Emmanuel Petit was sent off as Arsenal saw red once more in a pulsating FA Cup
fourth-round tie at Molineux.
The match boiled over in the closing minutes as players from both sides pushed
each other in the centre circle in a mass shoving match which threatened to turn
into a shameful punch-up.
Petit was dismissed in the 87th minute for apparently swearing at a linesman
as he argued over an offside decision. The fiery French midfielder had earlier
been booked for a foul on Wolves midfielder Carl Robinson.
It was Arsenal's seventh sending off of the season and, astonishingly, the
19th red card since Arsene Wenger took over at Highbury just 29 months ago.
That is easily the worst disciplinary record in the Premiership and will only
fuel the critics, such as Manchester United's Alex Ferguson, who claim the
Gunners deliberately use rough-house tactics to unsettle opponents.
It certainly looked that way at Molineux today and the Gunners can think
themselves lucky they did not end a simmering match with even less players after
a last-minute tangle between Dennis Bergkamp and Wolves captain Keith Curle
prompted an all-out shoving match in which Arsenal substitute Gilles Grimandi
threw the ball violently at a scrum of Wolves players.
It would seem to be no coincidence that Arsenal's disciplinary problems came
late in the game when Wolves were mounting desperate counter-attacks to try and
rescue the match.
Wenger, who has blindly supported his players in the past, must now sort out
his volatile squad if he is not to see his ambitions of further glory crash in a
flurry of suspensions.
The irony is that this is a match which Arsenal should have won easily after
Bergkamp and Marc Overmars had given Wolves a Premiership lesson in the art of
finishing.
The flying Dutchmen scored in each half to keep alive Arsenal's dreams of
emulating last season's glorious Double.
Arsenal had begun the match looking to stamp their authority from the kick-off
as they had done last season when they cruised through their semi-final clash
with a shell-shocked Wolves side at Villa Park.
They were first to every ball and though they were without four regulars -
David Seaman with his chronic shoulder injury, Steve Bould and suspended duo
Patrick Vieira and Martin Keown - they still appeared to have far too much class
for a Wolves side once more languishing off the promotion pace in the First
Division.
Nicolas Anelka had the ball in the net after just six minutes, only for his
effort to be ruled offside.
It was a warning which Wolves, affording Arsenal far too much space in
midfield, failed to heed - and four minutes later they paid the price.
Overmars picked up the ball just inside his own half and ran at the Wolves
defence with a pace and purpose only too familiar to Premiership defenders.
The Wolves backline, however, inexplicably back-pedalled, allowing the flying
Dutch winger to close unchallenged on the edge of the penalty area from where he
unleashed a 20-yard right-foot shot which sped past the outstretched hands of
goalkeeper Mike Stowell.
Overmars will rarely score an easier goal and he seemed almost too embarrassed
to accept what were muted Gunners celebrations.
It seemed Premiership pedigree would once again sweep away the ambitions of
less esteemed opponents.
But while Wolves lack style there is an undoubted steel to this Molineux
outfit which is matched by the passion of their wonderful support.
Robinson went close with a header and Michael Gilkes rattled the Gunners bar
with a swirling cross which deceived keeper Alex Manninger.
Still a goal looked unlikely until an uncharacteristic mix-up in the Arsenal
defence in the 35th minute.
Combative Wolves full-back Kevin Muscat floated a hopeful ball forward which
should have brought a routine clearance from the likes of Tony Adams and
Manninger.
But Adams mistimed his jump and Manninger, racing from his line, inexplicably
missed with his punch to allow Havard Flo, cousin of Chelsea's Tore Andre and a
£750,000 signing for Wolves two weeks ago, to steal in to plant a firm header
into the top corner of the net.
It had been the first real threat to the Arsenal goal but the success filled
Wolves with renewed optimism. And 18-year-old Robbie Keane could have put the
Midlanders ahead just before half-time when he wriggled clear in the penalty
area only to spoon his shot high over the bar.
Suddenly the likes of Petit, Bergkamp and Overmars were no longer striking
fear into a Wolves side which was breathing some fire of its own.
And in the 56th minute it seemed the whole of Molineux was chanting "Lucky
Arsenal" when Flo's left-foot shot bounced agonisingly against a post and
rebounded for Manninger to scramble clear.
In truth it was the signal for a Gunners siege and they could have put the tie
out of reach but for the heroics of Wolves keeper Stowell, who made splendid
second-half saves from Ray Parlour, Lee Dixon and Overmars.
It made it all the more cruel that when he was finally beaten again it came
via a cruel deflection. Overmars, a constant threat, brought another save from
Stowell but from the resulting corner the ball arrived at the feet of Bergkamp.
The Dutchman crashed in a hopeful drive only to see it deflect off Flo's head
and Keith Curle's hip past the unfortunate Stowell.
It sparked off some desperate Wolves attacking, Keane running the Arsenal
defence ragged with his trickery.
For Wolves these are not happy times. Owner Sir Jack Hayward last week began
suing his son Jonathan for alleged financial irregularities during his time as
chairman.
There is discontent among fans over perceived mismanagement and, despite
housing one of the country's top stadiums, promotion once again looks a distant
dream.
But they can be proud of their team's battling performance and the display of
wonder kid Keane, who will surely be Premiership-bound soon.
For Arsenal the headlines will once again be of their reckless discipline,
their over-zealous roughness and their assertions that the end justifies the
means.
And yet they march on, still in the title race and still very much on course
for a return to Wembley with a match at Highbury against either Sheffield United
or Cardiff in the next round.
If only they could get there with fair means rather than foul.
Teams
Wolverhampton: Stowell, Atkins (Connolly 90), Richards, Curle,
Muscat, Emblen, Robinson (Sedgley 82), Osborn,
Gilkes (Simpson 82), Flo, Keane.
Subs Not Used: Murray, Niestroj.
Booked: Curle.
Goals: Flo 37.
Arsenal: Manninger, Winterburn, Adams, Upson, Dixon,
Overmars (Hughes 90), Parlour, Petit, Garde (Vivas 76),
Anelka (Grimandi 87), Bergkamp.
Subs Not Used: Lukic, Caballero.
Sent Off: Petit (85).
Booked: Petit, Winterburn, Bergkamp.
Goals: Overmars 10, Bergkamp 69.
Att: 27,511
Ref: S Dunn (Bristol).
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