Mikel Arteta will want to swiftly switch his team’s focus to the Premier League title race when Arsenal face Wolves this weekend.
Mikel Arteta will reflect on the difficult week his team have had, which saw his team concede their top spot in the Premier League and then bow out of the Champions League. There were some struggles on either front, as now Arsenal are looking to re-focus their efforts in the domestic title race as they get set to take on Wolves at the Molineux on Saturday.
Last weekend, Arsenal had a terrific opportunity to become the undisputed leader in the Premier League race after Liverpool’s loss. Still, they suffered an untimely defeat at home to Aston Villa. Similarly, with their Champions League game poised at 2-2, they lost with a 1-0 scoreline to Bayern Munich away from home.
The Gunners are now three games without a win for the first time in this calendar year, something Arteta would like to stop immediately. Hence, for Arsenal to stay relevant in the title race, they must overcome the challenge posed by Wolves, who have been somewhat strong on their home turf this season.
Gary O’Neil had high hopes for his squad after a period when their performances looked promising. Wolves fans had even begun dreaming of an unprecedented European finish to end their season, but their recent results may have dented that particular objective.
Since beating Fulham at home, the Wolves have failed to win their next five games in all competitions, including an FA Cup quarter-finals against Coventry City on home soil. While they remain a considerable distance away from European spots, they must start another concerted run to ensure they stand a chance to stake a claim at one of those coveted continental spots.
However, their record against Arsenal has been poor, and they have yet to manage to get anything from the Gunners in their last six meetings in the Premier League. In fact, they have not managed to keep a clean sheet against them in the previous 32 games, which stretches back to a 1-0 win over the Gunners in Highbury back in 1979.
Team News & Tactics
Wolves
Gary O’Neil would have wanted a more substantial group to take on Arsenal. But unfortunately for the Wolves boss, he has several key injury issues to deal with ahead of this fixtures. Chief among those is the absence of key forward Matheus Cunha, who will miss this clash with a calf problem.
Meanwhile, Nelson Semedo will also miss out with a muscle injury, as he joins Jean-Ricner Bellegarde, winger Pedro Neto and Craig Dawson on the sidelines. The latter had had groin surgery and will probably miss the remainder of the campaign, while Neto, who recently resumed training on grass, does not have a chance of featuring in any capacity.
There are further doubts about the participation of crucial duo Rayan Ait-Nouri and striker Hwang Hee-chan. The duo is considered doubts, but they can still play some minutes, either off the bench or on a strict timeline, should O’Neil decide to start them.
In Ait-Nouri’s place, O’Neil might rope in Hugo Bueno, while namesake Santiago Bueno might join in the central defensive unit alongside Totti Gomes and Max Kilman. Matt Doherty could start on the right wing in place of Semedo. Pablo Sarabia and Mario Lemina will play slightly behind Nathan Fraser in the attacking third, as this is the best O’Neil can come up with.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Jose Sa; Toti Gomes, Kilman. Santiago Bueno; Doherty, Joao Gomes, Doyle, Hugo Bueno; Lemina, Sarabia; Fraser
Arsenal
The Gunners are again without many injury-related absentees, with only Jurrien Timber missing from action on the pitch. Mikel Arteta has revealed that the Dutchman is close to making a comeback in games. But Arsenal might side with caution following a severe knee injury at the start of the campaign.
The Wolves game might present Arteta the chance to regroup and even use some of his unused stars like Thomas Partey. However, the Spaniard may make only minor tweaks, like replacing Takehiro Tomiyasu with either Oleksandr Zinchenko or Jakub Kiwior, with the latter more likely to get the nod.
In midfield, Jorginho and Declan Rice will continue to feature, as Arteta will once again rely on Martin Odegaard for the creative inputs in this team. Bukayo Saka, who has not been up to the standards lately, will continue to feature on the right, while Gabriel Jesus and Leandro Trossard will continue to feature on the bench.
Gabriel Martinelli will start on the left, and Kai Havertz centrally, with Jesus and Trossard providing ample attacking depth off the bench.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Raya; Ben White, Saliba, Gabriel, Kiwior; Odegaard, Jorginho, Rice; Saka, Havertz, Martinelli
Key Stats
- Wolves have not kept a clean sheet in 32 games against Arsenal
- Wolves have not won their last five games in all competitions.
- Arsenal have won their last five matches against Wolves in all competitions.
- Arsenal have kept a clean sheet in five of their last seven away matches against Wolves in all competitions.
- Arsenal have scored at least two goals in their last four matches against Wolves in all competitions.
Player to Watch
Gabriel Martinelli
The Brazilian has been on the periphery in the last few weeks since his foot injury against Sheffield United before the international break. What has transpired in the ensuing weeks is that the winger has taken a considerable period to return to his lethal best and still seems far away from even half of what he can produce.
With the UEFA Champions League campaign out of the way for Arsenal, Mikel Arteta might have to focus a bit on Martinelli and reviving his form for the club. He will continue to keep the faith, and as a start against Wolves, he should come with the conditions that he performs and return to his very best.
Prediction
Wolves 0-2 Arsenal
The Gunners have not conceded in their last five away games in the Premier League, and Mikel Arteta will want to maintain that defensive record by heading to the Molineux. Wolves are also missing a host of their critical players, which does make Arteta’s job easy and much more challenging for Gary O’Neil ahead of this fixture.
With Arsenal coming into this clash under tremendous pressure to not repeat their performances from last Sunday, Arteta will demand a victory. Arsenal’s players will likely respond, and their defensive backline will respond likewise with a clean sheet to put a dent in Wolves’ European hopes.
