Arsenal v Wolves: Premier League – live!

54 min Traore is booked for diving in the area. He ran at Gabriel, who dangled a leg and seemed to catch Traore very slightly. It would have been a very soft penalty, but I’m not sure it was a dive.

52 min Moutinho’s fierce shot from the edge of the area hits Gabriel in the face and knocks him off his feet. There’s a break in play while he receives treatment.

51 min Neto roars away from Holding and crosses low towards Fabio Silva at the near post. Gabriel does superbly to get across Fabio Silva and poke the ball behind for a corner.

50 min Saka misses a good chance, failing to make proper contact with Bellerin’s inviting cross. He stretched to volley the ball towards goal, but it sliced off his shin. Although it came at a slightly awkward height, he should have done better.

48 min “The NFL is the most greedy, corporate driven indifference to their players’ health, sports league in the world,” says Mary Waltz. “I despise them. But even their concussion protocol requires the player to go into a darkened tent for a proper concussion test in a tent that blocks out the light. it takes 10 to 29 minutes to do it right. The NFL only did it because they got caught trying to hide the truth and to avoid lawsuits. You can’t let players have a say. They will always say ‘I’m fine’.”

The players should have no say at all. I suppose the biggest question is whether you should have independent medical staff at each game, so that there is no potential conflict of interest.

David Luiz is going to be replaced by Rob Holding, on the advice of the Arsenal doctors. They haven’t specified what changed between the original concussion test and the half-time assessment.

“Arteta,” muses Andrew Hurley. “How much longer? It would be one thing if it appeared Arsenal were building a style or developing youngsters. They are over-coached, the players afraid to step outside the plan, and Arsenal are now a great ‘little’ team – so, they can be well-organised defensively and beat top teams by being hyper-defensive, yet can’t do that actual thing called playing football. Arsenal have actually spent quite a bit, and are really going nowhere. If anything, 13th is generous – 13th!”

“It’s an absolute scandal that David Luiz is still on the pitch,” says David Flynn. “There’s a real problem regarding how seriously football treats concussions. You can’t keep idolising that picture of Terry Butcher as a yardstick of manliness and accept it as normal that the entire 1966 squad is dying of dementia. There needs to be a sea change but everyone’s more interested in the definition of an armpit.”

I think the Terry Butcher picture is irrelevant, to be honest. I don’t think people have idolised that for years. The Arsenal doctors did a concussion test and were satisfied. I agree that Luiz playing on doesn’t sit right, and that the existing protocols need to be reviewed, but to suggest that experienced medical professionals aren’t taking concussion seriously would be out of order.

There has been no additional update on Raul Jimenez. All we know is that he was taken straight to hospital around 45 minutes ago.

“Arsenal’s midfield at the moment is neither beast nor fowl,” says Charles Antaki. “Arsenal fans would take a bit of beast, and then some fowl on top, were it available. Probably the best description at the moment is vaporous, or maybe insubstantial – anyway, something not there.”

That something is called Thomas Partey. He’s a one-man midfield.

Wolves lead through goals from Pedro Neto and Daniel Podence, but an entertaining first half was overshadowed by a sickening clash of heads between Raul Jimenez and David Luiz. Jimenez was rushed to hospital after being treated on the field for almost 10 minutes; Luiz is still playing.

45+9 min “I saw Steven Smith hit by a Jofra Archer bouncer at Lord’s in 2019 – he returned to the crease after about 30 minutes in the dressing room, having passed the tests,” says Gary Naylor. “He was subbed out the next day, having failed the morning protocols. I’m no expert on concussion either, but I suspect David Luiz should be resting not running.”

Yes, he was the first person I thought of when Luiz continued, precisely because of that delayed reaction.

45+7 min Ceballos goes down holding his face after an aerial challenge with Podence, whose left arm caught him on the nose. After a bit of treatment, Ceballos is back on his feet.

