🔗 Share this article

The stage is set for a fascinating Premier League contest as league leaders Arsenal host rock-bottom Wolves to the Emirates Stadium.

Starting Lineups

Arsenal have introduced a trio of alterations from the team that suffered a 2-1 loss at Aston Villa in their previous outing. William Saliba, Viktor Gyökeres and the Brazilian winger all come into the lineup. The captain and the Spanish midfielder drop to the bench, while Riccardo Calafiori is not involved. The centre-back is back after missing five matches due to injury.

Wolves also make three changes to their starting XI after being soundly beaten 4-1 at home by Manchester United last time out. Matt Doherty, João Gomes and the South Korean forward come in. Hoever and Arias are on the substitutes, while Jean‐Ricner Bellegarde is omitted altogether.

The Teams in Full

Arsenal: Raya, White, Saliba, Hincapie, Timber, Eze, Zubimendi, Rice, Saka, Gyokeres, Martinelli.
Bench: 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

Welcome! And I mean, look at this …

The standings tells a stark contrast. The hosts sit comfortably at the pinnacle of the Premier League, while their opponents occupy the bottom of the division.

… however, even though this will be the 42nd occasion the Premier League leaders have played the side propping up the division – with 30 victories from 41, with seven tied games – who are behind two of the four all-time upsets? Why, Wolves, of course! Therefore, although the Arsenal manager will undoubtedly be expecting another victory, Rob Edwards must know that long shots sometimes find the target, and you never know. Kick-off is at 8 o'clock in the evening GMT. Let's go!

^{(The other two last-over-first victories in the modern top-flight era are Oldham Athletic's 1-0 win over United in March 1993, and Spurs – admittedly, this one sounds a bit weird - defeating Liverpool in November 2008.)}