The Gunners Host Wolverhampton Wanderers in Key Premier League Fixture
All eyes turn for a fascinating top-flight contest as league leaders the Gunners welcome struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers to the their home ground.
Confirmed Sides
Arsenal have made three changes following the side that endured a 2-1 defeat at Villa Park in their previous outing. William Saliba, the Swedish striker and Gabriel Martinelli are all included in the starting eleven. The captain and the Spanish midfielder drop to the substitutes' bench, while the Italian defender is absent. The centre-back returns after sitting out five matches due to injury.
The visitors also make three changes to their starting XI after being heavily defeated 4-1 at Molineux by United on Monday evening. Matt Doherty, the Brazilian midfielder and the South Korean forward come in. Hoever and Jhon Arias are on the bench, while Jean‐Ricner Bellegarde is not in the squad 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.
Subs: Tchatchoua, Mane, Lopez, Hoever, Chirewa, Arokodare, Arias, Santiago Bueno, Jose Sa.
Match Official: Robert Jones
Video Assistant Referee: John Brooks
Preamble
Good evening! Because, c’mon …
The standings reveals a clear story. Arsenal sit proudly at the summit of the Premier League, while Wolves prop up the division.
… however, even though this will be the 42nd occasion the Premier League leaders have taken on the team propping up the division – with 30 out of 41, with seven draws – which team is behind two of the four historical shocks? Why, Wolverhampton Wanderers, of course! So while the Arsenal manager will surely 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. Let's go!
(The remaining last-over-first wins in the modern top-flight 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.)