Hwang Hee-chan makes first start since Feb. as Wolves lose 2-0 to Arsenal

Football

Published: 21 Apr. 2024, 05:59 Updated: 21 Apr. 2024, 08:42

Hwang Hee-chan makes first start since Feb. as Wolves lose 2-0 to Arsenal

Wolverhampton Wanderers' Hwang Hee-chan, center, challenges for the ball with Arsenal's William Saliba, right, during a Premier League match at the Molineux in Wolverhampton, England on April 20. [AP/YONHAP]

WOLVERHAMPTON, England — Hwang Hee-chan made his first start since February for Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday, playing the first 50 minutes in a tepid 2-0 loss to Arsenal at the Molineux in Wolverhampton, England.

Hwang failed to make much of an impact in his 50 minutes — lasting five minutes longer than manager Gary O’Neil predicted ahead of the game —as Wolves failed to get much past a pressing Arsenal defense.

Leandro Trossard put the visitors ahead minutes before the end of the first half, with Martin Odegaard adding No. 2 in stoppage time at the end of the second.

Although it was the Odegaard goal that sealed the win for Arsenal, it was Trossard that took Wolves out of the game.

Arsenal's Leandro Trossard celebrates after scoring his side's opening goal during a Premier League match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Arsenal at the Molineux in Wolverhampton, England on April 20. [AP/YONHAP]

The home side — clear underdogs in a game that Arsenal started in second place on the Premier League table and ended, however briefly, in first place — had looked confident at times in the first half, holding their own from the 20th to the 40th minute when they even managed to take the game deep into the Arsenal half.

But Trossard’s goal sucked the life out of the Wolves offense, and the side that returned to the pitch after the break lacked any of the brief moments of fire visible in the first half, falling flat on the attack and struggling to contain an increasingly confident Arsenal offense.

Odegaard delivered the final nail in the coffin, but the game was already over.

Arsenal's Martin Odegaard scores his side's second during a Premier League match against Wolverhampton Wanderers at the Molineux in Wolverhampton, England on April 20. [AP/YONHAP]

Saturday's result could prove crucial for Arsenal, who are currently locked in a three-way fight for the Premier League title with Manchester City and Liverpool. A loss could well have taken Arsenal out of the running completely, while the win lifts them to first place in the league, albeit with both Manchester City and Liverpool still to play on Sunday.

Wolves manager O'Neil remained positive despite the defeat.

"It was an incredible performance and one of my favorites, considering how tough I thought it was going to be for us," O'Neil said in a post-match press conference. "For the lads to show the togetherness, the commitment and the workrate to push Arsenal as hard as we did, I thought it was an incredible effort from everyone.

"I’m very proud, although disappointed with the second goal, especially that it was really soft, and we didn’t deserve to lose 2-0. One-nil and not being able to score would probably have been the worst it could have been for us, but to lose the second one was really disappointing, but I’m really proud.

"It was an unbelievable performance and I can’t believe how well the lads did really with how short we are. Channy [Hwang] was just able to do more than 45, Mario [Lemina] came on as a number nine and did well as a nine, so it was an enjoyable evening which you don’t usually get if you lose, but I really enjoyed watching the lads, and I’m sure the supporters did as well.”

Wolves play two more Premier League games this week, against Bournemouth on Wednesday and Luton Town on Saturday. Both games will be at home at the Molineux.

BY JIM BULLEY [jim.bulley@joongang.co.kr]