Premier League

WOLVES 0
ARSENAL 2 (Odegaard 54, 75)

ARSENAL will be top of the Premier League table over Christmas after Martin Odegaard’s second-half double earned Mikel Arteta’s side a 2-0 victory at Wolves this evening (Saturday).

The Gunners were already guaranteed top spot over the festive period following Manchester City’s shock home defeat against Brentford – the only question was just how big would their lead be?

And thanks to captain Odegaard’s clinical finishing those Arsenal players involved in the World Cup will jet off knowing that when they return to domestic action on Boxing Day they will be five points clear of the chasing pack.

Having seen his side drop just five points in the league so far this season, a delighted Arteta said: “Well, obviously it’s great to be where we are. We are enjoying that moment, and obviously we now have a big break. We have to reflect on what we are doing, and be very much prepared for what is going to come after the World Cup.

“Our aim is to play better as a team every single day. To have better tools to do what we want to do on that pitch. I can say that it has been phenomenal to work with these players and staff.”

It always looked as though the first goal would be crucial at Molineux, and it arrived 10 minutes into the second half when good build-up play between Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Jesus released Fabio Vieira inside the box.

Vieira, who came off the bench within minutes of the kick off when Granit Xhaka realised he was feeling too unwell to carry on, drew Wolves keeper Jose Sa before dinking the ball invitingly across the box, where Odegaard was on hand to tap home.

Offering an update on Xhaka after the game, Arteta said: “He’s fine, he wasn’t feeling good and for Granit to put his hand up and say ‘I need to come off’. He wasn’t feeling good at all.

“We had a few boys with some issues, tummy issues and obviously we cannot change three or four in the first half, but I’m delighted that we adapted to those circumstances as well and we managed to win the game.”

One player clearly feeling fine was Odegaard. The Norwegian playmaker put the result beyond doubt late on with another clinical finish – this time reacting quickly to smash home his sixth goal of the season after Martinelli’s initial effort was blocked.

For those Arsenal fans still too nervous to talk about a title challenge, the win at least means that the Gunners have opened up a 14-point buffer between themselves and fifth-placed Manchester United in the race for Champions League football next season.

Arteta admitted the World Cup break is coming at just the wrong time for his high-flying squad, but accepted that there are some dreams even bigger than winning the Premier League.

The Arsenal boss said: “When a team is in that moment, you want to carry on playing obviously, but it is not possible. We have to use the time now in the best possible way so the players who are not participating in the World Cup, they will have some time off, which they fully deserve.

“And the the rest, they will fulfil a dream that everybody – every kid – has had, a chance to represent their national team in a World Cup. It doesn’t get better than that.”

Wolves: Sa, Semedo (Lembikisa, 68), Collins, Toti, Kilman, Bueno, B. Traore, Neves, Moutinho (Podence, 68), A. Traore, Guedes
Substitutes not used: Sarkic, Ait-Nouri, Mosquera, Ronan, Nunes, Hodge, Campbell

Arsenal: Ramsdale, White, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko (Soares, 90+1), Partey, Xhaka (Vieira, 16), Vieira (Elneny, 90+1) Odegaard, Saka (Nelson, 90+1), Martinelli, Jesus
Substitutes not used: Turner, Tierney, Holding, Elneny, Marquinhos, Nketiah