Arsenal Host Wolverhampton Wanderers in Pivotal Premier League Clash
The stage is set for a intriguing top-flight contest as table-toppers the Gunners welcome struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers to the Emirates Stadium.
Confirmed Sides
Arsenal have introduced a trio of alterations following the XI that endured a narrow loss at Aston Villa last weekend. The French defender, Viktor Gyökeres and Gabriel Martinelli all come into the lineup. Martin Ødegaard and the Spanish midfielder drop to the substitutes' bench, while the Italian defender is not involved. The centre-back is back after sitting out a run of games through injury.
The visitors also have made three adjustments to their starting XI following being soundly beaten 4-1 at Molineux by United on Monday evening. The experienced full-back, the Brazilian midfielder and the South Korean forward come in. Hoever and Arias are on the substitutes, while Bellegarde is omitted 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.
Bench: Tchatchoua, Mane, Lopez, Hoever, Chirewa, Arokodare, Arias, Santiago Bueno, Jose Sa.
Referee: Robert Jones
VAR Official: John Brooks
The Setup
Good evening! And I mean, let's be honest …
The standings reveals a clear picture. The hosts sit proudly at the top of the Premier League, while their opponents prop up the league.
… however, even though this will be the 42nd time the top side have taken on the team at the foot of the division – with 30 out of 41, with seven tied games – who are responsible for two of the four all-time upsets? Why, Wolverhampton Wanderers, of course! Therefore, although Mikel Arteta will undoubtedly be expecting another victory, the Wolves boss must know that underdogs occasionally come off, and you never know. Kick-off is at 8 o'clock in the evening GMT. The action is imminent!
(The other two bottom-beats-top victories in the Premier League era are Oldham Athletic's 1-0 win over Manchester United in March 1993, and Spurs – yeah, a surprising one - defeating Liverpool in November 2008.)
