Arsenal back to top after winning at Wolves
Arsenal recovered from a horror week by returning to the top of the Premier League with a 2-0 win at Wolverhampton Wanderers.
The Gunners’ endured potentially season-defining back-to-back defeats as they lost to Aston Villa in the league last weekend before being knocked out of the UEFA Champions League by Bayern Munich in midweek.
But they returned to the summit of the Premier League thanks to goals from Leandro Trossard and Martin Odegaard at Molineux, moving a point above Manchester City, which has a game in hand having played its FA Cup semi-final this weekend, beating Chelsea 1-0 to make the final.
The Gunners face Chelsea on Wednesday (AEST) in the league and could be four points clear of City by the time the reigning champion next plays, against Brighton and Hove Albion on Friday (AEST).
That would be a big swing in momentum after what was diagnosed as a seemingly terminal defeat against Villa last week, with Liverpool, which also plays twice before City is in action again, currently three points behind the lead.
Mikel Arteta’s men were good value for the win against Wolves, even if Trossard’s opener had an air of good fortune about it and then having to wait until stoppage-time to kill the game.
Wolves are crippled by injuries, including most of their key attacking players, but competed well and a shock result might have been possible had Joao Gomes’s first-half shot gone in instead of hitting the post.
Gary O’Neil’s men are now six games without a win in all competitions, but with home fixtures coming up against Bournemouth and Luton Town they will still be eyeing a top-half finish.
Arsenal did not have long to stew on that midweek defeat in Germany and was soon on top at Molineux.
Trossard was involved from the off, causing trouble down the left and his cross was tamely headed straight to Jose Sa by Bukayo Saka before the Belgian teed up Declan Rice who whistled a low shot just off target.
Trossard was then on the end of the supply line when he was found by Ben White, but he missed his kick in the middle of the penalty area.
For all Arsenal’s domination, it was Wolves that came closest to opening the scoring on the half-hour.
Gomes got the better of Jakub Kiwior down the right, advanced into the area and thundered in a shot which David Raya did well to divert onto the post.
Arsenal survived that scare and took the lead on the stroke of half-time.
Matt Doherty was weak in the challenge with Gabriel Jesus and the Brazilian set it back for Trossard, whose sliced effort went in off the post for his side’s first goal in two and a half games.
Arsenal was able to manage the contest effectively in the second half.
Wolves were so short of attacking options that midfielder Mario Lemina came on as a striker and the hosts upped the ante in the final 15 minutes.
But unsurprisingly, they were unable to create anything clear cut as they probed for a leveller.
Arsenal, which has not conceded in a Premier League away game since January, killed the game deep into stoppage-time when Odegaard converted from an acute angle at the second attempt to seal the three points and top spot.
