Mikel Arteta chased after ‘outstanding’ Arsenal player and gave him big hug on the pitch at full-time last night

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It felt like a big night for Arsenal last night as they held on at Molineux to see off Wolves thanks to a first-half goal from Brazilian defender, Gabriel.

The Gunners, despite seeing Gabriel Martinelli sent off for two quick yellows in the same phase of play, held on in the end and firmly put their name in the mix for the top four once again. It was, as some say, a statement result by Arsenal.

Manager Mikel Arteta deserves praise, too. He’s handled some tricky situations this season and in January, opted to clear the decks somewhat without actually adding to the ranks. It was a risky move, but last night, his team showed they have enough in the locker to succeed.

One man who has been key for Arteta’s rebuild at Arsenal is Alexandre Lacazette. Despite being out of contract this summer, Arteta has trusted him with the skipper’s armband. And the Frenchman has more than repaid him. The pair were seen in lengthy discussions on the bench when Lacazette was taken off last night. Lacazette later admitted this was purely a tactical discussion with his boss.

And at full-time, it was plain as day to see that Arteta and Lacazette were firmly in unison.

Lacazette Key For Arteta

Last night’s full-time whistle was proof if it was ever needed that Arteta and his players have a bond growing. And it was demonstrated perfectly by what the Gunners boss did when the whistle went.

As the camera panned back, Arteta was seen sprinting after and chasing Lacazette before embracing his experienced striker with a huge hug on the field. Lacazette, caught off guard a tad, was clearly the focus of Arteta after their previous discussion on the touchline.

With Lacazette now running down the final few months of his deal, it will be interesting to see if the Gunners do indeed bite the bullet and keep the former Lyon man around.