The Gunners Take On Wolverhampton Wanderers in Pivotal Top-Flight Fixture
The stage is set for a compelling Premier League matchup as table-toppers Arsenal entertain struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers to the their home ground.
Confirmed Sides
Arsenal have introduced three changes from the team that suffered a 2-1 loss at Villa Park in their previous outing. The French defender, Viktor Gyökeres and Gabriel Martinelli all come into the starting eleven. The captain and Mikel Merino are named on the substitutes' bench, while Riccardo Calafiori is not involved. The centre-back returns after missing a run of games due to injury.
The visitors also make three changes to their starting XI after being skelped 4-1 at home by Manchester United last time out. Matt Doherty, João Gomes and Hwang Hee-chan are recalled. Hoever and Jhon Arias drop to the bench, while 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.
Substitutes: Tchatchoua, Mane, Lopez, Hoever, Chirewa, Arokodare, Arias, Santiago Bueno, Jose Sa.
Match Official: Robert Jones
Video Assistant Referee: John Brooks
Match Context
Welcome! And I mean, let's be honest …
The standings paints a stark contrast. Arsenal sit comfortably at the summit of the table, while Wolves occupy the bottom of the league.
… yet while this will be the 42nd occasion the top side have faced the side at the foot of the entire table – with 30 victories from 41, with seven tied games – which team is behind two of the four historical shocks? Indeed, Wolves, that’s who! So while the Arsenal manager will surely be anticipating another victory, 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. The action is imminent!
(The other two last-over-first 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 - beating Liverpool in November 2008.)
