Arsenal Take On Wolverhampton Wanderers in Pivotal English Top Division Fixture

The stage is set for a fascinating top-flight matchup as table-toppers Arsenal entertain struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers to the their home ground.

Confirmed Sides

Mikel Arteta's side have made a trio of alterations following the XI that suffered a narrow loss at Villa Park 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 substitutes' bench, while the Italian defender is not involved. Saliba is back after sitting out a run of games through injury.

Wolves also have made three adjustments to their starting XI after being heavily defeated 4-1 at home by United last time out. Matt Doherty, João Gomes and Hwang Hee-chan are recalled. Ki-Jana 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.
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.
Subs: Tchatchoua, Mane, Lopez, Hoever, Chirewa, Arokodare, Arias, Santiago Bueno, Jose Sa.

Referee: Robert Jones
VAR Official: John Brooks

The Setup

Good evening! Because, look at this …

The table reveals a stark contrast. The hosts sit proudly at the top of the Premier League, while Wolves occupy the bottom of the division.

… yet while this will be the 42nd occasion the top side have taken on the team propping up the entire table – with 30 victories from 41, with seven draws – who are responsible for two of the four historical shocks? Indeed, Wolverhampton Wanderers, of course! Therefore, although Mikel Arteta will undoubtedly be anticipating another three points, the Wolves boss must know that underdogs sometimes find the target, and anything is possible. Kick-off is at 8 o'clock in the evening GMT. It’s on!

(The remaining last-over-first wins in the Premier League era are Oldham Athletic's 1-0 win over Manchester United in March 1993, and Spurs – admittedly, this one sounds a bit weird - beating Liverpool in November 2008.)

Donald Valencia
Donald Valencia

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