Arsenal's late win at Wolves could potentially prove so crucial to their hopes come the end of the 2024/25 Premier League season. Appearing to be another game where Mikel Arteta's men would drop points after Myles Lewis-Skelly's controversial red card on the stroke of half-time left them with ten men for a chunk of the contest, the visitors won it in the 74th minute courtesy of Riccardo Calafiori's fine finish.

The Italian had been introduced at the break in place of Ethan Nwaneri as Arteta tinkered with his team following the red card. Taking on Lewis-Skelly's left-back role, Calafiori was lurking just outside the Wolves box when Gabriel Martinelli picked up possession of the ball on the right flank with 16 minutes to go.

Edging into the area unmarked, the summer addition was in the right place to convert low into the far corner of the net with his left foot after Nelson Semedo could only head the ball directly into his path. It was some goal from the 22-year-old and certainly not the finish of a left-back.

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"Like the goal against Man City," quipped Arteta in his post-match press conference "Riccy can produce these magic moments and he's done it again today to really help the team. Really glad that whoever comes on the pitch has that spirit to make things happen."

His second goal in an Arsenal shirt, Calafiori is setting the bar very high indeed when it comes to the standard of his strikes. As was the case at Man City back in September, the Italian ace immediately ran over to Arteta, the coaching staff and the Arsenal substitutes to celebrate the moment.

All involved with Arsenal certainly appreciated his winning strike and the celebrations come the full-time whistle told the full story. In an interview with Optus Sport, Calafiori revealed that he was joking with his teammates after the game that he only scores goals of a certain standard.

"I said to my teammates and I was laughing with them because I can only score goals like this," he confessed. "I must focus on easier things. It’s my job, you know."

Seeing the first half of his season disrupted because of injuries, Calafiori will be hoping that his winning strike at Wolves is a sign of things to come in what remains of the term. Another opportunity may well arrive on Wednesday evening in Girona, with the player then having his eyes on some more Man City heroics when the sides meet at the Emirates Stadium next Sunday.

Lewis-Skelly will also have his fingers crossed that he can be involved in the game against Pep Guardiola's men and that he will not have to sit it out through suspension because of his red card for tripping Matt Doherty. A foul that was deemed serious foul play, it is one that has proved very controversial indeed but Arteta is hoping that the right conclusion will be found and that his player will not be punished as a result.

"I think it's that obvious that we don't need any comments today," said the Spaniard on the red card when speaking in his post-match press conference. "Hopefully the right thing will happen after today."

On the club appealing the decision, he added: "Well hopefully we don't need to. If we have to, it's a really good precedent with what happened with Bruno [Fernandes vs Tottenham] this season. Hopefully.

"Ok we were in a position we shouldn't have been in, at least let's be in a position that we should be in for the next few weeks and allow our player to continue to do his job."

Prior to his red card, Lewis-Skelly was excellent for the Gunners and one of the standout players on the pitch. Embarking on a surging run and holding off a couple of Wolves opponents in the opening minutes, he then played a brilliant pass through to Declan Rice in the penalty box but the midfielder's touch escaped him.

Unfortunately Lewis-Skelly's name is in the headlines for all the wrong reasons because of the dubious red card brandished by Michael Oliver that cut short his game time. Instead, the teenager should be receiving the plaudits for once again excelling in the Arsenal side and looking right at home in the Premier League.

The red card was certainly a decision that shocked the Arsenal players on the pitch and those in the dugout. Calafiori made his thoughts on the red card clear in his time speaking with Optus Sport and he also gave an insight into Lewis-Skelly's reaction to the decision.

"From the bench, it was clearly not a red card," said the ex-Bologna player. "I saw him at half-time and he was so disappointed for the team. But in the end we won, so nothing happened."

He added: "He was upset, but now he's happy because we won. He's a good footballer, he's a good guy and we help him a lot."

Now Arsenal will wait to find out what comes next for Lewis-Skelly after the red card decision. Whether it is Lewis-Skelly or Calafiori at left-back against Man City next weekend, Arteta has two excellent players at his disposal, as was clear for all to see in the important win at Molineux.