Arsenal 2-1 Wolves: Player ratings as Gunners hold off late push

Arsenal opened up a four-point lead at the top of the Premier League table after they held off a late Wolves resurgence at the Emirates on Saturday afternoon.

The Gunners continued from where they left off on Wednesday night and raced into a 2-0 lead following two wonderful moves. Combinations on both flanks led to Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard getting on the scoresheet.

Arsenal were as good as they've been all season in the opening 20 minutes, but Wolves did get a foothold thereafter and could've quite easily reduced the deficit before half-time.

The Gunners sought control in the second half and the contest looked as if it would drift towards it inevitable conclusion. That was until Matheus Cunha struck with ten minutes remaining after Oleksandr Zinchenko was caught in his box to set up a tense finale.

However, despite plenty of stoppage time, Wolves weren't able to fashion another moment and Arsenal held on for a 2-1 win.

Here are the Arsenal player ratings from Saturday's victory over Wolves.

Goalkeeper & Defenders

David Raya (GK) - 6.5/10 - Wolves did test Raya on a couple of occasions in the second half, but all of their attempts were straight at the Spaniard before Cunha breached his defence.

Takehiro Tomiyasu (RB) - 6.5/10 - Tomi produced a characteristically steady display with and without the ball, but there will be concerns about his calf.

William Saliba (CB) - 6/10 - A quiet outing for Saliba, who was harshly booked for a foul on Hwang in the second period.

Gabriel (CB) - 7/10 - Another steely performance from Gabriel, even if it wasn't the toughest of outings. The Brazilian made an excellent recovery challenge to deny Cunha towards the end of the first half.

Oleksandr Zinchenko (LB) - 7/10 - The Ukrainian was impressive again. His underrated defensive influence was once again on display to help Arsenal sustain pressure in the first half, and he expertly teed up Odegaard for the Gunners' second. Was caught in possession before Cunha struck.

Midfielders

Declan Rice (DM) - 6.5/10 - Rice produced a couple of typically dominant sequences and was efficient with possession. Didn't stand out as he had done in previous outings.

Martin Odegaard (CM) - 8.5/10 - The skipper added a second with a trademark finish. Afforded plenty of space in his favoured zone, Odegaard combined effectively down the right flank and played with plenty of zip.

Leandro Trossard (CM) - 7/10 - The Belgian impressed me more out of possession compared to what he did with the ball. He counter-pressed superbly and proved to be astute when defending Wolves' transitions.

Forwards

Bukayo Saka (RW) - 8/10 - This was as good as we've seen Saka all season. Well, in the first half. It didn't matter whether Wolves double or triple-teamed him. The winger got the ball rolling by scoring the opener to continue his productive start to the season.

Gabriel Jesus (ST) - 8/10 - Jesus produced a hold-up clinic early on and was influential in both first-half goals. Missed a couple of chances before he was withdrawn.

Gabriel Martinelli (LW) - 6.5/10 - It didn't quite happen for Martinelli in the final third, but the Brazilian was relentless and full of drive.

Substitutes

• Eddie Nketiah - 5/10
• Ben White - 5/10
• Kai Havertz - 6/10
• Jorginho - N/A
• Jakub Kiwior - N/A

Player of the match: Martin Odegaard