The Gunners Face Wolves in Crucial Top-Flight Clash

The stage is set for a compelling top-flight matchup as league leaders the Gunners host rock-bottom Wolverhampton Wanderers to the Emirates Stadium.

Confirmed Sides

Arsenal have opted for a trio of alterations following the side that endured a narrow defeat at Aston Villa in their previous outing. The French defender, the Swedish striker and the Brazilian winger all come into the starting eleven. Martin Ødegaard and Mikel Merino are named on the substitutes' bench, while the Italian defender is absent. Saliba returns after sitting out a run of games due to injury.

Wolves also have made three adjustments to their lineup after being soundly beaten 4-1 at home by United last time out. The experienced full-back, the Brazilian midfielder and Hwang Hee-chan come in. Ki-Jana Hoever and Arias are on the bench, while Jean‐Ricner Bellegarde misses out altogether.

The Teams in Full

Arsenal: Raya, White, Saliba, Hincapie, Timber, Eze, Zubimendi, Rice, Saka, Gyokeres, Martinelli.
Subs: 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.

Referee: Robert Jones
Video Assistant Referee: John Brooks

The Setup

Welcome! Because, look at this …

The table reveals a striking picture. The hosts sit proudly at the pinnacle of the Premier League, while Wolves occupy the bottom of the league.

… yet while this will be the 42nd occasion the top side have taken on the side at the foot of the division – winning 30 out of 41, with seven tied games – who are behind two of the four all-time upsets? Why, Wolves, of course! So while the Arsenal manager will undoubtedly be expecting another victory, the Wolves boss must know that underdogs sometimes find the target, and you never know. Kick-off is at 8 o'clock in the evening GMT. The action is imminent!

(The remaining bottom-beats-top wins in the modern top-flight era are Oldham’s 1-0 win over Manchester United in March 1993, and Spurs – admittedly, this one sounds a bit weird - beating Liverpool in November 2008.)

Donald Hutchinson
Donald Hutchinson

A seasoned streamer and digital content creator with over a decade of experience in building online communities.