Predicted Arsenal lineup for their match against Wolves: “4-3-3 Nwaneri back in the XI” – Because Mikel Arteta is making a change For the first time this season, Declan Rice played from the middle of the pitch.
On Saturday afternoon, Arsenal will travel to the West Midlands to compete against Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux. This match will have Arsenal facing one of their most favoured opponents in the Premier League.
The Gunners gave themselves a shot in the arm by defeating Dinamo Zagreb in the Champions League by a score of 3-0 in the middle of the week. This victory came two days after Vitor Pereira’s team was defeated by Chelsea at Stamford Bridge three goals to one.
The Gooners may have experienced a feared sensation of déjà vu for a brief period of time during their match against Dinamo Zagreb. This is because Mikel Arteta’s team initially failed to capitalise on Declan Rice’s opening goal in the second minute of the match, and they came dangerously close to allowing Fabio Cannavaro’s team to get back into the game due to some sloppy play in defence.
However, Kai Havertz’s header with 25 minutes remaining lay any fears to rest, before Martin Odegaard’s tap-in made the scoreline even more emphatic for Arsenal, who are now only one point away from assuring themselves a spot in the last 16.
In the event that Arsenal is able to avoid the playoff stage, it is possible that the midseason trip to Dubai, which has been a blessing for Arsenal in recent years, will be scheduled for Arteta and the rest of the team. If the torturous 2-2 draw that they played against Aston Villa over the weekend is any indication, they are in dire need of that season-saving trip.
Arsenal slipped six points behind Liverpool in the Premier League table, who still have a game in hand, while surprise package Nottingham Forest are only behind on goal differential at this stage. This was due to the fact that Arsenal threw away a two-goal lead to draw with former boss Unai Emery.
As excruciating as that outcome was, the away team has now gone through each of their previous 12 Premier League meetings without suffering a loss. This is the second-longest undefeated record in the division, after Liverpool’s 17 matches, and Arsenal’s attackers are always up to the job when they face Wolves.
Arsenal’s remarkable scoring streak over Wolves has reached 34 games across all competitions, with the last time they failed to make the net bulge against Saturday’s hosts being in 1979. This record was extended by Arsenal’s 2-0 victory over the West Midlands team earlier in the season.
It should come as no surprise that this 46-year streak also represents Wolves’ longest streak without a clean sheet against a specific opponent. This is a disheartening portent for a team that has witnessed Pereira’s new manager bounce back well and fully wear off since the beginning of the year.
Gary O’Neil’s replacement obtained seven points out of the first nine available in the Premier League, but Wolves have since suffered three consecutive defeats against Nottingham Forest, Newcastle United, and Chelsea. In each of these matches, Wolves have allowed three goals to be scored against them, while they have only managed to score one themselves.
The only thing that is keeping 17th-placed Wolves ahead of 18th-placed Ipswich Town in the intense relegation scrap is the difference in goals, and the hosts are now in danger of losing each of their first four league matches of a calendar year for the third time in their history, following in the footsteps of 1906 and 1982.
Wolves’ fourth loss in each of those sequences coincidentally occurred against Arsenal, who would clinch their eighth consecutive win over their relegation-threatened opponents if they are able to make lightning strike for a third time in the West Midlands. This is just another indication that Wolves’ fate is bleak.
Despite the absence of hamstring casualty William Saliba, who is not anticipated to be sidelined for more than a couple of weeks, Arsenal was able to keep Dinamo Zagreb at a distance. However, the Gunners should have to deal with the absence of Saliba once more at Molineux.
Arteta has also been given an untimely concern with Myles Lewis-Skelly, who was unable to participate in the Champions League triumph due to a knee injury he sustained in the Villa tie. Gabriel Jesus (knee), Bukayo Saka (hamstring), Ben White (knee), and Takehiro Tomiyasu (knee) are also still unable to play due to injuries.
On the other hand, it is not all bad news for Arsenal in terms of their fitness. Ethan Nwaneri and Riccardo Calafiori were both included in the matchday squad against Dinamo Zagreb after they had recovered from their muscle issues. However, Riccardo Calafiori did not make it onto the pitch.
Pereira’s Wolves team returned home after their match against Chelsea without any fresh worries over their fitness. However, there is a remote possibility that Toti Gomes, who has been sidelined with a thigh injury, may be able to return to duty when the Gunners come to visit.
For the time being, however, the hosts will continue to be without Sasa Kalajdzic (knee), Boubacar Traore (knee), Enso Gonzalez (knee), and Yerson Mosquera (knee). Mario Lemina, who is now considering a move away from the club, was not included in the squad that will compete against the Blues.
Pereira took issue with Matheus Cunha’s body language after the Chelsea draw. The Brazilian did not recognise the Wolves fans who were there at Stamford Bridge. However, the head coach should not contemplate firing Cunha against one of his rumoured admirers. This is in reference to the possibility that players are going to be transferred to other clubs.
Among the likely starting lineups for Wolverhampton Wanderers are:Doherty, Agbadou, and Bueno; Semedo, Andre, J. Gomes, and Ait-Nouri; R. Gomes, and Cunha; Larsen
Raya, Timber, Kiwior, Gabriel, Calafiori, Odegaard, Partey, Rice, Martinelli, Havertz, and Trossard are some of the likely choices for the starting lineup for Arsenal.
