Wolves 0-2 Arsenal: Player ratings as weary Gunners keep title hopes alive

Arsenal picked up a 2-0 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday to climb back to the top of the Premier League table.

The Gunners looked tired after their Champions League elimination in midweek and needed a mis-hit strike from Trossard to get ahead of Wolves, before Martin Odegaard struck late on to seal all three points.

Arsenal end the day top of the Premier League after picking up a valuable win, with fellow title-hopefuls Liverpool heading to Fulham on Sunday.

How the game unfolded

Arsenal enjoyed most of the opportunities early on. Kai Havertz saw a shot saved inside the opening minute and Declan Rice fired in a few shots of his own, but Wolves managed to hold on for the time being.

Wolves did have their moments and even caused a real scare as Joao Gomes' strike had to be tipped on to the bar by David Raya.

The hosts even looked to be ending the half on top but, almost out of nowhere, Trossard slashed at a loose ball which almost moved in slow motion as it drifted its way into the back of the net off the inside of the post. A perfect mis-hit.

Havertz sent another smart volley straight at Jose Sa as Arsenal tried to double their advantage early in the second half, but for all their dominance and comfort on the ball, the Gunners were slightly underwhelming in the final third.

Ben White also saw a strike well saved by Sa, although a late offside flag ensured it counted for nothing anyway.

Wolves built up their energy as the clock ticked on, injecting more experience off the bench and giving Arsenal a handful of nervy moments as they tried to protect their lead.

Thomas Partey came off the bench to replace Gabriel Jesus as Mikel Arteta made clear his plan for the final ten minutes of the game, with the Gunners happy to wind down the clock and protect their lead.

There was still time for Odegaard to slot home from a tight angle in the dying embers, capping off the perfect response to the heartbreak in midweek.

Wolves player ratings (3-4-2-1)

GK: Jose Sa - 6/10 - Could do absolutely nothing about Trossard's opener, which he would have probably saved if the Arsenal man struck it properly.

CB: Santiago Bueno - 5/10 - Was kept busy against Trossard and didn't always come out on top.

CB: Max Kilman - 7/10 - Actually really impressive but undoubtedly fortunate to stay on the pitch for more than 35 minutes after a crunching challenge on Havertz.

CB: Toti Gomes - 5/10 - Given the run-around by Saka and had to resort to hugging the Arsenal winger whenever he got close.

RM: Matt Doherty - 5/10 - Didn't look sharp at either end of the field. Not strong enough in his battle with Arsenal's forwards.

CM: Boubacar Traore - 7/10 - Actually really impressive. Didn't look concerned by Arsenal's press, instead simply playing his way through the lines.

CM: Joao Gomes - 7/10 - Another great performance from Gomes, who could have opened the scoring were it not for a strong hand from Raya.

LM: Hugo Bueno - 5/10 - Guilty of some really poor decisions when Wolves really needed some composure in the final third.

AM: Tawanda Chirewa - 7/10 - Looked comfortable at this level. Darted his way around the field trying to get involved in as much as possible.

AM: Tommy Doyle - 7/10 - Another who did not shy away from the occasion. Happy to get on the ball to try and make things happen.

ST: Hwang Hee-chan - 6/10 - Put himself about as much as possible but didn't always get the service he needed.

Substitutes

SUB: Mario Lemina (51' for Hwang) - 6/10

SUB: Pablo Sarabia (75' for Chirewa) - 6/10

SUB: Rayan Ait-Nouri (75' for Doherty) - 6/10

Subs not used: Daniel Bentley (GK), Wesley Okoduwa, Fletcher Holman, Nathan Fraser, Temple Ojinaka, Ty Barnett

Manager

Gary O'Neil - 7/10 - Without so many key players, Wolves were always going to struggle here. They were clearly second-best but to put up such an admirable fight when starved of resources deserves credit.

Arsenal player ratings (4-3-3)

GK: David Raya - 7/10 - A really smart save to stop Joao Gomes in the first half. Needed quick reactions to tip the ball on to the post.

RB: Ben White - 7/10 - Once again, White really stepped up on the right. He was defensively solid and his new-found love of overlapping down the wing was key to Arsenal's attacking hopes.

CB: William Saliba - 6/10 - Guilty of a poor pass out from the back which nearly cost his side early on but was otherwise solid enough.

CB: Gabriel - 6/10 - Visibly fatigued but thankfully did not need to push himself too hard to keep Wolves at bay.

LB: Jakub Kiwior - 5/10 - An uncomfortable outing as a left-back. Sloppy defensively and hardly involved in possession.

DM: Declan Rice - 6/10 - Didn't get a whole long wrong but clearly looked tired. Some nice shots from range.

CM: Martin Odegaard - 7/10 - Fatigue clearly limited Odegaard's impact but he kept going until the final whistle and got the goal his courage deserved.

CM: Kai Havertz - 6/10 - Had the odd uncomfortable moment but is clearly playing with plenty of confidence and that showed in his performance.

RW: Bukayo Saka - 5/10 - Not at his best here. Looked tired and unable to create separation from a Wolves defence that was happy to play physical against him.

ST: Gabriel Jesus - 6/10 - Put in another shift but lacked the necessary impact in the final third.

LW: Leandro Trossard - 7/10 - Easily the most lively member of Arsenal's front three. His goal was stunning but there was more than a slice of good fortune about the way the ball left his boot.

Substitutes

SUB: Gabriel Martinelli (72' for Trossard) - 5/10

SUB: Thomas Partey (80' for Jesus) - N/A

Subs not used: Aaron Ramsdale (GK), Oleksandr Zinchenko, Jorginho, Fabio Vieira, Emile Smith Rowe, Eddie Nketiah, Reiss Nelson

Manager

Mikel Arteta - 6/10 - Arsenal weren't actually good here, but with so many minutes in the legs, that's hardly a surprise. Arteta helped his side limp over the line with some solid substitutions. A win is a win at this point.

Player of the match - Martin Odegaard (Arsenal)