Arsenal Face Wolverhampton Wanderers in Key Premier League Fixture
The stage is set for a fascinating Premier League matchup as table-toppers the Gunners host struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers to the their home ground.
Confirmed Sides
Arsenal have opted for a trio of alterations following the XI that endured a 2-1 defeat at Aston Villa in their previous outing. William Saliba, the Swedish striker and the Brazilian winger all start in the lineup. The captain and the Spanish midfielder drop to the bench, while Riccardo Calafiori is absent. Saliba returns after sitting out a run of games due to injury.
Wolves also have made three adjustments to their lineup following being skelped 4-1 at Molineux by Manchester United on Monday evening. Matt Doherty, the Brazilian midfielder and Hwang Hee-chan start. Hoever and Jhon Arias are on the bench, while Bellegarde is omitted altogether.
Starting Elevens
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.
Substitutes: Tchatchoua, Mane, Lopez, Hoever, Chirewa, Arokodare, Arias, Santiago Bueno, Jose Sa.
Referee: Robert Jones
Video Assistant Referee: John Brooks
Preamble
Good evening! And I mean, let's be honest …
The standings reveals a striking contrast. The hosts sit proudly at the pinnacle of the table, while their opponents occupy the bottom of the league.
… yet while this will be the 42nd time the Premier League leaders have played the side propping up the division – with 30 victories from 41, with seven draws – who are behind two of the four historical shocks? Why, Wolves, of course! So while the Arsenal manager will undoubtedly be expecting another victory, the Wolves boss must know that long shots sometimes find the target, and anything is possible. Kick-off is at 8pm GMT. Let's go!
(The remaining bottom-beats-top victories in the Premier League era are Oldham Athletic's 1-0 win over United in March 1993, and Tottenham Hotspur – yeah, this one sounds a bit weird - defeating Liverpool in November 2008.)