45+4 min: Traore misses an excellent chance! That was another dynamic attack from Wolves. Marcal swished a lovely pass down the left to Neto, who moved the ball infield to Fabio Silva. He eschewed the shot and instead played in Traore, who smashed the ball into the side netting.

45+3 min Wolves have played some lovely football tonight. It helps having an extra attacker in this new 4-2-3-1 formation.

45+1 min There will be ten added minutes because of that horrible injury to Raul Jimenez. Fabio Silva’s mistimed lob is comfortably saved by Leno. Seconds later, at the other end, Aubameyang’s shot from a tight angle is held by Rui Patricio.

45 min David Luiz belts a free-kick over the bar from 25 yards.

Traore beat a couple of players on the halfway line with a double dragback and then found Neto. He ran to the edge of the area and hit a deflected shot that was spilled by Leno. It rebounded to Podence, who lifted the ball brilliantly over Gabriel and rattled it into the net. That was such a skilful, quick-witted finish.

Daniel Podence restores Wolves’ lead with a masterful goal.

40 min “The blood is pouring through David Luiz’s bandage,” says Mary Waltz. “His on-field examination looked complete but honestly, sub him out. No football match is worth the risk. That clash of heads was too violent to take a chance on his long-term health.”

There is definitely a problem with delayed concussion as well.

39 min Neto runs at David Luiz on the left and hits a terrific cross that bounces right across the face of goal. Fabio Silva and Podence couldn’t quite get on the end of it.

36 min “How is it possible that Luiz is still playing after that?” says Jeff. “I happen to have had brain surgery a few weeks ago (relatively minor, apparently ‘the mole removal of brain surgery’), and am not allowed to even jog until January. Can’t see how Arsenal’s doctors could have determined the severity of Luiz’s injury so quickly. I can’t imagine any metric in which his continued presence on the pitch could be deemed worth it (tactical, existential, medical, etc.). While I realise I’m writing this from the other side of an ocean, that he’s still playing feels quite shameful.”

While I agree it doesn’t feel right, I’m loath to be too critical simply because I don’t know enough about the procedure or the tests they do. There’s a common assumption that doctors who allow somebody to play on after a clash of heads are fly-by-night chancers, but that surely isn’t the case.

34 min Fabio Silva’s shot deflects behind off David Luiz, who is bleeding slightly through his bandage. The resulting corner leads to a good chance for Dendoncker, who heads tamely at Leno from six yards.

No matter, Arsenal are level now. Willian took a short corner with Bellerin and dumped a cross towards the far post, where Gabriel ignored the shirtpulling of Marcal to thump an emphatic header past Rui Patricio. That was a fine finish.

30 min Arsenal almost equalise straight away. Tierney gets round the back and guides a cross towards Aubameyang, who is about to score when Coady stretches to divert the ball away from him. Great defending.

29 min “It’s a bit shocking that Luiz is still on isn’t it?” says Chris. “Considering all the news about long term damage due to head injuries in football and it’s even more egregious.”

I was pretty surprised. But I’m no expert on concussion tests, and I’d be even more surprised if the Arsenal medical staff hadn’t assessed him thoroughly. Whether the protocol is correct is another matter.

The goal was made brilliantly by Traore, who skinned Tierney and stood up a lovely cross towards the far post. Dendoncker leapt to thump a header off the crossbar, and Neto slammed the rebound through Gabriel on the line.

Pedro Neto gives Wolves the lead.

24 min Dendoncker appeals for a penalty after being eased off the ball by Willock. Michael Oliver isn’t interested.

23 min Raul Jimenez has been taken straight to hospital. That’s the only update that has been given on Sky Sports.

20 min Nothing much has happened since the game resumed. It doesn’t feel like the most important thing in the world right now.

18 min David Luiz went across to see Jimenez as he was being stretchered off and had a chat with one of the doctors. He looked pretty shocked. There hasn’t been an update yet, so we don’t know whether Jimenez was conscious when he was stretchered off.

