Arsenal are playing down expectations that they can become the first team to hit the century mark of Premier League goals in a season.

Not since Tottenham Hotspur struck 111 goals in 1962-63 have a top-flight side gone into three figures, and the most prolific season since the inception of the Premier League came when Manchester United scored 97 times in 1999-2000.

Yet despite Saturday’s latest manifestation of the beautiful game, in which Arsenal emerged from 25 minutes on the rack to take their haul of league goals to 36 from 11 games, Cesc Fàbregas admits the goals will dry up at some stage. That, the captain said, is when the title contenders will have to show their mettle.

For now, Arsenal are playing with greater fluidity than ever, reflected in the 55 goals they have scored in all games this season. Even with a nominally testing injury list, they possess a greater depth of talent and they look better — tactically and in terms of team spirit — for the departure of Emmanuel Adebayor. No longer can northern hard-knocks claim Arsène Wenger’s team are southern softies.

Yes, they could easily have gone behind at Molineux, as Wolverhampton Wanderers, unbeaten in three matches, started with conviction and a wicked swerve on Nenad Milijas’s set-piece deliveries, but you always sensed Arsenal could move up a gear. And when Eduardo da Silva and Andrey Arshavin have played their part in passing the ball to death, on come Alexandre Song, Tomas Rosicky and Samir Nasri to keep it moving seamlessly; this, with Denilson and Theo Walcott out injured.

Arsenal scored at least three goals for the tenth time this season. Fàbregas leads the way with nine in all competitions, but the playmaker dismisses any comparisons to the great “Invincibles” team of 2003-04.

“We are Arsenal, we are a young team and we are trying to do our best,” he said. “There will be a time when we cannot score goals and everyone will say we are crazy. It will not be easy and we will have to be patient. It is in that moment where we have to be strong.”

It would be facile to suggest Arsenal had it easy because they were playing a promoted team. Wolves have been the better side in drawing with Everton, Aston Villa and Stoke City in recent weeks and after Kieran Gibbs headed Richard Stearman’s flick-on off the line, Sylvan Ebanks-Blake headed just wide.

When Christophe Berra misjudged another quality delivery from Milijas, Arsenal needed the introduction of Song, who replaced the injured Abou Diaby, to steady their midfield trio, freeing up the promising but less secure Aaron Ramsey.

It was ironic that Wolves, having presented such a set-piece threat, should go behind so softly from Fàbregas’s corner when, with Wayne Hennessey flapping, the ball went in off Ronald Zubar.

Eduardo’s chip spun in off Jody Craddock and, with Arsenal cruising, it was game over once Fàbregas converted Robin van Persie’s deliciously cushioned lay-off.

The second half — in which Arshavin cracked in a fourth goal before Craddock scored from Matt Jarvis’s corner the kind of goal that Wolves could have done with an hour earlier — was an academic exercise in damage limitation from the home side and “keep ball” from Arsenal.

Wenger denied any significant tweaking had liberated his players into this free-scoring machine, but Van Persie’s maturing into the pivotal central striker in a 4-3-3 formation is clearly working. Possessing a more velvet touch than Adebayor, he keeps the inter-passing slick, while his movement off the ball brings the best from the offensive midfield players, facilitating the forward dashes that allow Fàbregas to keep scoring.

The Arsenal manager agreed his team’s rate of 3.27 goals per league game is extraordinary. “It is,” he said. “The way we play football, the way we are organised and the way we go forward suits out players.”

Missing Adebayor, then, one inquisitor asked? Wenger just smiled. He could afford to.

Wolves (4-4-2): W Hennessey 5 — R Zubar 5, J Craddock 6, C Berra 5, R Stearman 5 — D Edwards 7 (sub: M Mancienne, 80min), K Henry 5, S Castillo 4 (sub: M Kightly, 65 5), N Milijas 5 (sub: M Jarvis, 74) — K Doyle 5, S Ebanks-Blake 4. Substitutes not used: M Hahnemann, A Keogh, G Halford, S Maierhofer. Booked: Milijas, Ebanks-Blake. Next: Chelsea (a).

Arsenal (4-3-3): M Almunia 4 — B Sagna 8, W Gallas 6, T Vermaelen 5, K Gibbs 8 — F Fàbregas 8, A Ramsey 7, A Diaby 5 (sub: A Song, 24min 7), A Arshavin 7 (sub: S Nasri, 74) — R van Persie 8, Eduardo da Silva 7 (sub: T Rosicky, 71). Substitutes not used: P Senderos, M Silvestre, V Mannone, E Eboué. Booked: Gallas, Gibbs, Arshavin. Next: Sunderland (a).

Referee: S Bennett Attendance: 28,937