Wolves Player Ratings v Arsenal

A set of Wolves ratings from the Arsenal match, with praise for the back line and subs, plus a clear theme: intensity arrived late, but the response showed real spirit.

My ratings for the Wolves v Arsenal game in case anyone was unfortunate enough to miss it.

Defensive Unit

Sa: 6. Didn't have a lot to do in all honesty but is prepared to come for crosses. Didn't have time to react for either goal.

Tchachoua: 4. His pace gets him out of trouble when defending but oh so hesitant going forward and needs to work a lot on his crossing. Don't like to hear us cheering sarcastically when a player in a Wolves shirt is taken off but he does frustrate.

Santi: 8. Has now developed into a first choice centre back and is rapidly gaining some sort of leadership status and seems to thrive on responsibility for organising the defence. He does press and make things difficult for strikers.

Mosquera: 7. Mad as a box of frogs and always seems to be seconds away from doing something disastrous but his commitment to the cause is undeniable and the crowd feed off him, as do some of the players.

Krejci: 7. Composed and linked well with the midfield runners. The side seems better balanced when he has the freedom to move forward.

Hugo Bueno: 8. Really establishing himself as the first choice left back and at last scored the goal he's been threatening for a while and what a great strike it was. Worked his socks off last night against Madueke and Saka and managed to shut down crosses more effectively than he has in the past.

Midfield and Forward Play

Mane: 7. Always prepared to take on a defender and looking to get into the final third. Has a tendency to look for the free kick at times and needs to be more robust under physical challenge to retain possession but he's still growing. Lost his man for Arsenal's first goal but excellent assist for Wolves' first goal and didn't stop running all night.

Andre: 7. Irritatingly casual with his passing at times but excellent in the tackle and a real terrier when harassing the opposition. Work rate was as good as ever.

Angel: Difficult to assess as he only lasted 20 minutes before picking up an injury. Does give the impression though of being a little tentative and still settling in.

Bellegarde: 6. A series of excellent cameo moments, especially a first-half turn and through ball which was just a fraction too strong or Tchachoua would have been in. Worked hard to support Hugo in the first half but seemed to drift out of the game for a while, possibly still regaining match fitness.

Armstrong: 6. Largely anonymous for the first half but came into the game more as it progressed, linking up well with players prepared to run beyond him. One good shot and a handful of clever decoy runs but there is more to come from him.

Substitutes

Tolu (sub): 8. Bulldog. He brings to the front line what Larsen lacked. His ball control and shooting is patchy but no defender is ever going to have an easy night when he's around. He took his usual battering but left plenty of marks on Saliba and Gabriel as well and was responsible on several occasions for getting us upfield when our attempts to play out from the back was totally ineffective.

Tom Edozie (sub): First involvement saw him put a six yard pass behind his man and into touch. The look of disgust on his face was a picture, and he deserves credit for refusing to hide away in embarrassment. When the ball dropped at his feet for the equaliser, the contact was excellent. We've spent all season groaning as far easier chances than that have sailed over the bar or been screwed wide. Great strike.

Rodrigo (sub): 6. Enthusiastic puppy as always, snapping at heels but with only twenty minutes or so to influence the game. May well get a run in the team before long unless Chatchoua can play with more confidence.

Rob Edwards and the Bigger Picture

Rob Edwards: Only three defeats in the last eleven games is encouraging progress when set alongside that disastrous first half of the season. The spirit of the side is markedly improved and he should take credit for that. If we can work on starting matches at the same level of intensity that we showed for the final hour of the game, we'll be a handful for most sides.

When we went 0-2 down it would have been easy against a side like Arsenal for heads to drop but there were spells in that last half an hour when Wolves players were chasing like deranged bushmen and the crowd's response was superb. If RE can bottle that and the players can find those levels of intensity before the match has got away from us, we can end the season in style.

Written by PaghamWolf February 20 2026 14:00:46