Arsenal Face Wolves in Key Top-Flight Encounter

All eyes turn for a fascinating Premier League matchup as front-runners the Gunners welcome struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers to the their home ground.

Starting Lineups

Mikel Arteta's side have opted for three changes from the XI that suffered a narrow defeat at Villa Park in their previous outing. William Saliba, Viktor Gyökeres and Gabriel Martinelli all come into the lineup. The captain and the Spanish midfielder are named on the substitutes' bench, while Riccardo Calafiori is not involved. The centre-back returns after sitting out a run of games due to injury.

The visitors also have made three adjustments to their lineup after being heavily defeated 4-1 at home by Manchester United last time out. The experienced full-back, the Brazilian midfielder and Hwang Hee-chan start. Ki-Jana Hoever and Arias drop to the bench, while Bellegarde misses out altogether.

Confirmed Lineups

Arsenal: Raya, White, Saliba, Hincapie, Timber, Eze, Zubimendi, Rice, Saka, Gyokeres, Martinelli.
Substitutes: 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.
Bench: Tchatchoua, Mane, Lopez, Hoever, Chirewa, Arokodare, Arias, Santiago Bueno, Jose Sa.

Referee: Robert Jones
VAR Official: John Brooks

Preamble

Good evening! Because, let's be honest …

The standings paints a stark picture. Arsenal sit comfortably at the summit of the Premier League, while their opponents prop up the league.

… however, even though this will be the 42nd occasion the top side have faced the team propping up the division – winning 30 victories from 41, with seven draws – who are responsible for two of the four historical shocks? Why, Wolves, that’s who! So while Mikel Arteta will surely be expecting another three points, Rob Edwards must know that long shots occasionally come off, and anything is possible. The start is at 8 o'clock in the evening GMT. The action is imminent!

(The other two last-over-first 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 - defeating Liverpool in November 2008.)

James Harmon
James Harmon

Urban planner and writer with over a decade of experience in sustainable city development and community-focused design projects.