The Gunners Host Wolves in Key Top-Flight Clash

Focus shifts for a fascinating top-flight contest as front-runners Arsenal host rock-bottom Wolverhampton Wanderers to the their home ground.

Confirmed Sides

Arsenal have made a trio of alterations following 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 starting eleven. Martin Ødegaard and Mikel Merino drop to the substitutes' bench, while the Italian defender is not involved. The centre-back is back after missing five matches through injury.

Wolves also make three adjustments to their lineup after being heavily defeated 4-1 at Molineux by United on Monday evening. The experienced full-back, João Gomes and the South Korean forward start. Ki-Jana Hoever and Jhon Arias are on the substitutes, while Bellegarde is omitted altogether.

Confirmed Lineups

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.
Bench: Tchatchoua, Mane, Lopez, Hoever, Chirewa, Arokodare, Arias, Santiago Bueno, Jose Sa.

Match Official: Robert Jones
Video Assistant Referee: John Brooks

Preamble

Good evening! And I mean, look at this …

The standings paints a clear picture. The hosts sit proudly at the summit of the table, while Wolves anchor the division.

… yet while this will be the 42nd occasion the top side have faced the side propping up the entire table – with 30 out of 41, with seven draws – who are responsible for two of the four historical shocks? Indeed, Wolves, of course! Therefore, although the Arsenal manager will surely be expecting another three points, Rob Edwards must know that long shots sometimes find the target, and anything is possible. The start is at 8 o'clock in the evening GMT. The action is imminent!

(The other two bottom-beats-top wins in the modern top-flight era are Oldham Athletic's 1-0 win over Manchester United in March 1993, and Tottenham Hotspur – admittedly, a surprising one - defeating Liverpool in November 2008.)

Lisa Mccarthy
Lisa Mccarthy

A seasoned gaming journalist with over a decade of experience covering casino trends and slot machine strategies.