The Joe Edwards debrief – Arsenal 1 Wolves 1

They had the chances to come out on top, but the overall mood should be positive after picking up a point at the Emirates.

Wolves of old

This was not Wolves’ best performance of the season – the 2-0 masterclass at reigning champions Manchester City will take some topping – but it is right up there.

Playing in a 3-4-3 formation from the off, Nuno Espirito Santo’s side knocked it around with a vast amount of confidence and created opportunities aplenty. A point was the least they deserved.

And while some are frustrated not to come away with all three, given Wolves had 25 shots, you cannot help but be encouraged by the manner of the performance.

It was the fearlessness we saw so often from Nuno’s charges last season.

This term, at times, they have appeared a little too worried about the opposition – sitting back and trying to expose teams on the counter, with varying degrees of success.

It worked to perfection at City, of course, but they have been guilty of sitting back a bit too much in some games – the home one against Southampton springs to mind, where Raul Jimenez’s spot-kick was the only shot on target.

Here, though, they were on the front foot from the off.

Wolves took risks and committed bodies forward. It was genuinely a joy to watch.

You cannot always be so attack-minded, but it was lovely to see them continuously drive at the Gunners defence.

Even once Jimenez grabbed the equaliser, they chased another when other teams may have sat back – and the manager brought on a defender to see things out.

It was not all perfect. The way Wolves conceded was lackadaisical – a momentary switch-off is all it takes for top-class striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to punish you.

The aforementioned conversion rate needs improving too

But it was a heartening reminder of how exciting Wolves are when they back themselves and go for it.

Neves back on the attack

Nobody epitomised Wolves’ willingness to express themselves and break forward more than Ruben Neves.

The Portuguese, for large parts of this campaign, has been operating ever so deep – and often too deep to have a marked influence on matches.

Picking up the ball from the centre-halves, Neves has tried to spray beautiful passes out wide and set others on the attack, while he potters around the centre circle. It has not always worked.

And it has been a frustrating process as his talents can be so crucial in the final third.

Fortunately, he broke free from those shackles in North London. He stepped back into the spotlight.

In the first half, Neves had two attempts from distance.

The first one flew a few yards over the crossbar, and the second brushed the roof of the net on its way out for a goal-kick.

Then, after the break, he forced Bernd Leno into a smart save with a curling effort from the edge of the box.

As well as those shots, he carried the ball with purpose.

A raking through-ball intended for Jonny Castro Otto forced a fine interception in the first half.

His passes had a lot more conviction and zip about them.

It was much more like it from him, and there was a lot to be admired about the contribution of midfield partner Joao Moutinho.

He came up with the assist for Jimenez’s header – a perfectly-weighted cross after receiving the ball from Otto’s throw-in.

And he buzzed around the pitch. His quality on the ball is there for all to see, but the tenacity he brings – at the age of 33 – is remarkable.

He is undoubtedly one of the most accomplished players outside of the big six clubs.

Wolves’ Portuguese pair in the middle of the park were on song.

It is coming for Jota

Arsenal struggled to deal with the pace and persistence of Diogo Jota.

He picked the ball up and ran at the backline – and then he did it again, and again.

An incredible bit of dribbling saw him fashion an opportunity to win it late on, but he could not sort his feet out and Leno raced off his line to gather.

There was a similar instance in the first half where Jota was inches away from getting on the end of an Adama Traore pass.

Jota will be frustrated not to have got on the scoresheet.

After all, he is a player who constantly demands more of himself. He never rests on his laurels.

But this was the sharpest we have seen him after recovering from a toe injury, and if he carries on sprinting at defenders with such guile, he will get his goals.

Final thoughts

Wolves’ trend of scoring in the second half – and not the first – continued.

A massive 85 per cent of their league goals have been scored in the second halves of matches.

And if the table was based on those alone, Wolves would be third – behind Man City and Liverpool merely on goal difference.

If it was only based on first halves, meanwhile, they would be in the relegation zone, with only two goals to their name.

However, while those statistics are a little alarming on first glance, make no mistake, the first half showing at Arsenal was much-improved on what we saw against Newcastle and Southampton.

Yes, they fell behind, but their play was much more fluid and – aside from the lapse in concentration for the goal and a mix-up between Matt Doherty and Leander Dendoncker which presented Aubameyang with a chance to score another – the defending was pretty solid.

Also, this was the sixth time Wolves have come back from behind to pick up a 1-1 draw this term, so there is something to be said about their resilience.

Wolves were great against the Gunners – they are heading in the right direction, for sure.

Bring on Slovan Bratislava at home on Thursday, where Nuno’s charges will, hopefully, put one foot into the knockout stages of the Europa League.