Arsenal Face Wolves in Crucial Premier League Fixture

The stage is set for a fascinating Premier League matchup as front-runners the Gunners entertain rock-bottom Wolverhampton Wanderers to the their home ground.

Starting Lineups

Arsenal have opted for a trio of alterations following the side that suffered a narrow loss at Aston Villa in their previous outing. William Saliba, Viktor Gyökeres and the Brazilian winger all start in the lineup. Martin Ødegaard and the Spanish midfielder drop to the substitutes' bench, while Riccardo Calafiori is not involved. Saliba is back after missing five matches due to injury.

Wolves also have made three adjustments to their lineup following being skelped 4-1 at home by Manchester United on Monday evening. Matt Doherty, João Gomes and the South Korean forward are recalled. Hoever and Arias drop to the bench, while Jean‐Ricner Bellegarde misses out altogether.

The Teams in Full

Arsenal: Raya, White, Saliba, Hincapie, Timber, Eze, Zubimendi, Rice, Saka, Gyokeres, Martinelli.
Bench: 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

Match Context

Good evening! Because, c’mon …

The standings reveals a stark picture. The hosts sit comfortably at the pinnacle of the Premier League, while Wolves anchor the league.

… however, even though this will be the 42nd time the top side have taken on the side at the foot of the division – winning 30 victories from 41, with seven draws – who are behind two of the four historical shocks? Indeed, Wolverhampton Wanderers, that’s who! So while the Arsenal manager will surely be expecting another victory, the Wolves boss must know that underdogs sometimes come off, and you never know. Kick-off is at 8 o'clock in the evening GMT. It’s on!

(The other two last-over-first victories in the modern top-flight era are Oldham Athletic's 1-0 win over United in March 1993, and Tottenham Hotspur – yeah, this one sounds a bit weird - beating Liverpool in November 2008.)

Kelly Bennett
Kelly Bennett

A passionate gamer and tech enthusiast with over a decade of experience in writing about video games and digital trends.