Title race is on as Gunners down tamed Wolves

You could be forgiven for believing Sunday's showdown between Chelsea and Manchester United at Stamford Bridge was a battle between the only two teams in the running for the Premier League title this season, but the moment may have come for the doubters to take Arsenal's challenge a little more seriously.

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Wolves are demolished despite a bright start

There will be those who remain unconvinced that a side whose defensive frailties and nervous tendencies at the end of tight games can last the pace in a straight fight with the recently established 'top two', yet Arsene Wenger is winning over more of his doubters with each passing week.

Saturday's 4-1 win at Wolves was not a vintage Arsenal performance by any stretch of the imagination. Yet while Mick McCarthy's men self-imploded in startling fashion at Molineux, Arsenal still managed to kill off their prey in a fashion that sent out a chilling message to the rest. Arsenal, it seems, are here to stay as title contestants.

Wolves fans generate the sort of atmosphere few of their rivals can match and the excitement filtering around this sell-out Molineux arena prior was palpable for all. When you have spent so much of your recent history striving to get into the top flight of the English game, these are the kind of games you should relish and the noise level long before kick-off was several decibels higher than the norm.

The Molineux faithful are clearly delighted to be watching their team taking on Arsenal and, in an atmosphere akin to an FA Cup tie, their team dominated the early exchanges as Sylvan Ebanks-Blake and Christophe Berra wasted a glorious chance to score the opening goal.

Indeed, for the first 27 minutes of this game, Wolves were the more threatening side and had they taken the one of those early chances, the fans who were waiting to explode in ecstasy would have blown away the rain that began to pour down mid-way through the first period.

What the home fans had not anticipated was their side's ability to self-destruct in alarming fashion and, against an Arsenal team oozing such class and self-belief, their 13 suicidal minutes before the break were never going to suffice.

First, Ronald Zubar made a fatal mistake as he deflected the ball into his own net from an Arsenal corner and, when Wolves naively left one defender back as they looked for an equaliser, Andrei Arshavin and Eduardo combined to double Arsenal's lead. Eduardo needed the help of a deflection from defender Jody Craddock to put the ball into the net, but Wolves had hoisted the white flag with far too much haste.

The game was over before half time as a sweeping move came to its conclusion with Robin van Persie feeding skipper Cesc Fabregas in the box. His cool finish was typically brilliant and yet the scale of Wolves' sudden demise made dismal viewing for their eager supporters.

They were spared more humiliation in the second half as only Arshavin's goal added to their misery, but this game was over and so was the fantasy that Wolves could take on Arsenal with any hope of success.

Those hardy Wolves fans didn't need to be told about the gulf in class their team was trying to bridge this season and yet Arsenal gave them a lesson in the art of finishing off a team unworthy of sharing a pitch with you. It mattered little to Arsenal boss Wenger, who had every right to look smug as he met the media after his side's latest high scoring rout.

"Coming off the back of a Champions League game and winning 4-1 away from home is very satisfying and I felt we won this game without needing to play at our very best," Wenger said. "We produced some good football at times, but we made the most of our chances and it was a very professional performance."

These are the type of games Wenger's boys have made a mess of in over recent years and yet they seem to have discovered a way to turn the luck in their favour thanks to an inner confidence that is growing under their surface. Even in the face of some early Wolves pressure, Arsenal were content to sit back and wait for their moment in the knowledge that their end product would be more emphatic in the final analysis.

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Eduardo's shot hits Jody Craddock's head and find the back of the net

With Arshavin and young Aaron Ramsey giving their attack a more focused appearance at Molineux, the return to Eduardo ensured a varied brand of attacking options. Okay, so they were not tested too much by a Wolves side that folded at the first hint of trouble, but Wenger's team look more like title contenders right now than they did at any stage last season.

"I don't know what people think about our title bid, but I feel we are coming together well and have a chance to challenge," Wenger said. "There has always been great potential in this squad and maybe people will start to believe we can aim for something special this season."

One flaw in the Arsenal make up remains their inability to defend against set-plays and Craddock exposed that deficiency once again as he pulled a goal back for Wolves in the closing stages, but it was very much a consolation for the home team. McCarthy clearly faces another struggle against the drop this season, but he can console himself with the fact that many a team is likely to be undermined in such a brutal fashion by free-flowing Arsenal.

Each passing week sees Arsenal come through another test and, as yet, there is little to suggest their demise in the title race is imminent. Premier League champions are never crowned in November, but serious contenders tend to announce themselves at this stage of the season and Arsenal are making all the right noises.

MAN OF THE MATCH: Andrei Arshavin

The Russian was a menace to the Wolves defence all afternoon, with his tight control and attacking verve catching the eye. He deserved his second half goal.

RAINING NIGHT IN THE BLACK COUNTRY: There was not much left that wasn't wet at the end of this soaking night at Molineux. The hopes and dreams of the home supporters were drowned in more ways than one.

WOLVES VERDICT: For the first 27 minutes, they looked like a Premier League team and then followed 13 minutes that confirmed they still have a determination to defend like a lower league side. Such naivety was always likely to be exposed by Arsenal.

ARSENAL VERDICT: Wenger's boys are threatening to confound the doubters and mount a push for the title this season. On current form, they look to be more viable challengers to league leaders Chelsea than stuttering Manchester United.