Arsenal 2-1 Wolves
by Layth Yousif
at Ashburton Grove
MIKEL ARTETA’S Arsenal moved four points clear at the top of the Premier League after easing past Wolves on a bitterly cold Saturday afternoon in north London.
Bukayo Saka, who was magnificent throughout, put the home side ahead on six minutes, after showing drive and persistence to maraud through the Wolves backline, before firing a low right-footed shot past Jose Sa to make it 1-0.
The lead was doubled seven minutes later when Martin Odegaard side-footed home for 2-0 with precision, the Gunners captain finishing Oleksandr Zinchenko’s cross into the box, following the Ukrainian’s one-two with Gabriel Jesus, as part of his role as an attacking inverted left-back, to cap a spell of utter dominance for the home side.
To underline Wolves’ miserable start, Sa walked off gingerly on 23 minutes to be subbed for his replacement between the sticks, Dan Bentley, a former Arsenal Academy keeper.
Gabi Martinelli nearly fired past the Basildon-born Bentley seven minutes before the interval — the Brazil international also had a late second-half shot rebound off the post — while Jesus had his shot saved, and Leandro Trossard’s effort went wide before the break, as the Gunners dominated completely.
David Raya blocked well from Wolves No 12 Matheus Cunha early in the second half as darkness fell.
Declan Rice fired narrowly wide midway through the second half, as the Gunners hunted a third which nearly came when Saka’s long-range shot flew inches over the apex of Bentley’s woodwork.
However, despite Mattheus Cunha’s 86th-minute consolation, Arsenal were always in control, with substitute Eddie Nketiah hitting the post almost immediately afterwards, as Arteta’s side dispatched a Wolves team that had beaten Manchester City and Spurs, while drawing with Newcastle earlier this season, to cap an excellent few days.
Speaking afterwards, Arteta said: “I can only praise the players the way they played, competed, they were excellent, we played against a really good side and we generated so much and conceded almost nothing, the scoreline should’ve been very different.”
A busy week lies ahead for the Gunners, with a trip to evocative Kenilworth Road tomorrow, prior to a mouthwatering clash with former boss Unai Emery’s in-form Aston Villa next weekend.
