Softfootball understands that Arsenal are sitting right at the top of the Premier League and are set to face Wolves, who are buried at the very bottom. The game kicks off at the Emirates, where Arsenal has basically turned into a team that refuses to lose, especially this season.
Arsenal posted photos of their players preparing for the game via their official X account.
View the post below:
The Gunners head into the match still shaking off the strange mix of emotions from the past week. They rolled through Club Brugge 3–0 in the Champions League, barely breaking a sweat, which helped them forget the way Aston Villa stunned them 2–1 last weekend.
Emiliano Buendia’s late curler ended the team’s 18-game unbeaten run in the last seconds. Still, Arsenal are very much in the title chase. Villa and Man City are hovering close behind, meaning Arsenal really can’t afford another slip.
Arsenal Gabriel Magalhães and William Saliba are injured; the back line just hasn’t been the same since, conceding six goals in the last five league games, which is way off their early-season numbers.
The midweek clean sheet in Belgium was a good sign, though, and honestly, Arsenal at home has been a different team entirely.
Wolves come in on the complete opposite end of the mood spectrum. Their 4–1 loss to Manchester United was defeat number nine in a row, and the way the season is going, they might unfortunately be drifting toward one of the worst Premier League records ever.
Team News
Arsenal’s week has been busy, and not in the best way. Riccardo Calafiori is suspended after picking up his fifth yellow card of the season.
Max Dowman and Cristhian Mosquera are both out with ankle problems, Leandro Trossard still has that knock bothering him, while Gabriel Magalhães is out with a thigh issue, and Kai Havertz is working his way back from a knee problem.
There might be a little good news, maybe. Declan Rice, William Saliba and Jurrien Timber are being looked at closely and could make the squad if things go right. And probably the highlight of Arsenal’s week was seeing Gabriel Jesus finally back from his ACL injury after almost a year.
He actually looked sharper than expected, but even with that, Viktor Gyökeres is still likely to start.
Wolves’ situation isn’t exactly bright, but at least Joao Gomes’ return from suspension gives them something to work with in midfield. His comeback lets Ladislav Krejci drop into a more natural position in defence, which should help them feel a bit more organised.
Possible Lineups
Arsenal:
Raya; White, Timber, Hincapie, Lewis-Skelly; Odegaard, Norgaard, Rice; Saka, Gyokeres, Eze
Wolverhampton Wanderers:
Johnstone; Krejci, Agbadou, Toti; Tchatchoua, Gomes, Andre, Wolfe; Lopez; Arokodare, Strand Larsen
SoftFootball’s Prediction
Honestly, this one feels straightforward. Arsenal at home, Wolves on a horrible run, and everything about the matchup tilting heavily toward the league leaders.
Prediction: Arsenal 3–0 Wolves
