The Gunners Face Wolverhampton Wanderers in Key English Top Division Fixture
Focus shifts for a intriguing top-flight contest as front-runners Arsenal host struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers to the Emirates Stadium.
Confirmed Sides
Mikel Arteta's side have introduced a trio of alterations from the side that endured a 2-1 defeat at Villa Park last weekend. The French defender, Viktor Gyökeres and Gabriel Martinelli all start in the lineup. Martin Ødegaard and Mikel Merino are named on the bench, while Riccardo Calafiori is not involved. Saliba returns after sitting out a run of games through injury.
The visitors also have made three changes to their starting XI after being soundly beaten 4-1 at Molineux by Manchester United on Monday evening. The experienced full-back, João Gomes and the South Korean forward come in. 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.
Bench: Tchatchoua, Mane, Lopez, Hoever, Chirewa, Arokodare, Arias, Santiago Bueno, Jose Sa.
Match Official: Robert Jones
Video Assistant Referee: John Brooks
The Setup
Good evening! Because, c’mon …
The standings reveals a clear picture. The hosts sit comfortably at the top of the Premier League, while Wolves anchor the league.
… yet while this will be the 42nd occasion the top side have played the team propping up the division – with 30 out of 41, with seven draws – who are responsible for two of the four historical shocks? Why, Wolves, of course! So while Mikel Arteta will undoubtedly be anticipating another victory, Rob Edwards must know that long shots occasionally come off, and you never know. Kick-off is at 8pm GMT. It’s on!
(The other two last-over-first victories in the modern top-flight era are Oldham’s 1-0 win over Manchester United in March 1993, and Tottenham Hotspur – yeah, a surprising one - beating Liverpool in November 2008.)