Premier League: Arsenal 2 Wolves 0

Arsenal kept pace with Premier League leaders Manchester United with a comfortable 2-0 win over struggling Wolves at the Emirates Stadium.

Robin van Persie struck twice to keep the Gunners three points behind Sir Alex Ferguson’s side in second place, while the loss sends Wolves to the foot of the table after West Ham’s draw at West Brom.

Arsenal dominated the opening period of the game and captain Cesc Fabregas had the ball in the net with less than five minutes gone, however referee Chris Foy had already blown his whistle for an earlier foul on England starlet Jack Wilshere.

In-form striker van Persie sent the resulting free-kick high and wide of Wayne Hennessey’s goal, while the Dutchman sliced a shot wayward moments later from a good position after Alex Song’s lay-off.

However it proved third time lucky for van Persie who broke the deadlock with a fine acrobatic effort.

Fabregas was given far too much room on the edge of the box and clipped a precise cross to van Persie in the area, the forward angling his body and connecting with a scissor kick to send the ball low into the corner.

Andrei Arshavin then missed a great chance to double the lead from five yards, failing to connect with van Persie’s corner after the ball had evaded everybody, including Hennessey.

But the Welsh keeper made amends for his error by blocking superbly from Theo Walcott after Arshavin’s cut-back, the shot-stopper throwing himself across his goal and palming the ball away one-handed.

Richard Stearman then cleared the ball off the line from Fabregas’ follow-up shot to give Arsenal just the one-goal advantage going in at half-time.

Arsenal flew out of the traps for the second 45 minutes and Walcott offered his nomination for miss of the day after Arshavin’s blunder in the first half.

Wilshere, excellent all day, tricked his way into the box but unselfishly squared to Walcott, however from six yards he somehow managed to screw his shot wide of the mark instead of increasing Arsenal’s lead.

It was left to van Persie to show Walcott how to put the ball in the back of the net and the 27-year-old made the points safe with 60 minutes gone.

Fabregas released Walcott down the right flank with a glorious first-time pass over the Wolves’ back line and the winger slipped in van Persie with a neat delivery.

The Dutch ace was then left with the job of lashing the ball past an over-exposed Hennessey for his eighth goal in the league this season, completing a fine win for Arsene Wenger’s side.