Arsenal play their rearranged fixture with Wolves on Wednesday owing to the upcoming Carabao Cup final in March, and Mikel Arteta will target a win.
Wolves must be prepared for a fateful encounter with the table-topping Arsenal, much ahead of its original scheduled date, owing to the Gunners’ participation in the Carabao Cup Final around the time they were expected to play. Rob Edwards and his Wolves side are not particularly used to playing games in quick succession, given they are about to play their fourth game in the span of some 12 days.
Only one of the previous three have resulted in a win, which came at the weekend in the FA Cup, as the Premier League’s basement club managed to punch their ticket into the fifth round owing to a slender victory over Grimsby Town.
In the Premier League, Wolves have had an abysmal season, accumulating only nine points in their 26 games, which comprises only a single win, which came against fellow relegation side West Ham. They have a huge task at hand, as Edwards will take inspiration from their display in the reverse fixture at the Emirates, which saw the Gunners only win by a late own goal.
Arsenal will come to the Molineux looking for a response to their struggling performance last Thursday against Brentford. Mikel Arteta’s side found it tough going at the GTech Stadium, as both teams had chances to win at the very end of the game. A second-half Noni Madueke strike gave the visitors the lead, which barely lasted a while.
Brentford responded in their own set-piece style, as Keane Lewis-Potter headed home from close range following an expertly taken throw-in from Michael Kayode. The Gunners could not maintain their six-point advantage at the top of the table, as Manchester City’s win over Fulham reduced the gap to four points. The Wolves clash is a pressure game from many angles, as a win would allow them to open a seven-point advantage, albeit having played a game more.
However, more dropped points could give Manchester City the onus to further close the gap whenever they play their game in hand, which is never a good thing for the leading pack of Arsenal. The north Londoners did bounce back with a stellar 4-0 win over Wigan in the FA Cup, and now, Arteta will want the focus shifted to their Premier League campaign and get back on track with the title race.
Team News & Tactics
Wolves
Rob Edwards does have a few issues to contend with as attacker Hwang Hee-Chan will sit out for the next few weeks with a calf injury. He will be joined by Toti Gomes, who injured his hamstring in the reverse fixture against Arsenal, and the defender is not fully fit to feature yet.
The Wolves boss made just one substitution in the win over Grimsby Town, and it is unclear whether that is a good or a bad thing for them as Edwards may have prioritised going strong in the FA Cup to prioritise the competition.
A few players are vying for spots in the Wolves lineup ahead of the clash with Arsenal. The likes of Jose Sa, Hugo Bueno, Rodrigo Gomes and January arrival Angel Gomes are those stars with the chance to start on Wednesday.
Striker Tolu Arokodare is in line to start up front following the absence of Hwang and the sale of Jorgen Strand Larsen, and new signing Adam Armstrong could also keep his place. Similarly, teenage sensation Mateus Mane is likely to operate in the attacking midfield role, as Angel Gomes might start this game in midfield alongside Joao Gomes, with Andre likely to be an option on the bench.
Probable Lineup (3-4-1-2): Sa; Mosquera, Santiago Bueno, Krejci; Rodrigo Gomes, Angel Gomes, Joao Gomes, Hugo Bueno; Mane; Armstrong, Arokodare
Arsenal
Arsenal have a few more injury concerns to deal with following their win over Wigan Athletic at the weekend. Riccardo Calafiori pulled out of the game in the warm-up, while Ben White was substituted in the second half. Mikel Arteta has since confirmed that the defensive duo are in contention for the Wolves clash.
Martin Odegaard missed out again, with Arteta confirming the Arsenal skipper will miss the Wolves clash, but could be fit for the weekend. He also stated Kai Havertz might be available for the weekend, with Arsenal taking on Tottenham in the north London derby.
Arteta did make nine changes from the Brentford clash, with many of those needing minutes played at the weekend. A host of the regulars are expected to return in the lineup, but it remains to be seen who takes up the attacking midfield berth.
Ebverechi Eze had a good game against Wigan, but Arteta also commented that he would want to further experiment using Bukayo Saka in the No.10 role. The bigger dilemma is to drop one of Saka or Madueke from the lineup, especially with the latter’s tremendous record against Wolves. For now, Arteta might start with Eze, with Madueke in the wing, while Leandro Trossard and Viktor Gyokeres are expected to start.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Raya; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Hincapie; Zubimendi, Rice; Madueke, Eze, Trossard; Gyokeres
Key Stats
- Wolves have lost 10 of their 13 Premier League home games this season.
- Arsenal have won their last 9 matches against Wolves in all competitions.
- Arsenal are undefeated in 21 of their last 23 matches in the Premier League.
- Arsenal have kept a clean sheet in their last 4 away matches against Wolves in all competitions.
Player to Watch
Noni Madueke
Three goals and an assist in his last four games across all competitions, Madueke ensured the absence of Saka was not felt in the team. The former Chelsea man is coming into a good vein of form heading to another matchday in the Premier League, as he will look forward to improving his personal record against Wolves.
Wolves are Madueke’s favourite opponent, scoring more times against than any other team. He has scored in each of his last two visits there, including a hat-trick last season there, as Arteta will want another such performance from his winger on Wednesday.
Prediction
Wolves 1-2 Arsenal
The Arsenal defence has not been as rock solid as it was in the first part of the campaign, which does give Wolves and their unpredictable attackers some hope. However, Edwards’ side will come into this one as overwhelming underdogs against the table toppers,
Arsenal will take this game seriously as they seek a victory to bounce back from their draw to Brentford last week. The Gunners need a big win under their belt to build momentum ahead of the North London Derby, as Arteta’s side might just achieve that.
