The Gunners Take On Wolves in Crucial English Top Division Encounter
Focus shifts for a compelling Premier League contest as league leaders the Gunners welcome rock-bottom Wolves to the Emirates Stadium.
Team News
Mikel Arteta's side have opted for three changes from the side that suffered a 2-1 loss at Aston Villa last weekend. The French defender, the Swedish striker and Gabriel Martinelli are all included in the starting eleven. Martin Ødegaard and the Spanish midfielder drop to the bench, while Riccardo Calafiori is absent. The centre-back returns after sitting out a run of games through injury.
The visitors also have made three adjustments to their starting XI after being soundly beaten 4-1 at home by Manchester United on Monday evening. Matt Doherty, João Gomes and Hwang Hee-chan are recalled. Hoever and Jhon Arias drop to the bench, while Bellegarde is not in the squad altogether.
The Teams in Full
Arsenal: Raya, White, Saliba, Hincapie, Timber, Eze, Zubimendi, Rice, Saka, Gyokeres, Martinelli.
Substitutes: Arrizabalaga, Odegaard, Gabriel Jesus, Norgaard, Trossard, Madueke, Nwaneri, Merino, Lewis-Skelly.
Wolverhampton Wanderers: Johnstone, Mosquera, Agbadou, Toti Gomes, Doherty, Joao Gomes, Andre Trindade, Krejci, Wolfe, Larsen, Hwang.
Substitutes: Tchatchoua, Mane, Lopez, Hoever, Chirewa, Arokodare, Arias, Santiago Bueno, Jose Sa.
Match Official: Robert Jones
VAR Official: John Brooks
Match Context
Welcome! And I mean, let's be honest …
The standings reveals a stark contrast. Arsenal sit comfortably at the pinnacle of the table, while their opponents anchor the division.
… yet while this will be the 42nd occasion the top side have taken on the side at the foot of the division – winning 30 victories from 41, with seven draws – who are responsible for two of the four all-time upsets? Indeed, Wolves, of course! Therefore, although the Arsenal manager will surely be expecting another three points, the Wolves boss must know that underdogs occasionally succeed, and you never know. Kick-off is at 8 o'clock in the evening GMT. Let's go!
(The remaining last-over-first wins in the Premier League era are Oldham Athletic's 1-0 win over United in March 1993, and Tottenham Hotspur – yeah, a surprising one - beating Liverpool in November 2008.)