The Gunners Take On Wolverhampton Wanderers in Pivotal Premier League Clash
The stage is set for a intriguing Premier League matchup as table-toppers Arsenal welcome bottom-placed Wolverhampton Wanderers to the Emirates Stadium.
Confirmed Sides
Mikel Arteta's side have opted for three changes from the side that endured a narrow loss at Villa Park in their previous outing. William Saliba, Viktor Gyökeres and Gabriel Martinelli all come into the lineup. Martin Ødegaard and the Spanish midfielder are named on the substitutes' bench, while Riccardo Calafiori is not involved. The centre-back returns after sitting out five matches 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 the South Korean forward start. Hoever and Arias are on the bench, while Jean‐Ricner Bellegarde is omitted altogether.
Starting Elevens
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
The Setup
Good evening! Because, look at this …
The standings reveals a clear contrast. Arsenal sit comfortably at the pinnacle of the table, while Wolves occupy the bottom of the division.
… however, even though this will be the 42nd occasion the top side have faced the side propping up the entire table – with 30 out of 41, with seven tied games – who are behind two of the four all-time upsets? Indeed, Wolverhampton Wanderers, of course! So while the Arsenal manager will surely be anticipating another three points, Rob Edwards must know that long shots occasionally succeed, and you never know. Kick-off is at 8pm GMT. It’s on!
(The other two last-over-first victories in the Premier League era are Oldham Athletic's 1-0 win over United in March 1993, and Spurs – admittedly, a surprising one - defeating Liverpool in November 2008.)