16 min Play resumes just under 10 minutes after the clash of heads between Jimenez and David Luiz. There is, as you can imagine, a very subdued atmosphere around the ground.

15 min Jimenez is slowly stretchered off the field. He is being moved really carefully around the perimeter of the pitch.

13 min Fabio Silva has come on to replace Raul Jimenez, though he is still being treated on the field. This is really grim.

11 min David Luiz is having his head bandaged on the touchline, which suggests he will continue. Raul Jimenez is still being treated in the six-yard box. Sky have not shown a replay, which suggests the clash of heads was as unpleasant as it sounded.

10 min There are six or seven medical staff around Raul Jimenez, with two more holding a stretcher. He’s been down for the best part of five minutes now.

8 min It’s not Dendoncker, it’s Raul Jimenez. This is pretty worrying; he is still being treated and is in the recovery position.

7 min David Luiz is getting to his feet, but the Wolves player hasn’t moved. David Luiz has a gash on his forehead that is being treated.

5 min Willian’s corner leads to an awful clash of heads between Luiz and one of the Wolves players, Dendoncker I think. This looks serious, and the Wolves players are already signalling for a stretcher.

4 min Willian’s cross is put behind for a corner by Coady, who apparently is playing in a back four for the first time at Wolves.

4 min Willock goes down after Traore accidentally stands on his toe. He’s limping but should be fine.

3 min A promising Arsenal counter-attack ends with Saka’s cutback being intercepted at the near post.

1 min Peep peep! Wolves kick off from right to left. It looks like Wolves are playing with a back four, which means they pulled a fast one on Twitter.

The players emerge on an overcast night in north London. Meantime, my colleague Daniel Harris has sent in this pre-match soundtrack.

This match is 14th v 11th in the table. But it’s all so tight that either team could end the night in sixth place. A Snakes & Ladders board has got nothing on the 2020-21 Premier League.

“Act II, scene 1,” begins Bill Hargreaves. “The deathly quiet becomes a murmur as the chest of Covid football begins to rise, draw breath, then splutter once again into terrace chant, referee bonhomie, VAR debate, and critique of football ground food and beverage. It’s alive, I tell you…”

“Notice you’ve gone for 4-2-3-1 for the Wolves line-up,” says Phil Russell, “but their Twitter has it as the usual 5-2-3 with Neto as the latest name pulled out of Nuno’s tombola to have a go at wingback. Really missing the departed Doherty and the injured Jonny Otto this season!”

Interesting; I never really thought of Neto as a wing-back. I’ll amend the team accordingly.

Arsenal (possible 4-3-3) Leno; Bellerin, David Luiz, Gabriel, Tierney; Dani Ceballos, Willock, Xhaka; Willian, Aubameyang, Saka.
Substitutes: Runarsson, Holding, Cedric, Elneny, Lacazette, Nelson, Nketiah.

Wolves (possible 3-4-3) Rui Patricio; Boly, Coady, Marcal; Semedo, Dendoncker, Moutinho, Neto; Traore, Jimenez, Podence.
Substitutes: Ruddy, Hoever, Kilman, Ait-Nouri, Neves, Vitinha, Fabio Silva.

Referee Michael Oliver.

Hello. Binary is a base-2 number system invented by Gottfried Leibniz that is made up of only two numbers: 0 and 1. This number system is the basis for all binary code, which is used to write data such as the computer processor instructions used every day. Of late, it has also been used in the majority of association football matches played by Arsenal and Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Yep, it’s the meeting of the binary boys at the Emirates. Wolves and Arsenal have both scored nine and conceded 10 in the 2020-21 Premier League, and most of those goals came at the start of the season. Both sides have been solid in defence and peculiarly impotent in attack. Despite their attacking riches, Arsenal go into tonight’s match having scored once in their five league games, and that was a penalty.

A 4-4 draw it is then.

Kick off 7.15pm.