Rob Edwards was delighted to see his Wolves side get their just rewards for battling until the final minute against Arsenal debutant Tom Edozie’s added time strike snatched a late point at Molineux.
The Old Gold fought back from two goals down to claim a draw against the Premier League leaders, with Academy graduates Hugo Bueno and Edozie scoring the goals which got Wolves back into the contest.
Earning a result which meant Wolves have lost just three times in their last 11 matches, Edwards was full of praise for the way his players’ fighting spirit paid off with a valuable point.
On taking a point against the Gunners
“It was an excellent point. I’m really proud of the players in the end. After going two-one down against one of the best teams in Europe, to find a way to get something from the game was a really good feeling. It feels like a win, even though it’s not.
“I’ll give our players credit. I think they [Arsenal] are an amazing team and we felt similar feelings in the away game. We got a late equaliser there and we were beginning to push, so there’s a lot of pressure on them this season.
“But they’re in four competitions and they could end up having an amazing season. But I think that’s why we’ve got to try to celebrate what we showed out there tonight as well.”
On Edozie’s equaliser
“It’s a fantastic moment for Tom. We’ve got a bit of a shorter squad at the moment, so the young lads know there could be opportunities there for them.
“As he was coming on, I put my arm around him and said, ‘This could be your moment. Go and take it’ and ae did. It’s a special night for him and he’ll remember it forever. But I thought it summed up the performance.
“We were brave, we got a lot of young players on the pitch when we finished, and we were still trying to step forward and make it happen. We even tried to push after the equalizer to get a third.”
On giving youth a chance
“He’s done well in training. He’s got something about him. He’s an attacking midfield player and we’ve obviously entrusted Mateus Mane and he’s stepped up and done brilliant for us this season. We have got a shorter squad after what we did in January, and we felt that was the right way to go
“There’s probably always going to be one or two young players that are around the squad and could be on the bench, so they know there’s opportunities, and if they train well and they feel it’s the right moment, then they might get their opportunity, and Tom got that tonight.
“But he’s got some talent, he showed some confidence when he was on the pitch, although his first few touches, he was probably getting his bearing, and there’s a lot going on, he’s got Declan Rice breathing down his neck, and that’s probably a little bit new for him, but he took the goal brilliantly.”
What a moment for Tom Edozie 😍 pic.twitter.com/WDY5OhPlI7
— Wolves (@Wolves) February 18, 2026
On extending the unbeaten run
“We’ve been showing fight for a long time. We’ve only had three defeats in 11 games now and two of those were against Chelsea and Man City, so we’re showing some consistency and some good performances.
“We’ve shown a lot of fight and we want to win more games, but the level we’re at, we’re up against brilliant, brilliant teams and it’s a big challenge for us, especially from where we came in.
“But tonight, everyone would have seen it because a lot of people would have been watching the game, so they’ll see that we’re not giving up, the players are with it and they’re fighting hard.”
On fighting for the fans
“It’s been a rough season for them, and there was probably some anger around in the first-half, even though we’re up against Arsenal and we were only 1-0 down, but we turned things around in the second half, and by the end, the energy was great around the stadium.
“You can’t just turn up and dominate Arsenal from the beginning. We might try to, but it’s difficult to do, especially when you concede after four minutes in the manner that we did. But I felt we finished the first half really well and on the front foot, and we were pushing forward, and we were pressing a bit more aggressively, so we wanted more of that, and we got that.
“We stepped forward, we forced a few more mistakes, although the way we conceded the second goal was really disappointing. We ended up a little bit out of shape and just emptied the space, and they’re brilliant at taking that and seeing it.
“But it was probably a bit more aggressive in the press, and it was a bit more play forward, run forward, although the conditions weren’t ideal, so I don’t think it was going to be amazing football. We wanted to try and play with some more heart and passion and spirit, and they did that.”
