Right then, Peter Lansley’s report is in – and that means farewell from me. This title race ain’t over just yet.
Arsenal went to the top of the Premier League table after goals from Martin Ødegaard and Leandro Trossard at Molineux
Updated
Sat 20 Apr 2024 16.58 EDT
First published on Sat 20 Apr 2024 13.43 EDT
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Key events
“We wanted that response,” says Leandro Trossard. “We could’ve scored more goals, especially in the first half.” On his goal: “Not maybe the sweetest [strike]. I had to use my toe as well to get it in … obviously top bins so it’s really a great goal.” Does in off the post count as top bins? Anywho, a top finish and the goal that eased the nerves for Arsenal.
Paul, who (see 3 min) was ready to drown his sorrows in case of an Arsenal defeat, is a relieved man. “Thankfully didn’t finish the bottle. walked to record store day to calm the nerves. unfortunately sold out of the sonic youth. viva la gunners!”
Now then, a look at the table. Arsenal weren’t at their best but they’ve nabbed three points and, boy, will that feel good after the last week.
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arsenal | 33 | 51 | 74 |
| 2 | Man City | 32 | 44 | 73 |
| 3 | Liverpool | 32 | 41 | 71 |
| 4 | Aston Villa | 33 | 19 | 63 |
| 5 | Tottenham Hotspur | 32 | 16 | 60 |
FULL-TIME: Wolves 0-2 Arsenal
Martinelli tries to add a third but is denied. The whistle blows and life is good again for Arsenal.
GOAL! Wolves 0-2 Arsenal (Ødegaard 90+5)
There it is. Rice drives forward through the middle, plays it to Havertz, who lays it off to the right for the overlapping Ødegaard. His first hit is blocked but his second, from the tightest of angles, finds the net.
90+4 min: Arsenal, still wanting that second, have a Martinelli shot from close range saved by Sá, who has been given quite a bit to do in these closing moments.
90+3 min: Rice, seemingly with enough in the tank to play another 90, has a powerful shot pushed away by Sá.
90+2 min: Terrific from Rice, driving down the left before fizzing a lovely low cross across the box. No one there to close the match, though.
90+1 min: Saka breaks free on the right, beating man after man with his electric feet, though he’s forced into shooting with his right – and it’s high.
90 min: Six minutes are added on as Kiwior launches a long throw.
88 min: The game has turned into long punts soundtracked by the ref’s whistle. Not exactly ‘Isn’t the Premier League the best in the world?!?!?’ content.
86 min: Lemina is back on his feet; he was bundled down after Raya went to collect a high ball. Play resumes.
84 min: Lemina is down for Wolves in the Arsenal box. The docs are out having a look, so the game presses pause.
82 min: Kilman, by the way, has impressed at the back for Wolves. So I reckon this deserves a plug.
80 min: Partey replaces Gabriel Jesus for Arsenal.
79 min: Aït-Nouri goes on an adventure, jinking all the way down the right through the Arsenal half, though a goalkick is the end result.
78 min: Lemina picks up the ball nicely in the attacking third as Wolves suddenly turn it on; Doyle crosses in from the right but Raya is on the end of it for Arsenal.
77 min: Saka dinks a nice cross in for Havertz to leap for, but he can’t find the perfect connection. Something just hasn’t been right for Arsenal today; they haven’t been bad, and they lead as well, but there’s a usual sharpness that has been lacking. They’ll take the three, though.
76 min: The ball is cleared from the box before Traoré tries to find the net from serious range; he doesn’t.
75 min: Doyle presses forward for Wolves and finds Doherty, whose cross is blocked out for a corner. Chirewa’s first start is over; on comes Sarabia. Aït-Nouri replaces Doherty.
71 min: Lemina runs into the right channel to pick up the ball before cutting in and launching a shot with his left foot. It’s straight at Raya though. At the other end, Ben White ventures down the right to have an effort of his own ... it’s saved but, regardless, he was offside. Trossard is off for Martinelli.
70 min: Kilman does well to press Jesus and drag him off the ball after a punt forward from Arsenal.
68 min: Some tidy buildup from Arsenal ends with Havertz crossing in from the left … with no one in the middle to threaten the Wolves goal.
67 min: The game has gone a touch quiet, in all honesty. Arsenal would still desperately love a second.
64 min: J. Gomes does very well to win his side a goalkick, using Trossard as a wall for his clearance. Wolves aren’t offering much at the moment, though, camped firmly within their own half.
