Arsenal Host Wolves in Key Top-Flight Fixture
Focus shifts for a fascinating top-flight matchup as league leaders Arsenal entertain struggling Wolves to the Emirates Stadium.
Confirmed Sides
Mikel Arteta's side have made three changes from the side that suffered a narrow loss at Aston Villa last weekend. William Saliba, the Swedish striker and Gabriel Martinelli are all included in the lineup. The captain and the Spanish midfielder drop to the substitutes' bench, while the Italian defender is not involved. The centre-back is back after missing five matches due to injury.
The visitors also have made three adjustments to their starting XI following being heavily defeated 4-1 at Molineux by Manchester United on Monday evening. The experienced full-back, João Gomes and the South Korean forward start. Ki-Jana Hoever and Jhon Arias are on the bench, while Bellegarde misses out altogether.
Confirmed Lineups
Arsenal: Raya, White, Saliba, Hincapie, Timber, Eze, Zubimendi, Rice, Saka, Gyokeres, Martinelli.
Subs: 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
VAR Official: John Brooks
The Setup
Welcome! Because, look at this …
The table tells a striking story. Arsenal sit proudly at the top of the Premier League, while Wolves occupy the bottom of the league.
… however, even though this will be the 42nd occasion the top side have faced the team propping up the entire table – with 30 out of 41, with seven draws – which team is responsible for two of the four all-time upsets? Why, Wolverhampton Wanderers, that’s who! Therefore, although the Arsenal manager will surely be expecting another victory, Rob Edwards must know that underdogs sometimes succeed, and you never know. Kick-off is at 8pm GMT. It’s on!
(The other two bottom-beats-top 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.)
