The Gunners Face Wolverhampton Wanderers in Key Top-Flight Fixture
The stage is set for a intriguing top-flight contest as table-toppers Arsenal welcome bottom-placed Wolverhampton Wanderers to the Emirates Stadium.
Confirmed Sides
Arsenal have made three changes following the team that endured a 2-1 defeat at Aston Villa in their previous outing. William Saliba, Viktor Gyökeres and the Brazilian winger all start in the starting eleven. The captain and Mikel Merino drop to the substitutes' bench, while Riccardo Calafiori is not involved. The centre-back is back after sitting out five matches due to injury.
The visitors also have made three changes to their lineup following being heavily defeated 4-1 at home by Manchester United on Monday evening. The experienced full-back, João Gomes and Hwang Hee-chan are recalled. Hoever and Arias are on the substitutes, while Bellegarde is omitted altogether.
Starting Elevens
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.
Substitutes: Tchatchoua, Mane, Lopez, Hoever, Chirewa, Arokodare, Arias, Santiago Bueno, Jose Sa.
Match Official: Robert Jones
VAR Official: John Brooks
The Setup
Good evening! Because, let's be honest …
The standings reveals a striking contrast. Arsenal sit proudly at the pinnacle of the Premier League, while their opponents prop up the division.
… however, even though this will be the 42nd occasion the Premier League leaders have taken on the side propping up the division – winning 30 out of 41, with seven tied games – which team is behind two of the four historical shocks? Indeed, Wolverhampton Wanderers, that’s who! So while Mikel Arteta will surely be expecting another three points, the Wolves boss must know that underdogs sometimes come off, and anything is possible. Kick-off is at 8 o'clock in the evening GMT. Let's go!
(The remaining last-over-first wins in the modern top-flight era are Oldham’s 1-0 win over Manchester United in March 1993, and Tottenham Hotspur – admittedly, a surprising one - beating Liverpool in November 2008.)