Arsenal 3 Wolverhampton Wanderers 0

Last updated : 26 December 2003 By Footymad Previewer

Arsenal cruised to a comfortable 3-0 victory over Wolves that saw them retake the leadership of the Premier League.

Dave Jones' side started brightly and set about the Gunners, looking to interrupt their passing game.

Arsenal found it difficult to get going although Michael Oakes had to be alert on four minutes to block a Thierry Henry shot.

Wolves' fortune did not last past the 13th minute however as a corner from the right floated in by Henry was touched into his own net by Jody Craddock.

Having secured the opening goal, the Gunners began to play their brand of flowing football with Wolves chasing shadows as Arsenal's supreme athletes glided past them.

A second defensive error by Craddock made it 2-0 to the Arsenal. Patrick Vieira showed great energy by chasing back to pressure Craddock on the ball, the defender stumbled and allowed the Arsenal captain to rob him, burst into the left side of the area before pulling a ball back to tee up the waiting Henry.

He fired a low drive through a crowd into the centre of the net for his first goal in the Premiership since early November.

Henry was in the mood for goals and he stepped up for a free- kick on 29 minutes which was struck low and hard and his effort took a deflection on the way past Oakes, but fortunately for the Wolves keeper the ball struck the base of the right post and spun away to safety.

The Wolves goal was under siege by now, but Jens Lehmann at the other end had to be quick to meet Kenny Miller and snuff out the Scotsman's effort on the edge of the Arsenal area.

That was the only time Lehmann was called upon to block an on-target effort. but his Wolves counterpart were being kept busy. Ray Parlour, Fredrik Ljungberg and Dennis Bergkamp peppered his goal with shots.

The second half was more of a scruffy affair with Arsenal making few inroads and Wolves looking as if they were torn between insuring they did not concede further goals, as being hopeful of a breakaway goal without being fully committed.

The victory was sealed a minute before full time when substitute Edu won the ball just inside the Wolves half and fed the waiting Henry, who powered into the left side of the area to shoot left-footed from an acute angle past the diving Oakes and just inside the right post.