Arsenal return to Premier League action and are aiming to get back to winning ways as they face a hapless Wolves side rooted to the bottom of the table.

Mikel Arteta conceded that a congested fixture list played a role in his Arsenal players’ lower levels of energy in their disappointing defeat last weekend, but the pattern cannot continue against Wolves. The Gunners succumbed to a last-minute Emiliano Buendia winner away at Villa Park, which allowed Aston Villa to close the gap on the leaders to just three points.

The other aspect of the loss is that Manchester City’s win over Sunderland ensured Pep Guardiola’s side are now firmly in the title race and only two points behind Arsenal. Overall, there is a pressure situation at hand for Arteta, who would now treat the home game against Wolves as a must-win encounter.

Arsenal did win in midweek, as they were able to dispatch Club Brugge away from home and keep their 100% record in this season’s UEFA Champions League intact. On paper, they will be expected to win against Wolves, given the plight of that team, and where the Gunners are at the moment.

Rob Edwards has had a tough start to life as Wolves’ new manager, as he oversaw a fourth consecutive defeat in the top flight. The latest of that came against Manchester United, at Molineux, which was also their ninth straight defeat in the top flight this season.

Wolves are yet to win a game of football in the Premier League this season, as they are increasingly etching their name as relegation favourites at the end of the season. There is still plenty of time on paper for Edwards to turn things around, but at the moment, things look dire for the Midlands side in their quest to climb up the table.

Team News & Tactics

Arsenal

Mikel Arteta had mixed messages during his press conference regarding the numerous players out injured. The midweek encounter in Belgium saw Leandro Trossard, Jurrien Timber, William Saliba and Declan Rice miss out, with all four are likely to be assessed before the Wolves clash.

Rice was thought to have an illness that prevented his involvement and travel, while Timber was a late withdrawal from the squad due to a knock sustained against Aston Villa. The duo are expected to be fit, but there are some doubts over the other two. On paper, given the quality of Wolves, Arteta can potentially allow Saliba and Trossard some more time on the sidelines, as Arsenal do not play for another week after Saturday.

Cristhian Mosquera and Gabriel Magalhaes are still out of contention, with no return date set for the duo, as the expectation is for them to return early next year. Kai Havertz is also out, although Gabriel Jesus made his long-awaited return off the bench against Club Brugge and now he is a firm option in the squad. Meanwhile, Riccardo Calafiori will be suspended, meaning Myles Lewis-Skelly is expected to start.

Arteta is expected to make some changes with personnel and tactics, as Eberechi Eze and Bukayo Saka might be recalled. Should Rice make himself available, Arteta might ponder starting him in Martin Zubimendi’s role at the base of midfield to allow Eze and Martin Odegaard to be the attacking-eights in the setup. Viktor Gyokeres’s availability also ensures Mikel Merino might get some much-needed rest.

Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Raya; Ben White, Timber, Hincapie, Lewis-Skelly; Odegaard, Rice, Eze; Saka, Gyokeres, Martinelli

Wolves

Rob Edwards could also ponder a few tactical and personnel changes to his squad, as Joao Gomes returns from a one-match suspension. The midfielder’s availability could allow the Wolves boss to push Yerson Mosquera out of the team as Ladislav Krejci could drop down in a central defensive position.

The defeat to Manchester United also came at a high cost as key man Jean Ricner Bellegarde will miss out for many weeks with a hamstring issue suffered in that game.

Rodrigo Gomes, Marshall Munetsi, Leon Chiwone, and Daniel Bentley are the other absentees for the upcoming trip to the Emirates. Fer Lopez might be the man to replace Bellegarde, and Edwards could now use a two-man attacking setup with Tolo Arokodare and Jorgen Strand Larsen.

Probable Lineup (3-4-1-2): Johnstone; Krejci, Agbadou, Toti; Tchatchoua, Gomes, Andre, Wolfe; Lopez; Arokodare, Strand Larsen

Key Stats

• Arsenal have won their last eight matches against Wolves in all competitions.
• Arsenal have lost just once in their last 19 games across all competitions.
• Wolves have lost their last eight matches in the Premier League.
• Wolves are yet to win a game in the Premier League this season.
• Wolves are winless in 19 Premier League games and have lost their last eight in a row. Both runs are their joint-longest in their league history, also going 19 without a win between December 1984 and April 1985, and losing eight in a row between December 1981 and February 1982.

Player to Watch

Bukayo Saka

Embed from Getty Images

Saka is steadily getting back to his best form, but he still needs to bring output into the picture. Ahead of the weekend, the Wolves clash might not have come at a better time, as he is one of the picks of the weekend, not only on the pitch but off it, and the Arsenal star could be a captaincy pick for many FPL managers.

Saka could use this clash against Wolves as a good platform to build on, as goals and assists always fill a player with confidence. Arsenal need Saka at his best, and for a team to win the Premier League, they usually tend to depend on an attacker in full flow. So, the English international should put his name forward in that regard.

Prediction

Arsenal 3-0 Wolves

There is only one clear winner in this game, and that is Arsenal, but Wolves should not give up just because of the wider predictions and put up a fight. They were in the game against Manchester United at the end of the first half, but showcased a monumental collapse in the second period.

Arsenal are much tighter compared to Manchester United when it comes to giving spaces and opportunities a their goal, and Wolves could be in for a tough time. The Gunners are the overwhelming favourites in this clash, and the 3-0 prediction might still be an understatement of sorts.