored nine goals for Arsenal in all competitions this season, five more than he has in any other campaign for the Gunners. In what is his 297th appearance for the club, he’s scored two goals in a game for the first time.

19' Semedo surges down the right flank and has options in the middle, but he cannot lift his delivery over Gabriel.

17' Wolves need to calm the game down. The Gunners are all over them and are looking hungry for further goals.

15' Arsenal break forward in numbers as Odegaard releases Trossard in the box, but he sees his left-footed strike charged down by Collins.

G. Xhaka

Goal

14' GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!! XHAKA MAKES IT TWO!!!!!!!! 2-0 ARSENAL!!!!! What a moment for Xhaka as he notches his second goal of the game. Saka starts the move for the Gunners with a surge into the box in the inside-right channel. His offload strikes Odegaard and deflects off Kilman straight into the path of Xhaka. The midfielder pounces and slots his left-footed strike past Sa. All too easy for the hosts.

12' Arsenal have scored 12 goals in the first 15 minutes of the first half, only Aston Villa (13) have scored more in the Premier League this season.

Gabriel Jesus

Assist

11' Jesus uses his pace down the right flank to surge past Bueno before he picks out Xhaka with a precise cross that the midfielder heads home.

G. Xhaka

Goal

11' GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!! XHAKA HEADS HOME!!!!!! 1-0 ARSENAL!!!!! Xhaka signs off at the Emirates Stadium with the opening goal. Jesus drops his shoulder down the right flank to burst past Bueno. He lifts a good cross into the middle that Xhaka attacks and heads low towards the net. It strikes Sa before the keeper can react to break the deadlock.

9' Partey has to act at the back post to prevent Jimenez latching onto Traore's hooked cross to the back post.

8' Saka goes down after falling awkwardly in a challenge with Gomes. Arteta and England boss Gareth Southgate will have concerns as he receives treatment.

6' Hwang surges forward in the final third and offloads to Jimenez, but he fails to connect with his strike from the edge of the box.

5' Nunes lines up a strike from the resulting free-kick, but he can only fire his effort straight into the wall.

4' Partey brings down Hwang in the final third on the left flank, handing Wolves a free-kick in a useful position.

1' Xhaka slams into a strong challenge with Nunes that leaves the midfielder on the deck. A combative start to his final Arsenal game.

1' We're under way at the Emirates Stadium.

Wolves have only lost one of their last five Premier League away games against Arsenal (W1 D3), though it was in this exact fixture last season (1-2).

Wolves have made six changes to their side that drew against Everton last time out. Sa returns between the posts to replace Bentley, while Kilman and Bueno return to the back four. Lemina and Nunes slot into the midfield, and Jimenez partners Hwang up front.

Arsenal are unchanged from their defeat against Forest last time out. Xhaka bids an emotional farewell to the Gunners today as he makes his final appearance before a summer move to Bayer Leverkusen. Saka and Trossard shake off knocks to start in the final third. Partey continues on the right flank of the defence as White moves into the middle alongside Gabriel.

WOLVES SUBS: Rayan Ait Nouri, Boubacar Traore, Ruben Neves, Matheus Cunha, Craig Dawson, Pablo Sarabia, Tote Gomes, David Bentley, Joseph Hodge.

WOLVES (4-4-2): Jose Sa; Nelson Semedo, Nathan Collins, Max Kilman, Hugo Bueno; Adama Traore, Mario Lemina, Gomes, Matheus; Hwang Hee-Chan, Raul Jimenez.

ARSENAL SUBS: Kieran Tierney, Emile Smith Rowe, Eddie Nketiah, Rob Holding, Fabio Vieira, Reiss Nelson, Matt Turner, Mauro Bandeira, Reuell Walters.

ARSENAL (4-3-3): Aaron Ramsdale; Thomas Partey, Ben White, Gabriel Magalhaes, Jakub Kiwior; Martin Odegaard, Jorginho, Granit Xhaka; Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Jesus, Leandro Trossard.

Despite entering the final week of the campaign being the lowest scorers in the Premier League, Wolves have still managed to survive comfortably. Julen Lopetegui eased relegation fears after replacing Bruno Lage in the dugout in December. The Midlands outfit still have a lot of questions regarding their future, with Lopetegui himself asking questions of the board and the finances at Molineux. A win on the final day would remedy those issues and take the club into next season on a positive note.

The season has not ended the way Arsenal fans would have hoped after the club appeared on course to end their Premier League title drought with three months remaining in the term. The Gunners can still hold their heads high after qualifying for the Champions League with a second-place finish, although the manner of their collapse will certainly sting for a long time. Mikel Arteta and his team have lost back-to-back matches to Brighton and Hove Albion and Nottingham Forest, and they will not want to end the season on a low note. Arteta will be urging a response from his team to end with a win.

Hello and welcome to the live commentary of the Premier League clash between Arsenal and Wolves at the Emirates Stadium.

Arsenal v Wolverhampton Wanderers Live Commentary, 28/5/23

Key Events

Match Stats

Key

Commentary