Match Preview for Wolves vs Arsenal
Premier League leaders Arsenal travel to Molineux on Wednesday night to face bottom-placed Wolves, aiming to stretch their lead at the top of the standings.
The Gunners edged the reverse fixture 2-1 at the Emirates in December thanks to a stoppage-time own goal, and they arrive in the West Midlands fresh from a 4-0 FA Cup win over Wigan that secured a first fifth-round appearance since 2020.
They have an excellent record against Wolves, winning nine of their 11 Premier League visits to Molineux and scoring in each of the last 36 meetings between the clubs in all competitions.
Wolves progressed in the FA Cup at the weekend as well, beating Grimsby 1-0, while a goalless draw at Nottingham Forest earlier in the week showed they are capable of picking up points at times.
However, Rob Edwards’s side remain rooted to the bottom of the table and sit 18 points from safety with 12 matches left. Their home record has been particularly poor, losing 10 of 13 league games at Molineux this season.
Team news for Wolves v Arsenal
Arsenal remain without Mikel Merino and Kai Havertz due to injury. Martin Odegaard will be assessed after a knee knock, while Max Dowman, Riccardo Calafiori and Ben White are fitness doubts.
William Saliba returned from illness in the FA Cup and should start, with Jurrien Timber, Gabriel Magalhaes and Piero Hincapie likely to come back into defence.
Bukayo Saka has returned from a hip issue and is expected to feature in attack alongside Viktor Gyokeres and Leandro Trossard, although Noni Madueke is pushing for inclusion after recent away goals.
For Wolves, Hwang Hee-Chan is ruled out with a calf injury and Toti Gomes is still recovering from a hamstring problem. Jose Sa, Matt Doherty, Hugo Bueno and January signing Angel Gomes are among the players hoping to return to the starting lineup.
Expected line-ups for Wolves v Arsenal
Wolves: Sa; Mosquera, S. Bueno, Krejci; R. Gomes, A. Gomes, Mane, J. Gomes, H. Bueno; Armstrong, Arokodare
Arsenal: Raya; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Hincapie; Rice, Zubimendi, Eze; Saka, Gyokeres, Trossard
The stats for Wolves v Arsenal
- Arsenal have lost only one of their last 11 Premier League matches
- The Gunners have won 14 straight league games against teams in the relegation zone
- Wolves have lost 10 of 13 home league fixtures this season
- Arsenal have scored in 36 consecutive meetings with Wolves in all competitions
- Wolves have lost 16 of their last 20 matches against teams starting the day top of the table
Prediction
Wolves have shown improvements recently, but Arsenal’s superior quality and strong record in this fixture should be enough to secure three points and maintain their position at the summit.