🔗 Share this article

Focus shifts for a compelling top-flight contest as front-runners the Gunners host struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers to the Emirates Stadium.

Starting Lineups

Arsenal have opted for a trio of alterations from the side that suffered a 2-1 loss at Aston Villa in their previous outing. The French defender, the Swedish striker and the Brazilian winger all start in the lineup. Martin Ødegaard and Mikel Merino are named on the substitutes' bench, while Riccardo Calafiori is absent. The centre-back is back after sitting out five matches due to injury.

Wolves also make three adjustments to their starting XI after being skelped 4-1 at home by Manchester United on Monday evening. The experienced full-back, the Brazilian midfielder and the South Korean forward start. Ki-Jana Hoever and Jhon Arias drop to the bench, while 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.
Subs: Tchatchoua, Mane, Lopez, Hoever, Chirewa, Arokodare, Arias, Santiago Bueno, Jose Sa.

Match Official: Robert Jones
Video Assistant Referee: John Brooks

Preamble

Welcome! And I mean, look at this …

The standings tells a clear story. Arsenal sit comfortably at the summit of the Premier League, while their opponents occupy the bottom of the league.

… yet while this will be the 42nd occasion the top side have faced the team propping up the entire table – with 30 out of 41, with seven draws – which team is behind two of the four all-time upsets? Indeed, Wolverhampton Wanderers, that’s who! So while Mikel Arteta will surely be expecting another victory, the Wolves boss must know that underdogs sometimes come off, and you never know. The start is at 8pm GMT. The action is imminent!

^{(The remaining last-over-first victories in the Premier League era are Oldham’s 1-0 win over United in March 1993, and Tottenham Hotspur – admittedly, a surprising one - beating Liverpool in November 2008.)}