Arsenal beats Wolverhampton Wolves 2-0, lead English Premier League by 5 points into FIFA World Cup 2022 break, WATCH

Arsenal will head into the World Cup break with a five-point lead over Manchester City in the English Premier League 2022-23 season after Martin Odegaard’s double clinched a 2-0 win at Wolverhampton. The captain’s goals in the 55th and 75th minutes showed City, which lost 2-1 to Brentford earlier in the day, that its crown is under threat.

Mikel Arteta’s team is a genuine contender, grinding out a 12th victory in 14 matches with a performance which demonstrated their steel and composure. Wolves will be in last place at Christmas – league play resumes on December 26 – but held their own for long spells and there are reasons to be positive with recently hired manager Julen Lopetegui’s era about to start. Wolves chairman Jeff Shi called the search for Bruno Lage's replacement painful after Lopetegui initially rejected the club and Michael Beale performed a U-turn to stay at second-tier Queens Park Rangers.

Introduced to the home fans before the game, Lopetegui took the acclaim during a lap of the field six years after Wolves first tried to appoint him. It has been a long wait and the former Spain and Real Madrid coach will be expected to work wonders to beat the drop but will have the same problems as caretaker Steve Davis and Lage.

Watch highlights of Arsenal win over Wolverhampton Wolves here...

Enjoy the action from Molineux all over again, Gooners!

Highlights | Wolves 0-2 Arsenal pic.twitter.com/i2Ow7lBkYK — Arsenal (@Arsenal) November 13, 2022

Lopetegui will need reinforcements in January – especially a striker – for Wolves to extend their top flight stay to a sixth season though he will have at least been encouraged by the hosts' resilience which will be desperately needed during a relegation fight. Arteta has no such problems and his team will be top at Christmas, something not even the most optimistic Gunners fan would have predicted.

City’s surprise loss gave Arsenal the chance to push further clear but the visitors were initially frustrated. Gabriel Jesus drilled home a shot but was offside, and goalkeeper Jose Sa hurriedly turned Bukayo Saka’s deflected cross over.

Arsenal lost Granit Xhaka, forced off after 15 minutes after needing treatment, and replaced him with Fabio Vieira. The Gunners dominated the ball but Wolves reminded the visitors of their threat when Goncalo Guedes fired over following a quick break.

It was the first time the visitors wriggled in behind Wolves and when a delightful ball from Jesus gave Vieira space in the box, his cross was turned in by Odegaard from close range. From then, it was comfortable for the Gunners and Odegaard added a second with 15 minutes left.

Dexter Lembikisa lost the ball to Gabriel Martinelli, who teed up Oleksandr Zinchenko to cross. The ball fell for Martinelli, who was denied by Sa but Odegaard controlled the rebound and lashed into the bottom corner.

(with PTI inputs)