Wolves to the slaughter against Arsenal

Arsenal 3 Wolves 0

The Christmas cheer ended early for Wolves at Highbury today as they suffered a 3-0 hiding at the hands of Arsenal.

The Wolves defender scored an own-goal for the Gunners opener, gave the ball away for the second and fluffed a golden chance to pull one back and give the rock-bottom visitors hope of taking something from this game.

In truth, that was never on the cards in a match in which the scoreline hugely flattered Dave Jones’ side.

Arsenal could and should have scored more, as they did in the 5-1 Carling Cup victory when these opponents met here earlier this month.

But today’s one-sided contest still demonstrated the huge gulf between the team in the thick of the title battle and side that won last season’s Division One play-off final.

Unfortunately for Jones’ side, the Football League is exactly where they are heading again barring a dramatic new year recovery.

Arsene Wenger’s men are concentrating on matters at the opposite end of the standings, a fact demonstrated by the way much of this game resembled a training-ground workout for Thierry Henry and his team-mates.

Arsenal's opener came in the 13th minute, when Patrick Vieira flicked on Henry’s corner into the net.

Jody Craddock dallied in possession six minutes later, allowing Vieira to rob him and square for the top-flight’s top-scorer Henry to smack home the first goal of his brace.

And error-prone Craddock’s misery was complete when he sliced wide from a great shooting position.

Arsenal went close on countless further occasions – Henry hit the post, Dennis Bergkamp frequently tormented the Wolves defence and even Sol Campbell had a couple of shots – but did not add to their tally until the 89th minute.

Henry completed Wolves’ misery by taking substitute Edu’s pass in his stride, skipping round his former team-mate Oleg Luzhny and rifling into the far corner.

Arsenal’s star striker now has 23 goals this season.

Wolves keeper Michael Oakes had prevented the Gunners taking the lead in the fourth minute.

Robert Pires chipped a ball in to Henry and the Frenchman controlled well before firing off a shot which Oakes turned over his crossbar.

The keeper was fortunate when he spilled a Henry strike from a free-kick, with Paul Butler poking the loose ball behind for a corner.

But their was no respite for Jones’ men and, from the corner kick, Wolves allowed Henry’s delivery to bounce in the six-yard box.

Vieira slid in, made half a connection and the ball cruelly deflected off Craddock and looped over Alex Rae on the line for an unfortunate 14th-minute own-goal.

Freddie Ljungberg headed wide before the seemingly inevitable second goal arrived after 20 minutes – with Craddock again the culprit.

Vieira robbed the defender, advanced on goal and squared for Henry to thump home from 12 yards.

Two almost became three in the 27th minute. Henry’s set-piece strike from 30 yards deflected off Colin Cameron and skidded beyond Oakes’ dive and against the face of the post.

Wolves scrambled the loose ball clear.

The visitors had their first real sight of goal 13 minutes before the break.

Cameron’s superb pass put Kenny Miller in on goal but Jens Lehmann stuck out his left glove to make an excellent save.

The action soon resumed at the opposite end, with Oakes pushing Ray Parlour’s fizzing drive round the post and smothering Bergkamp’s close-range effort.

Craddock could have pulled one back for Wolves on the stroke of half-time but sliced wide.

The second half began in the same manner as the first, with the Gunners making nearly all the running.

Bergkamp danced past two defenders before being dispossessed just as he appeared intent on walking the ball into Wolves’ net.

And Henry skipped round the back of the visitors’ defence before Oakes did well and grabbed the Frenchman’s cross.

Campbell snatched at a shooting chance just after the hour, slicing high and wide when a half-cleared corner fell at his feet 14 yards out.

The centre-back, up for another corner five minutes later, had another shot at goal but his hooked attempt was even further off target than his previous effort.

Bergkamp thundered goalwards with 10 minutes left but Oakes stood his ground and blocked well.

Henry completed Wolves’ misery in the 89th minute, taking substitute Edu’s pass in his stride, skipping round Luzhny and rifling into the far corner.