Wolves 0 Arsenal 2

It was a familiar story as Wolves played some superb football against top-four opposition only to go down to another gallant defeat.

Two goals by Marouane Chamakh at the very start and end of the game didn’t even begin to tell the story.

It was a match marred by a late tackle by Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas on Stephen Ward, which saw the left-back stretchered off with a gashed shin and the Gunners skipper booked.

But even a seventh defeat in the last nine games failed to take the gloss off another polished display from Mick McCarthy’s men, who dominated the second-half and peppered the Gunners goal.

Karl Henry, Richard Stearman, Kevin Foley, Stephen Hunt, Nenad Milijas, Kevin Doyle and Christophe Berra were either denied by the heroics of goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski or went desperately close to scoring after the break.

But Wolves, who have now suffered 11 straight defeats to Arsenal going back to 1982, made the worst possible start after conceding with just 37 seconds on the clock.

For all Arsenal’s renowned fancy football, it was a goal of some simplicity.

Chamakh had too much time to head home after pulling away from Stearman to meet Alex Song’s right-wing cross.

Coming so early, the goal momentarily knocked the stuffing out of Wolves and it took time for McCarthy’s side to get back into their stride.

They weren’t helped by the eighth minute departure of midfielder David Edwards, with what appeared to be a hamstring injury, which forced the earlier than anticipated arrival of Hunt, who had dropped to the bench for the return of Michael Mancienne.

It almost got worse before it got better for Wolves as goalkeeper Marcus Hahnemann was forced into two blocks which could have put the game beyond the home side’s reach.

His first job was to spare Stearman’s blushes after the defender gave the ball away to Andrei Arshavin, who sped towards goal only to be denied in a one-on-one by the American, who stood up well.

Then Hahnemann denied Fabregas’ first-time effort after the Arsenal captain started the move himself wide on the left after Stearman diverted away Arshavin’s centre.

But, having weathered the storm, Wolves worked their way into the game.

Milijas had Wolves’ first on-target effort in the 25th minute with a 30-yard drive that was easy for Fabianski, who wore a bizarre kit of bright pink shirt and socks.

Four minutes later, Wolves went desperately close to an equaliser when Doyle’s twisting header looped just over the bar from Milijas’ free kick.

Wolves caused problems again when Jarvis’ cross had Fabianski at full stretch to paw away with Hunt waiting to pounce.

The home side started the second-half at a good tempo and Milijas was only denied a goal from point blank range from Bacary Sagna sliding in following Jarvis’ cross.

But Wolves were their own worst enemy when Stearman, who had an erratic game after his Man of the Match performance on Saturday, needlessly presented the ball to Tomas Rosicky, who teed up Fabregas to rifle inches wide.

However, McCarthy’s men were in no mood to surrender and they swept upfield to keep Arsenal pinned in.

Henry, who got forward much more than usual with Mancienne sitting in front of the back four, arrowed a shot across the face of goal from a tight angle, before Doyle’s rising left foot shot on the turn was tipped over by Fabianski at full stretch.

Then Stearman couldn’t convert from two yards out, Rosicky clearing off the line when the ball hit the defender’s knee.

Man of the Match Foley headed fractionally over from Hunt’s free kick, before the latter glanced wide himself.

Arshavin hit the post in a rare Arsenal foray on the break but Wolves returned to the attack.

Milijas and Doyle drilled inches wide before Fabianski pulled off a tremendous full length save to deny Berra a first Wolves goa, after the Scot launched a low drive in the third minute of injury-time.

But Chamakh sealed the Gunners’ win in a breakaway in the fourth minute of time added on, when his flick with the outside of his boot beat Hahnemann after the visitors caught Wolves on the break.

It was harsh after another huge effort and impressive performance from Wolves, which surely means it’s only a matter of time before they return to winning ways.