63 min: The game’s turned a bit scrappy in the last few minutes, with plenty of interruptions for men down on the ground, wiggling around in pain.
62 min: Jesus is down for Arsenal after J. Gomes fouls, bringing the Gunners another free-kick. This one’s from centre-right, and they go short to Saka on the right. Ødegaard eventually lets one fly … low and wide.
60 min: Arsenal have a free-kick out on the left. Ødegaard is the man to deliver, but Lemina heads away for Wolves.
59 min: Jesus has a bit of space to work with out on the left, and eventually gets a shot off … but Doherty closes it down with a block.
“It’s always great to see competent football,” writes Ron Stack. “I’m a Spurs fan, so it’s a little disappointing to see such skill from Arsenal. Still, I live in hope to see Ange get something like this out of Tottenham in the next few years.”
58 min: Saka twists and turns out on the right but the energetic Traoré is unwilling to let him drive past.
Plenty of support for Mary Waltz (have a scroll down). “Don’t worry Mary - in the last MBM I wrote an email saying how poorly I thought KDB was playing a few minutes before he was announced as man of the match,” writes Peter Crosby. “Luckily that was not published or I would’ve looked such a fool.”
55 min: Rice plays it to Ødegaard, who lays it back to him for a shot that is blocked. The ball then finds it way to Havertz, who hooks a volley that Sá saves.
54 min: Kiwior is brushed aside by J. Gomes before Traoré bundles down Saka. Arsenal have a free-kick at centre-left, with a shot on offer.
53 min: Saka plays it short as Arsenal try and walk it in … “The thing about Arsenal is …”
52 min: Trossard is putting in a shift, and he wins a corner.
51 min: Hwang is off for Wolves; on comes Lemina.
50 min: Ødegaard finds a bit of room and launches a thunderous shot from range, but there’s a fine block from a Wolves shirt in front of him.
49 min: Trossard hurts himself in the Wolves box but isn’t in any real bother.
47 min: And we’re up and about once again. Mario Lemina seems to be getting ready to come on for Wolves.
“Let me assure Mary Waltz that even though Arsenal actually have managed to score a goal – one way or another – the team are perfectly capable of screwing it up in any number of ways from here on in,” writes Charles Antaki. “Kiwior has given a couple of exemplary lessons in how not to control a bouncing ball and even the ever reliable William Saliba has managed to pass straight to a member of the opposition. Saka looks exhausted and out of sorts. Declan Rice make it a second yellow and be sent off. And swollen and so forth. So there’s plenty to worry about.”
I’m going hazard a guess and say Charles is a concerned Arsenal fan.
Peep again!
As things stand, Arsenal are on top of the Premier League.
“Arteta will say it doesn’t matter,” wrote Mary Waltz minutes ago. “The players will say it doesn’t enter their thinking. But the longer this stays scoreless this thought enters every Gunners mind. ‘Oh Gawd, it’s happening again, I can’t breathe!!!!’”
And then, not long after, Mary Waltz once again: “How to look like an idiot in a few sentences. What timing.”
HALF-TIME: Wolves 0-1 Arsenal
Three minutes are added on, three minutes pass without any real incident. Arsenal go into the break having looked slightly off it, but with the crucial lead.
GOAL! Wolves 0-1 Arsenal (Trossard 45)
And they’re back! Arsenal finally emerge with a goal, thanks to some fine work from Jesus and a sliced finish from Trossard. Havertz hangs the ball up into the box, Jesus takes it down well and briefly falls to the floor but shows tenacity to keep going amid Wolves pressure and lay it off to Trossard. The finish is a first-timer, thudded into the top right to give Arsenal fans, after a long week, something to smile about.
44 min: Kilman makes a fine interception from a low Saka cross.
43 min: Hwang does well to hold the ball up and play it down the line for Hugo Bueno to chase, who works in a cross from the left.
42 min: Traoré does well to steal the ball off Ødegaard; the Wolves midfielder has had a lively half.
41 min: Trossard gets back to do his defensive work, winning his side a goalkick after being sandwiched by two Wolves shirts.
39 min: Gabriel wins the ball by the halfway line but the defender can’t thread through a killer ball.
38 min: Saliba gets a clearance wrong, which Hugo Bueno chests down before launching at goal from distance … it travels wide. Loose, though, from the Arsenal centre-back.
37 min: Havertz is up and about, ready to return to the field.
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