As if it is not satisfying enough for Arsenal, the Premier League’s top scorers, that 17 players have embroidered their names on the score sheet this season, they are now enlisting opponents to provide a few extra ones for them.

Although players across the country must dream of getting on the end of some of Arsenal’s flowing football moves, it seemed a little over generous for Wolves to provide the opening two goals last night, effectively ending the game as a contest after 36 minutes. But so intimidating is the Arsenal attack, by which one means their entire starting XI, that defenders go into Corporal Jones mode as soon as any of them cross the halfway line.

Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger says he has never been blessed with such attacking potential and a remarkable 36 goals from 11 games suggests he, for once, cannot be accused of overstating the talents of his young players. It was a devastating defeat for Wolves, which could have lasting effects on their psyche and their season.

Wolves manager Mick McCarthy promised beforehand that he would not spend the early hours of today regretting sending out a team simply to try to stifle an Arsenal side who had scored in their previous 21 games. And his players backed up his words, even though their dominance did not survive half-an-hour.

They provided the early danger moments, with the movement of striker Kevin Doyle making Arsenal’s central pairing of Thomas Vermaelen and William Gallas look as uncomfortable as they have for a while. Both managers raised eyebrows when their team sheets were handed in, McCarthy replacing Michael Kightly with Nenad Milijas and Wenger handing Aaron Ramsey only the second league start of his Arsenal career.

Even more surprising was that the man he replaced was Alexandre Song, probably Arsenal’s player of the season — okay, second best since Fabregas is back to his imperious best. But Song was soon back in his familiar role protecting the Arsenal defence, when Abou Diaby was forced off with an injury after 23 minutes.

Arsenal were ahead five minutes later. As so often this season, a team who used to turn their noses up at the very idea of getting a goal from a set piece, managed to score from a corner. Well almost, Eduardo stretching out to reach Fabregas’s corner, only for defender Ronald Zubar to beat him to it and deflect it past goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey. An unfortunate goal for Wolves but one that had the effect of putting a poppy pin in a balloon.

For the next 10 minutes, Arsenal sprayed around one-touch passes. Wolves were so bamboozled that they somehow allowed Ramsey and Eduardo to run clear on sole defender Jody Craddock. As Eduardo tried to play Ramsey in, Craddock backheaded the ball into his own net as McCarthy threw his head into his hands.

He was just preparing a half-time speech telling his players that Arsenal are most vulnerable when 2-0 ahead when Fabregas ended a brilliant move to score his ninth goal of the season in time added on, the move starting with right-back Bacary Sagna just outside his own area.

Arsenal looked as though they could have scored at will in the second half, despite sometimes playing at the sort of pace that Manchester United’s Dimitar Berbatov would have felt at home with. But it took more defensive negligence for their fourth. No defender was anywhere near Andrei Arshavin when he collected Hennessey’s punch out from a corner and he simply rolled it into the corner. Craddock’s 89th-minute goal at least balamcd his earlier effort at the wrong end.

The Arsenal moves continued to flow. Then yet another silken passing thread landed the ball at the feet of Fabregas, who hoofed it over the bar from eight yards. Utter disbelief from everyone. The man is human after all.

Star man: Cesc Fabregas (Arsenal)

Referee: S Bennett

Attendance: 28,937

WOLVES: Hennessey 6, Zubar 5, Craddock 6, Berra 6, Stearman 6, Edwards 6, Henry 6, Castillo 5, Milijas 6, Doyle 7, Ebanks-Blake 5

ARSENAL: Almunia 6, Sagna 7, Gallas 7, Vermaelen 7, Gibbs 6, Ramsey 7, Diaby 6 (Song 23min 7), Arshavin 6, Fabregas 8, Eduardo 6, van Persie 6