Leandro Trossard celebrates the opening goal for Arsenal against Wolves. Photo / Getty Images
Leandro Trossard celebrates the opening goal for Arsenal against Wolves. Photo / Getty Images
Arsenal moved back to the top of the English Premier League by beating Wolverhampton Wanderers 2-0 at Molineux.
Late goals in each half by Leandro Trossard and Martin Odegaard secured the win. Mikel Arteta’s team rose one point ahead of second-placed Manchester City.
Victory ended a painful week for Arsenal, who lost ground in the title race after defeat at home to Aston Villa and were then knocked out of the Champions League by Bayern Munich.
City have a game in hand on the London side, but the win should settle nerves after those recent setbacks.
Arsenal went ahead in the 45th minute when Trossard lashed a right-foot shot off the post and into the top corner from just inside the box. Replays appeared to show he sliced his first-time effort, but he could hardly have placed it better.
The visitors had to wait until the fifth minute of stoppage time at the end of the game to finally kill off Wolves and Odegaard provided the finishing touch.
He converted from the tightest of angles on the right after seeing his first effort saved.
Wolves came close to scoring before Trossard’s opener when Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya pushed Joao Gomes’ shot onto the post.
Gary O’Neil’s team are without a win in its last six games in all competitions.
Elsewhere, Manchester City’s European rule is over, domestic dominance is not.
Bernardo Silva’s late goal secured a 1-0 win against Chelsea in the FA Cup semifinal. That ensured City maintained their pursuit of back-to-back domestic doubles in the week its Champions League defense was ended by Real Madrid.
Pep Guardiola’s team had to dig deep at Wembley, with Chelsea creating the best of the chances before Bernardo struck an 84th-minute winner.
A sweet moment for the Portuguese playmaker was even more special given he missed a penalty in the shootout loss to Madrid.
City hoped to become the first team to win back-to-back trebles after winning the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup last season. Without the injured Erling Haaland, they had to show character to bounce back after the disappointment of defeat to Madrid.
Chelsea had chances to take the lead, but Nicolas Jackson wasted three golden opportunities before Bernardo’s decisive moment, converting Kevin De Bruyne’s cross from the left via a deflection from Marc Cucurella.
Bernardo Silva and Ruben Dias celebrate against Chelsea. Photo / Getty Images
City are aiming to win the FA Cup for an eighth time, while Guardiola can extend his trophy haul to 16 since joining the club if his team completes the double.
He may look back on this game as being pivotal if City goes on to win the league and Cup, given the physical and mental strain the week has had on his players after being taken to extra time and penalties by Madrid.
Defeat to Chelsea would have raised questions over City’s resolve in the final weeks of a campaign when Arsenal and Liverpool are threatening to take the title race all the way.
While he celebrated joyously, fist pumping to the crowd and embracing each of his players, he voiced his anger over the decision to make his team play on Saturday (local time). He said the semifinal should have been moved back 24 hours due to City’s Champions League commitments.
Manchester United meet Coventry in the other semifinal overnight, the final is on May 26 (local time).
