Super Eagles striker Tolu Arokodare opened his Premier League account on Saturday night, but it was not enough to prevent Wolverhampton Wanderers from suffering a late 2-1 defeat to Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium.
Introduced in the second half, Arokodare drew Wolves level after Arsenal had taken the lead through a Sam Johnstone own goal in the 70th minute.
The Nigerian international rose highest to head home a delightful cross from youngster Mateus Mané in the 90th minute, marking his first goal in the English top flight.
However, Wolves’ joy was short-lived as an own goal from Yerson Mosquera four minutes into stoppage time restored Arsenal’s lead and sealed all three points for the hosts.
The 25-year-old forward, who joined Wolves following an outstanding season in Belgium, will nonetheless take encouragement from breaking his Premier League duck.
Arokodare had enjoyed an impressive previous campaign, scoring 23 goals and providing seven assists in 45 appearances across all competitions.
The slow start to life in England, however, contributed to his omission from Nigeria’s Super Eagles squad for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco.
Despite that setback, the striker will be eager to build on his first league goal as he pushes for more consistent game time at Molineux.
The victory saw Arsenal extend their lead at the top of the Premier League table to five points, while Wolves remained rooted to the bottom of the standings.
Adeyemi Adewale
Copyright ANS
All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from allnigeriasoccer.com
Comments 0
Leave a Comment
No comments yet. Be the first to comment!