Arsenal 1 Wolves 1 - analysis

That's more like it.

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That's more like it.

This was not just Wolves' finest defensive display of 2011-12, it was arguably their best ever defensive performance under Mick McCarthy.

All season long, his side have been held back by their own mistakes.

Click here to see more pictures from the game.

But at the Emirates Stadium, where Arsenal had dropped just five points all season, they produced a masterclass to end their miserable run of six straight losses on the road and avoid defeat to the Gunners for the first time in 13 meetings going back to 1982.

This was a point that few outside of their dressing room thought was possible. But it was made possible by their superb goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey and his defence.

And there's no doubt that if only they could reproduce this defensive performance more often, that mid-table position Wolves crave would be well within their grasp.

Their first return on the road since they drew 0-0 at Villa on August 27 made it two matches unbeaten, finally breaking their frustrating habit of not being able to string two positive results together since that Villa Park stalemate.

With it came a few more layers of confidence as they prepare for a much more important game at Bolton in three days' time.

At the head of it all was Hennessey. If the Wolves goalkeeper's finest hour was at Arsenal's home last season, then he surpassed it yesterday on his 150th appearance.

The Wales international produced save after save to repel the home side in an undisputable man of the match display, including four alone from record-chasing Robin van Persie, who needs one more goal to break Thierry Henry's marker of 34 League strikes in a calendar year.

In front of Hennessey, captain Roger Johnson put aside his struggle to recapture his Birmingham City form with his best game in a Wolves shirt, while Christophe Berra was imperious alongside him.

It was never easy for Wolves and their task was made harder in having to survive with 10 men for the last 15 minutes plus time added on following a poor decision from referee Stuart Attwell to send off Nenad Milijas.

That was the second red card they have suffered in three visits to Arsenal's new home, and, much like Karl Henry's first in 2010, it owed much to the hysterical reaction of the offended player and accompanying shouts from the opposition that appeared to sway the inexperienced official, and very little to do with the challenge, which replays indicate wasn't even a foul on Mikel Arteta.

But they survived and for once could celebrate a job well done.

And if another decision went against them, then the weight of evidence in their favour for the sending off should see Attwell's decision rescinded rather than Milijas starting a three-match ban.

Alex Song's booking for kicking out at Stephen Hunt six minutes earlier seemed to carry far more malice than Milijas's weak tackle.

After the furore over Jonathan Woodgate not being dismissed against Stoke and the penalty and goal they missed out on against Newcastle, it could also be argued that

Wolves enjoyed a slice of good fortune after Attwell missed a handball when Laurent Koscielny's cross hit Christophe Berra just before the hour.

Shortly afterwards, the tidal wave of Arsenal attacks began and continued unabated for half an hour.

But thanks to Hennessey and Co, Wolves stood their ground in a classic rearguard action.

Hennessey had already tipped one shot from Van Persie around the post in the first half, which ended all square after Steven Fletcher got his head to Hunt's blocked shot to divert it past Wojciech Szczesny seven minutes before the break to cancel out Gervinho's eighth-minute opener, when the visitors' defence was split by Yossi Benayoun.

But that was nothing compared to the Welshman's heroics from the 66th minute onwards.

First he was at full stretch to flip over a Van Persie free-kick, then seconds later he brilliantly smothered Per Mertesacker's header on the line.

Relieved to see efforts by Tomas Rosicky and Andrey Arshavin drift inches wide of either post, he was again at full stretch to keep out two more shots from Van Persie, first another free-kick then a vicious acutely-angled drive that he saved with his right leg as his body went in the opposite direction.

Hennessey's legs again came to Wolves' rescue when he blocked a header from Thomas Vermaelen.

For all the fine work of his goalkeeper, McCarthy deserves credit for coming up with a gameplan designed to get something from the match. In selecting Stephen Hunt in a roving role behind Fletcher, Wolves had the ideal 'pest' to chip away at Arsenal's neat passing game and succeeded in their objective of forcing the hosts wide.

And what about Anthony Forde? The 18-year-old made his full Premier League debut and gave Wolves an outlet as he never once wasted the ball, that alone perhaps confirming why he was selected ahead of Adam Hammill.

Forde clearly has a bright future. And, on this evidence, so do Wolves.

By Tim Nash