Nicklas Bendtner’s header with a minute of stoppage time remaining secured victory over determined Wolves and kept Arsenal in the EPL title-hunt.

Theo Walcott-inspired Arsenal threatened a hockey score in the early stages.

But they became increasingly frustrated by their hard-working visitors, who were largely unaffected by the harsh second-half dismissal of captain Karl Henry for a yellow-card offence on Tomas Rosicky.

Walcott was making a rare start in a much-changed Arsenal line-up ahead of Tuesday’s Champions League tie with Barcelona.

And he set up early chances for Eduardo, Bacary Sagna and himself, only for poor finishing and Wolves’ American keeper Marcus Hahnemann to keep them at bay.

The game threatened to change on the 65 minutes when Henry’s tackle from behind on Rosicky panicked referee Andre Marriner into dismissing him.

Marriner was possibly mindful of Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger’s recent tirades against opposition players for aggressively tackling his players.

But Wolves kept their defensive shape and were only undone by Arsenal’s own admirable determination.

Rosicky and Walcott both spurned fine opportunities and Hahnemann continued to be a formidable barrier.

But Bendtner’s close-range header from Sagna’s right-wing cross sealed victory and kept Arsenal within two points of EPL leaders Chelsea.