Preview: Arsenal vs Wolverhampton Wanderers – prediction, team news, line-ups

Arsenal return to Premier League action on Saturday afternoon, taking on Wolverhampton Wanderers at the Emirates Stadium.

The game is poised to deliver an eye-catching contest so whether you’re a seasoned Gunners supporter or just a neutral keen to enjoy the game, you can buy Arsenal tickets from Seatsnet.com to attend the match.

The Gunners head into the weekend fixture on the back of a commanding 6-0 victory over RC Lens to seal a spot in the knockout phase of the Champions League.

Mikel Arteta’s side ran riot, decimating their Ligue 1 counterparts on home turf courtesy of goals from Kai Havertz, Gabriel Jesus, Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, Martin Odegaard, and Jorginho.

The Gunners successfully exerted revenge on the French high flyers after falling to a shocking 2-1 defeat in the reverse fixture at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis in France.

Lens continuously left space for the Gunners to exploit, and the rampant north Londoners took full advantage, bagging five goals in a merciless first-half mauling.

Jorginho added the cherry on top with a well-taken late penalty, ensuring Arsenal advanced to the last 16 as Group B winners, rendering their final fixture against PSV Eindhoven inconsequential.

After getting the job done on the continental stage, Arteta’s side turn their attention to the Premier League, where they will be aiming to consolidate their place at the summit.

Before obliterating Lens, Arsenal established themselves at the top of the Premier League table following a nail-biting 1-0 win over local rivals Brentford, with Havertz emerging from the bench as the unlikely hero.

However, with Manchester City, Liverpool, and Aston Villa breathing down their necks, Arsenal cannot afford to rest on their laurels heading into the tricky weekend showdown against Wolves.

Arsenal are on a four-match winning streak across all competitions, and the Premier League leaders will fancy their chances of extending their run when Wolves storm north London. 

Gary O’Neil’s men have had a few days to reflect on an excruciating 3-2 defeat to Fulham, where VAR stole the spotlight with yet another controversial call.

Alex Iwobi put the hosts in front inside ten minutes, but Matheus Cunha levelled matters heading into what turned out to be a forgettable second half from VAR’s point of view.

Referee Michael Salisbury pointed to the spot three times in the second half, with Willian converting a pair, including one deep into stoppage time to cancel out Hee-Chan Hwang’s penalty in the 75th minute.

However, after a post-match debate with the VAR team, a deflated O’Neil was informed that as many as three decisions that went against his side were incorrect.

Repeated PGMOL apologies have done little to soften the blow for Wolves, who could be seven points better off had VAR not incorrectly intervened on numerous occasions. 

Nonetheless, Wolves remain 12th on the Premier League rankings, ten points ahead of the relegation places, but will have their hands full trying to get the better of Arsenal at the Emirates.

Having thwarted Tottenham Hotspur ahead of last month’s international break, the West Midlands side will back themselves to condemn the league leaders to a similar fate on Saturday afternoon.

Match Preview

Arsenal

Arsenal have a real chance to put down a marker at the top, with title rivals Man City, Liverpool and Tottenham all playing on Sunday.

Facing Wolves on home turf adds to the optimism, and the Gunners couldn’t have asked for a more favourable opponent, considering they have won their last four games in a row against the Midlands club.

Gabriel Jesus has managed just one Premier League goal this term but returned to the scoresheet in the mauling of Lens and will be licking his lips at the prospect of facing Wolves at the weekend.

Jesus has been involved in seven goals in his six Premier League starts against Wolves, netting six times and providing an assist. He also notched a goal and an assist in Arsenal’s 5-0 win in this exact fixture last season.

Bukayo Saka has registered ten goal contributions (four goals, six assists) have been worth nine points to Arsenal in the Premier League this season, including his assist for Havertz’s winner at Brentford last time out. 

Only Man City’s Erling Braut Haaland’s goal involvements (14 goals, three assists) have been worth more points to his side this season (ten).

Arsenal have scored in their last 31 meetings with Wolves in all competitions and could equal their club record longest scoring streak against an opponent (current run of 32 against West Bromwich Albion).

Wolverhampton Wanderers

Wolves have already won a Premier League game against the league leaders this season, registering a shocking 2-1 victory over defending champions Man City in September. 

However, they’ve failed to pull off a victory when travelling to the home of the leaders, suffering defeats in all six of their away games against sides at the summit of the division.

Since losing 1-0 to Manchester United in their Premier League curtain raiser, Wolves have scored in each of their last 12 Premier League games, marking their second-longest scoring streak in Premier League history.

However, getting on the score sheet against Arsenal might be a tricky task, considering the Gunners have kept the most clean sheets (six) and conceded the fewest goals (ten) of any Premier League side this season. 

Hee-Chan could be key to Wolves’ unlikely chance at victory, with only Mohamed Salah (11) scoring or assisting a goal in more different Premier League games than the South Korean striker (nine) this season. 

Hwang hasn’t scored or assisted more than once in any game thus far. He’s level with Saka for players having more goal involvement without doing so more than once in a game (nine).

Team News

Arsenal faces a number of injury challenges, with Thomas Partey, Emile Smith Rowe, and Jurrien Timber still unavailable. 

Additionally, Fabio Vieira was also set to miss the game as he serves the second of a three-game domestic ban before undergoing surgery.

Pedro Neto faces a race against time to be fit for the Arsenal game as he grapples with a hamstring issue, but Craig Dawson returns from suspension. 

Joao Gomes remains banned, and Rayan Ait-Nouri’s availability remains in doubt with an ankle injury.

Arsenal potential starting line-up:

(4-3-3): David Raya; Takehiro Tomiyasu, William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes, Oleksandr Zinchenko; Martin Odegaard, Declan Rice, Kai Havertz; Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Jesus, Gabriel Martinelli.

Wolverhampton Wanderers potential starting line-up:

(3-5-2): Jose Sa; Craig Dawson, Max Kilman, Toti Gomes; Nelson Semedo, Boubacar Traore, Tommy Doyle, Jean-Ricner Bellegarde, Matt Doherty; Matheus Cunha, Hee-Chan Hwang.

We Say: Arsenal 2-0 Wolverhampton Wanderers

Wolves have displayed a never-say-die attitude in their recent encounters, and they’ve shown they’re not afraid to go toe to toe with the best sides in the division.

However, their paltry record against Arsenal could be extended at the weekend, with the Gunners eager to extend their winning streak to five games.