Martin Odegaard scored Arsenal’s late second goal against Wolves (Picture: Getty)
Arsenal moved back to the top of the Premier League with a narrow but vital 2-0 win over Wolves.
After consecutive defeats threatened to totally derail their campaign, nothing but a win was likely to suffice at Molineux on Saturday night.
With the hosts ravaged by injury, the Gunners would have hoped to make early inroads but a combination of stubborn defending and wasteful finishing prevented Mikel Arteta’s side from getting the early goal they craved.
Indeed, it was Wolves who came closest to breaking the deadlock in the early stages when Joao Gomes robbed Jakub Kiwior, but his stinging shot from a tight angle was tipped onto the woodwork by David Raya.
That save was to prove vital when, on the stroke of half time, Leandro Torssard fired his side ahead with a slightly fortuitous goal after he took a quick swipe at the ball and it sliced into the top corner.
Arsenal largely kept Wolves at arm’s length in the second period and sealed the points in injury time when Martin Odegaard swept home after his initial cut back was blocked.
Club legend Ian Wright was particularly taken with the performances of three Arsenal players with Raya, who kept a club record sixth straight clean sheet away from home, among those earning plaudits.
‘Job done!’ Wright tweeted after the game. ‘Analysis can come tomorrow ! Important three points, result all that mattered. Declan, Raya, Ødegaard.’
Leandro Trossard scored Arsenal’s vital opening goal (Picture: Getty)
David Raya kept his sixth straight clean sheet away from home, an Arsenal club record (Picture: Getty)
‘Massive win for us, it was a tough week for us,’ confessed skipper Odegaard afterwards, meanwhile.
‘I think a few tough results and hard emotionally but we had to keep going. Today was all about bouncing back and getting the win and we did that so I’m happy.
‘It was tough, a big disappointment, obviously we wanted to go further in the Champions League, the game before [against Aston Villa].
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‘It is hard but the good thing in football is that you always get another chance and still a long way to go and still tight in the race so today was all about getting back to business and we did.’
He added: ‘It’s always a bit tricky when you’re 1-0 up. We wanted to get the second one earlier but again it’s a good team and we have to give them credit as well but I don’t think it was our best performance.
‘Today was all about the three points and we got them. Three points was the key, that was the main thing.’
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