Arsenal Face Wolves in Crucial Top-Flight Fixture
All eyes turn for a fascinating Premier League matchup as table-toppers Arsenal host struggling Wolves to the their home ground.
Starting Lineups
Mikel Arteta's side have made three changes from the team that suffered a 2-1 defeat at Aston Villa last weekend. The French defender, Viktor Gyökeres and Gabriel Martinelli all start in the lineup. Martin Ødegaard and Mikel Merino are named on the substitutes' bench, while Riccardo Calafiori is absent. The centre-back is back after missing a run of games due to injury.
The visitors also have made three adjustments to their starting XI after being heavily defeated 4-1 at Molineux by Manchester United last time out. The experienced full-back, João Gomes and Hwang Hee-chan start. Hoever and 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.
Substitutes: Tchatchoua, Mane, Lopez, Hoever, Chirewa, Arokodare, Arias, Santiago Bueno, Jose Sa.
Match Official: Robert Jones
Video Assistant Referee: John Brooks
The Setup
Welcome! Because, c’mon …
The table reveals a stark picture. The hosts sit proudly at the pinnacle of the Premier League, while Wolves anchor the league.
… yet while this will be the 42nd occasion the Premier League leaders have faced the team at the foot of the entire table – winning 30 victories from 41, with seven draws – who are behind two of the four all-time upsets? Why, Wolverhampton Wanderers, that’s who! Therefore, although Mikel Arteta will undoubtedly be expecting another three points, the Wolves boss must know that underdogs occasionally find the target, and you never know. The start is at 8 o'clock in the evening GMT. It’s on!
(The other two last-over-first wins in the Premier League era are Oldham Athletic's 1-0 win over United in March 1993, and Tottenham Hotspur – admittedly, a surprising one - beating Liverpool in November 2008.)