Arsenal Face Wolves in Key English Top Division Clash

The stage is set for a intriguing top-flight contest as league leaders the Gunners host rock-bottom Wolverhampton Wanderers to the Emirates Stadium.

Confirmed Sides

Arsenal have made three changes following the team that suffered a 2-1 defeat at Aston Villa last weekend. The French defender, the Swedish striker and the Brazilian winger are all included in the lineup. The captain and the Spanish midfielder are named on the bench, while the Italian defender is not involved. The centre-back returns after sitting out a run of games due to injury.

The visitors also make three changes to their starting XI after being heavily defeated 4-1 at home by Manchester United last time out. The experienced full-back, João Gomes and the South Korean forward start. Ki-Jana Hoever and Jhon Arias are on the bench, while Jean‐Ricner Bellegarde is not in the squad 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

The Setup

Good evening! And I mean, let's be honest …

The standings tells a stark picture. Arsenal sit comfortably at the top of the Premier League, while Wolves anchor the division.

… yet while this will be the 42nd time the Premier League leaders have faced the team at the foot of the entire table – with 30 out of 41, with seven tied games – which team is behind two of the four historical shocks? Why, Wolves, that’s who! Therefore, although Mikel Arteta will surely be anticipating another three points, Rob Edwards must know that long shots occasionally find the target, and anything is possible. Kick-off is at 8 o'clock in the evening GMT. It’s on!

^{(The remaining bottom-beats-top wins in the modern top-flight era are Oldham Athletic's 1-0 win over Manchester United in March 1993, and Spurs – yeah, this one sounds a bit weird - defeating Liverpool in November 2008.)}