Arsenal Take On Wolverhampton Wanderers in Key Top-Flight Clash
Focus shifts for a fascinating Premier League matchup as front-runners Arsenal entertain struggling Wolves to the Emirates Stadium.
Team News
Mikel Arteta's side have opted for three changes from the XI that suffered a narrow loss at Villa Park last weekend. The French defender, the Swedish striker and Gabriel Martinelli all come into the lineup. Martin Ødegaard and the Spanish midfielder are named on the bench, while Riccardo Calafiori is not involved. Saliba is back after missing five matches due to injury.
The visitors also make three changes to their lineup after being heavily defeated 4-1 at Molineux by United on Monday evening. Matt Doherty, the Brazilian midfielder and the South Korean forward come in. Ki-Jana Hoever and Arias are on the substitutes, while Jean‐Ricner Bellegarde is omitted 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.
Bench: Tchatchoua, Mane, Lopez, Hoever, Chirewa, Arokodare, Arias, Santiago Bueno, Jose Sa.
Referee: Robert Jones
Video Assistant Referee: John Brooks
Preamble
Good evening! Because, look at this …
The standings tells a stark contrast. The hosts sit comfortably at the top of the Premier League, while Wolves occupy the bottom of the division.
… however, even though this will be the 42nd time the top side have played the team at the foot of the division – with 30 out of 41, with seven draws – who are behind two of the four all-time upsets? Why, Wolverhampton Wanderers, of course! So while the Arsenal manager will undoubtedly be expecting another victory, the Wolves boss must know that long shots sometimes find the target, and anything is possible. Kick-off is at 8 o'clock in the evening GMT. Let's go!
(The other two last-over-first victories in the Premier League era are Oldham’s 1-0 win over United in March 1993, and Tottenham Hotspur – admittedly, this one sounds a bit weird - beating Liverpool in November 2008.)