Wolves striker Raul Jimenez was taken to hospital on Sunday night after a sickening clash of heads with Arsenal defender David Luiz in the early stages of his side’s 2-1 win at the Emirates.
Jimenez was given oxygen and stretchered off the pitch after the horrible collision in the penalty area, which took place around five minutes into the first half.
The severity of the collision was made clear as soon as the Wolves striker went down, with players on both teams immediately calling for medical staff to enter the pitch. Arsenal players could be heard frantically urging those medics to hurry up in reaching the two players.
Play was subsequently paused for around 10 minutes while Jimenez and Luiz received treatment. Arsenal medics were assisting in the care of Jimenez, who was immediately taken to hospital and was later reported to be conscious and responding to treatment.
Concerns were raised, too, over how Luiz was able to continue in the game after such a forceful clash of heads. The Brazilian’s forehead was heavily bandaged but blood could be seen seeping through those dressings as the first half continued.
Luiz was ultimately removed from the game, coming off as a half-time substitute for Rob Holding, but Arsenal were facing questions over the decision to allow the Brazilian to play on for a further 40 minutes. The club on Sunday night insisted that all concussion protocols were followed regarding Luiz’s return to the pitch.
The injury to Jimenez, who signed a new four-year contract with Wolves last month, prompted a sombre atmosphere to fall over the match in the minutes that followed.
Nuno Espirito Santo, the Wolves manager, appeared to be visibly shaken by the incident and he shared a brief moment on the touchline with Luiz before the Arsenal defender returned to the fold.
Despite the absence of their top scorer and the harrowing nature of his departure from the game, Wolves soon settled into a rhythm in their attacking play, causing the Arsenal defence a series of problems on the counter-attack.
This was their first league win at Arsenal since 1979 and it meant a third consecutive home league defeat for Mikel Arteta’s side, who once again struggled to create goalscoring chances.
Wolves took the lead shortly before the 30-minute mark after Adama Traore tore down the right wing, bursting past Kieran Tierney with his usual combination of speed and strength. Traore’s cross found midfielder Leander Dendoncker, whose header cannoned off the crossbar before landing at the feet of Pedro Neto. From close range, the Portuguese forward could not miss.
Arsenal pulled level only a few minutes later, when Gabriel Magalhaes rose highest to thump a terrific header beyond Wolves goalkeeper Rui Patricio, following a curling Willian cross. In that moment, the sight of a goal from open play would have been of huge encouragement to Mikel Arteta.
Indeed, it was the first time they had scored from open play in the Premier League in more than eight hours of action. They would have equalised a moment earlier, too, if it were not for a crucial defensive touch from Conor Coady as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang prepared to tap home a left-wing cross.
Arsenal’s recent matches under Arteta have been characterised by caginess under Arteta, with their defensive record improving at the expense of attacking freedom. This soon became a much more open contest, though, with huge spaces opening up in the home side’s midfield.
It was through one of those gaps that Wolves ran through for their second goal, shortly before the half-time break. Neto charged into the open turf, firing at Arsenal goalkeeper Bernd Leno. Once again Wolves profited from a rebound, as Daniel Podence expertly flicked the ball over the sliding Gabriel before thumping it into the net.
Arsenal pushed forward in search of a second equaliser, putting the Wolves backline under sustained pressure, but there remained a constant danger of the away side striking on the counter-attack. Only a spectacular Hector Bellerin challenge prevented Podence from extending the Wolves lead.
Nuno’s side were forced to sit deep in the final few moments, absorbing the pressure, but they were resolute and compact to hold on to their lead on a night that will not be remembered for the scoreline.
- Goals
1 2 - Total Shots (including blocked shots)
13 11 - Shots On Target
2 5 - Blocked Shots
4 4 - Shots from outside the box
3 2 - Shots from inside the box
10 9 - Shot Accuracy (excluding blocked shots)
22.2% 71.4% - GET IT NOW
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