Arsenal faced Wolverhampton Wanderers at the Emirates Stadium today in a Premier League clash with significant implications for both teams. Arsenal, looking to bounce back from a recent defeat against Aston Villa and keep pressure on their title rivals, hosted a struggling Wolves side, who sit at the bottom of the table.
Mikel Arteta's Arsenal welcomed back key players, including William Saliba, Declan Rice, and Jurrien Timber, to the starting lineup. Saliba returned after missing four matches due to a calf injury, while Rice recovered from an illness. Timber also made his way back into the team. Eberechi Eze and Bukayo Saka also returned to the starting XI.
The team news saw five changes from the midweek Champions League match against Club Brugge. Martin Odegaard, Mikel Merino, Myles Lewis-Skelly and Noni Madueke dropped to the bench. Riccardo Calafiori was absent due to suspension after accumulating five yellow cards. Gabriel Jesus continued to fight for his place with Viktor Gyokeres.
Wolves, managed by Rob Edwards, made three changes to their side following a 4-1 defeat to Manchester United. Hwang Hee-Chan replaced the injured Jean-Ricner Bellegarde, who limped off in the previous game with a hamstring injury. Joao Gomes returned from suspension, replacing Jhon Arias in midfield, while Matt Doherty took Ki-Jana Hoever's place at right wing-back.
The confirmed lineups were as follows:
- Arsenal: Raya, White, Saliba, Hincapie, Timber, Zubimendi, Rice, Eze, Saka, Martinelli, Gyokeres.
- Subs: Arrizabalaga, Lewis-Skelly, Norgaard, Merino, Odegaard, Nwaneri, Trossard, Madueke, Jesus.
- Wolves: Johnstone, Mosquera, Toti, Agbadou, Doherty, Krejci, Andre, Gomes, Moller Wolfe, Hwang, Strand Larsen.
- Subs: Sa, Tchatchoua, Hoever, S Bueno, Lopez, Chirewa, Arias, Mane, Arokodare.
Arsenal hoped to capitalize on Wolves' defensive vulnerabilities, as they have conceded more than 30 goals this season. A victory would give Arsenal a buffer over Manchester City in the league standings.
