Arsenal moved four points clear at the top of the Premier League table with a 2-1 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard got their names on the scoresheet early on, with Wolves unable to reduce the deficit before half-time. Despite a late Matheus Cunha goal, Arsenal held on for an important victory.
How the game unfolded
Arsenal knew a victory at the Emirates would ensure they remained at the top of the Premier League table come the end of the weekend and it took the Gunners just six minutes to get themselves in front.
Saka collected a pass from Takehiro Tomiyasu in the right-hand side of the penalty area, taking it past Craig Dawson with the help of a ricochet and firing beyond Jose Sa with his weaker right foot from close range.
Fast forward another six minutes and Arsenal doubled their advantage, tearing Wolves apart with a sensational move down the left flank. Oleksandr Zinchenko played a delightful one-two with Gabriel Jesus in the box, pulling back for Odegaard to sweep into the far corner from just inside the area.
Leandro Trossard almost added a third as Arsenal continued to purr in the final third but his effort was smothered by Sa. Gabriel Martinelli came close himself as an incredibly one-sided half drew to a close but could only find the base of the post with his curled shot.
Wolves had shown glimpses of quality in the final third during the first half and Cunha was quick to test David Raya after the break, powering a shot at the Spaniard's near post that was comfortably rebuffed.
The hosts struggled to match the intensity they had shown in the early stages of the first half, with Wolves unable to take advantage of any fatigue in the legs of the Arsenal players. Despite a drop in energy, Saka almost grabbed his second of the game with 15 minutes remaining, curling his shot from the edge of the box just over the crossbar.
Arsenal really should have put the game to be with eight minutes to play, Trossard sent through on goal by Odegaard and seeing his shot well blocked by substitute goalkeeper Daniel Bentley. Saka was unable to fire in the rebound as Wolves just about survived another scare.
Wolves did pull a goal back with five minutes to play, Cunha caressing an effort into the top corner after Zinchenko's error, with Eddie Nketiah almost restoring Arsenal's two-goal advantage seconds later as he rifled his strike off the foot of the post.
However, despite a late surge from Wolves, Arsenal were able to hold on for a crucial three points, climbing further clear of Manchester City in second.
Arsenal player ratings (4-3-3)
GK: David Raya - 7/10 - Rarely called upon as Wolves found it difficult to create chances. Made one good save from Cunha's shot but was unable to get near his eventual goal.
RB: Takehiro Tomiyasu - 7/10 - Offered Saka frequent support on the right and even provided the assist for the winger's opener. Solid defensively as he continues to keep Ben White out of the team.
CB: William Saliba - 6/10 - Not his best game in an Arsenal shirt, albeit he wasn't tested too often. Picked up a sloppy yellow card for being overly aggressive with Hwang Hee-chan.
CB: Gabriel Magalhaes - 7/10 - A fantastic challenge to deny Cunha late in the first half. Pretty much the only time he was forced to defend with Wolves' goal coming out of nothing.
LB: Oleksandr Zinchenko - 7/10 - Set up Odegaard with a beautiful assist and strolled effortlessly into midfield to help create overloads. Made an error to let Wolves back into the game but didn't prove costly.
CM: Martin Odegaard - 8/10 - Oozed class throughout, his undeniable quality summed up by his precise finish for Arsenal's second. The Gunners look infinitely better now he's back in the side.
CM: Declan Rice - 8/10 - Another majestic performance from Rice who continually does the job of two midfield players. Made everything look so easy and dominated the battle in the centre of the pitch.
CM: Leandro Trossard - 6/10 - Lively in the first half and was influential in the final third, keeping play ticking along. A little flat in the second half.
RW: Bukayo Saka - 8/10 - A constant menace down the right-hand side, providing the opener for Arsenal with some neat link-up play in the box. Could have had more on another day.
ST: Gabriel Jesus - 7/10 - Having admitted that scoring goals isn't his forte, Jesus proved what he's really about against Wolves. His link-up play in the opening half-an-hour was exquisite, although his influence waned slightly as the game wore on.
LW: Gabriel Martinelli - 7/10 - Saw plenty of the ball down the left flank, hitting the post and causing Semedo plenty of issues. Lacked a little finesse with his final product.
Substitutes
SUB: Eddie Nketiah (67' for Jesus) - 6/10
SUB: Kai Havertz (77' for Martinelli) - 6/10
SUB: Ben White (79' for Tomiyasu) - 6/10
SUB: Jakub Kiwior (90' for Saka) - N/A
SUB: Jorginho (90' for Odegaard) - N/A
Subs not used: Ramsdale (GK), Cedric, Elneny, Nelson.
Manager
Mikel Arteta - 7/10 - His Arsenal side look back to their creative best. Six goals midweek and a relatively comfortable win against Wolves despite a late scare. Won the game in the opening quarter-of-an-hour.
Wolves player ratings (5-3-2)
GK: Jose Sa - 6/10 - Came off after just 25 minutes with an injury. Was helpless for Arsenal's first two goals but did make a decent save from Trossard's effort.
RWB: Nelson Semedo - 6/10 - Didn't disgrace himself up against Martinelli but wasn't his most comfortable afternoon. Made some positive forward runs.
CB: Max Kilman - 6/10 - Typically committed up against Arsenal's forward line but had a difficult first half, as did the rest of his team. Grew into the game.
CB: Craig Dawson - 5/10 - Beaten a little too easily for Arsenal's first goal, although he didn't get too lucky with the ricochet.
CB: Toti Gomes - 6/10 - Didn't do an awful lot wrong but sometimes struggled with Jesus' movement.
LWB: Hugo Bueno - 5/10 - Struggled up against Saka, albeit most full-backs do, with his issues exacerbated by Odegaard drifting into the channel. Won't have enjoyed his afternoon too much.
CM: Jean-Ricner Bellegarde - 5/10 - Wasn't able to have his usual influence in the final third and struggled to cope with the likes of Rice and Odegaard. Substituted after the hour mark.
CM: Boubacar Traore - 5/10 - Largely overran in midfield with Arsenal dominating central areas. Couldn't wrestle any control from the Gunners.
CM: Tommy Doyle - 5/10 - Wolves really missed the suspended Mario Lemina and Joao Gomes, with Doyle not able to offer the same bite in midfield.
ST: Hwang Hee-chan - 5/10 - A very quiet game from one of Wolves' most creative outlets. They needed him to be more influential in attacking areas but sadly he wasn't.
ST: Matheus Cunha - 7/10 - Showed the most promise of Wolves' attacking players, seeing one effort saved by Raya early in the second half. Scored a beautiful goal but ultimately a consolation.
Substitutes
SUB: Daniel Bentley (25' for Sa) - 6/10 - Not tested as much as he may have thought he would be given the first 25 minutes of the game, but stood up to the test competently, saving several good Arsenal efforts.
SUB: Matt Doherty (62' for Bueno) - 6/10
SUB: Pablo Sarabia (62' for Bellegarde) - 6/10
SUB: Sasa Kalajdzic (90' for Doyle) - N/A
Subs not used: Hubner, S. Bueno, Whittingham, Chirewa, Silva.
Manager
Gary O'Neil - 5/10 - The positive news for the Wolves boss is that he won't have to face any questions about VAR. Other than that, there weren't too many positives to take from north London, his side rather lifeless despite a late surge of energy.
Player of the match: Martin Odegaard (Arsenal)
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This article was originally published on 90min as Arsenal 2-1 Wolves: Player ratings as Gunners survive late scare.
