The Gunners Take On Wolverhampton Wanderers in Crucial English Top Division Fixture

The stage is set for a intriguing top-flight contest as table-toppers the Gunners welcome struggling Wolves to the Emirates Stadium.

Confirmed Sides

Mikel Arteta's side have opted for three changes from the team that suffered a 2-1 loss at Aston Villa last weekend. The French defender, the Swedish striker and Gabriel Martinelli are all included in the lineup. Martin Ødegaard and Mikel Merino drop to the bench, while Riccardo Calafiori is absent. Saliba is back after missing five matches through injury.

The visitors also have made three adjustments to their lineup following being soundly beaten 4-1 at home by Manchester United on Monday evening. The experienced full-back, the Brazilian midfielder and Hwang Hee-chan start. Hoever and Arias drop to the substitutes, while Jean‐Ricner Bellegarde misses out altogether.

Confirmed Lineups

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.

Match Official: Robert Jones
Video Assistant Referee: John Brooks

The Setup

Good evening! And I mean, c’mon …

The standings tells a striking contrast. The hosts sit proudly at the summit of the Premier League, while their opponents occupy the bottom of the division.

… yet while this will be the 42nd occasion the Premier League leaders have taken on the side propping up the entire table – with 30 victories from 41, with seven tied games – who are behind two of the four historical shocks? Indeed, Wolverhampton Wanderers, that’s who! Therefore, although the Arsenal manager will surely be anticipating another three points, the Wolves boss must know that underdogs sometimes succeed, and anything is possible. The start is at 8pm GMT. It’s on!

^{(The other two bottom-beats-top victories in the Premier League era are Oldham Athletic's 1-0 win over United in March 1993, and Spurs – admittedly, a surprising one - defeating Liverpool in November 2008.)}