WOLVERHAMPTON - Arsenal underlined their
credentials as serious challengers for the Premier League title with an
imperious 4-1 win over Wolverhampton on Saturday.
Arsene Wenger's
side were widely written off as also-rans after an unsettling
pre-season, but they look increasingly capable of pushing Chelsea and
Manchester United for the English crown.
The Gunners were at
their eye-catching best at Molineux as own goals from Ronald Zubar and
Jody Craddock were followed by strikes from Cesc Fabregas and Andrey
Arshavin to move them above United into second place - two points
behind leaders Chelsea.
Wenger's team are playing some of the
best football in the country at present and are unquestionably the most
lethal, with 55 goals in all competitions.
Arsenal, who have gone
four seasons without a trophy, are determined to muscle in on the title
race this season and 24 hours before United and Chelsea locked horns at
Stamford Bridge, they put down their own marker.
They are averaging three goals a game and hit that mark before half-time with a mix of brilliance and sheer good luck.
Wolves
played a major part in their own downfall, even though boss Mick
McCarthy had insisted they would not roll over for the only team he
would pay to watch in the top flight.
In a 14 minute spell, McCarthy's side did not so much roll over as get well and truly mauled.
Zubar
started the downfall when he nudged Fabregas's 28th minute corner into
his own net after goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey made a hash of collecting
inside the six-yard box.
Wenger hardly needed any luck but it
came in bucketloads for a team he reckons could be as exciting as his
'Invincibles', who went through the entire 2003-04 league season
without defeat.
In the 36th minute, Eduardo's chip was heading miles wide of the far post until striking Craddock's head to loop over Hennessey.
If the first two were lucky, the third from Fabregas was pure class.
The Arsenal captain finished off a move he started on the half-way line after Robin Van Persie's brilliant lay-off.
McCarthy knows life at this level was always going to be tough and things are not likely to get any easier at Chelsea next week.
At
least Wolves, who are third from bottom of the table, limited the
damage in the second period and restricted Arsenal to a solitary strike
from Arshavin.
The Russia winger volleyed in from the edge of the area - after a poor punch from Hennessey - to increase McCarthy's misery.
Craddock's
89th minute header will be no consolation for McCarthy who has another
relegation scrap looming and the former Republic of Ireland manager has
his work cut out to survive.
As for Wenger, he has a squad capable of really pushing United and Chelsea all the way this season.