Fabregas helps fire young Gunners into second spot
Wolves 1
Arsenal 4
Sunday November 08 2009
Just about the last thing a free-scoring Arsenal team need at the moment is a helping hand in front of goal, but Wolverhampton Wanderers are nothing if not obliging hosts.
Having made life uncomfortable for Arsenal for a period, Mick McCarthy's side pressed the self-destruct button and conceded two own goals in the space of seven first-half minutes as Ronald Zubar and Jody Craddock both put through their own net. Thereafter, it was a case of just how many Arsenal wanted to score.
They added another two and, incredibly, have now plundered 25 goals in their last eight league games and 55 in total this season in all competitions. Arsene Wenger, however, will take greater pleasure from looking at a league table that now sees Arsenal in second place, above Manchester United on goal difference, and breathing down the neck of Chelsea.
This was not the most polished Arsenal performance and it was hard to begrudge Wolves their late consolation, when Craddock headed home Matt Jarvis's corner in the 88th minute, yet there was a sense in the second half that Wenger's team were toying with their opponents. Cesc Fabregas was an effervescent presence throughout, the Arsenal captain playing a part in four goals to leave Wolves still searching for their first win over the North London club since 1979.
That sequence had appeared vulnerable during the opening 25 minutes when Wolves dominated proceedings and created three decent chances, but by the time the interval arrived Arsenal were celebrating yet another routine win.
McCarthy was unable to conceal his frustration as the visitors doubled their lead in farcical circumstances 10 minutes before the break before Fabregas added a third on the stroke of half-time.
McCarthy had stayed true to his promise to take the game to Arsenal and initially looked like being rewarded for that bold approach, but he departed down the tunnel at the break needing to put together a damage-limitation plan. If the first two goals could be put down to misfortune, the third, converted effortlessly by Fabregas, highlighted the naivety within the Wolves side.
Having pilfered the ball deep in his own half, the Arsenal captain fed Bacary Sagna on the right and headed for the penalty area. Sagna picked out Robin van Persie and the Dutchman, spotting Fabregas's brilliant run, laid the ball expertly into his path. The Spaniard beat Wayne Hennessey at the near post. Game over.
Arsenal's opening two goals were nothing like as easy on the eye, however, and will give the Wolves defence nightmares. The first arrived following a Fabregas corner that Hennessey seemed unsure whether to come for or not. In the end, he did neither and Zubar, under pressure from Eduardo, turned the ball into his own net. Next it was Craddock's turn. Again Fabregas was at the source, the midfielder feeding Aaron Ramsey before possession was transferred to Eduardo. The Croat attempted to return the pass, but his chip glanced off Craddock's head and over the stranded Hennessey.
It was a remarkable turnaround from the early stages when the Arsenal goal lived a charmed life. Kieran Gibbs cleared Kevin Doyle's glancing header off the line, Sylvan Ebanks-Blake nodded wide from inside the six-yard box and Christophe Berra, after losing his marker and enjoying a clear sight of goal, somehow managed to get under Nenad Milijas's free-kick and clear the danger.
Those opportunities were no more than a painful memory, however, by the time that Andrey Arshavin added a fourth. Thwarted at the near post by Hennessey, the Russian promptly scored from the corner that followed when the goalkeeper's punch to the edge of the area was dispatched first-time into the bottom corner of the net. Eduardo and Fabregas both should have added a fifth. Instead, Craddock had the last word.
- Stuart James
Sunday Independent
