Arsenal had lost some form in January but the month of February has seen Mikel Arteta’s men pick up vital wins against Wolves and Brentford to aid their charge for a Champions League finish. The last meeting between Arsenal and Wolves in Molineux was marred by that bizarre red card that was brandished to Gabriel Martinelli, forcing the Gunners to put up a defensive masterclass for the rest of the game. That victory also put Arsenal ahead of Wolves on the table, making tonight’s fixture all the more juicy.
Wolves are two points behind the Gunners and are currently vying for a Europa League berth, so any good result against Arsenal will see their ship steer to the right direction of European qualification. The Gunners would be wary of this fixture, having failed to beat Wolves at home in their last four encounters but the home side will look to the likes of Bukayo Saka and Smith-Rowe that are in good goalscoring form.
Arsenal Team News
Arteta will have a clean bill of health heading into this game with Takehiro Tomiyasu edging for a return to first team action. The Japanese full back has been nursing a calf injury and the experienced Portuguese fullback, Cedric Soares, has decent in his stead, so Arsenal might not be in such a hurry to thrust him into action. The Gunners will also have Martinelli back from suspension, and it’s going to be interesting to see whether he returns to a starting berth, or waits on the sidelines for the club’s leading scorer, Emile Smith-Rowe. The manager has waxed lyrical about his star player, stating that his scoring numbers aren’t a coincidence
“The numbers should be looking something like this and that’s not a coincidence. “He’s practicing every day, he is working, he has willingness to do it because he knows he has the qualities and the capacity to do it. That’s what we have to demand from players whether they are 19 or 20 or 35.
“I think it’s [down to] a combination of everything. It’s in his nature, he needs to feel that confidence and that trust around the coaching staff that we are the right people to guide him and to take him to the next level.
“He needs his team-mates, which are big contributors to what he can do on the pitch. He needs to feel love, he needs to have the right environment around him, his family, girlfriend or whatever next to him, and when that happens, he has got a good chance.”
These are some big words that would do wonders to the confidence of ESR, so I doubt if he’d be hyped like this and sent straight to the bench. Everyone isn’t Pep Guardiola.
Arsenal Predicted Lineup
Wolves Team News
The Wolves gaffer, Bruno Lage, has confirmed that his wing back, Rayan Ait-Nouri, should be fit enough to play after being hauled off at half time in the win over Leicester. However, the manager can count on the Brazilian, Marcal, to deputize in Ait-Nouri’s stead. Those two have locked horns all season for the left wing back slot, and with the injury scare to the French defender, the Brazilian might just get the nod on this one.
On the injury front, Yerson Mosquera and Willy Boly are progressing from the lengthy layoffs, while Pedro Neto made his long awaited comeback in the narrow win over Leicester.
Wolves Predicted Lineup
Injury / Suspension Updates
Arsenal: None
Wolves: None
Form Guide
Arsenal Form
- Last Five Games: W L D W W
- Last Result: Arsenal 2-1 Brentford (Smith-Rowe 48?, Saka 79′ | Norgaard 93′)
- Leading Goalscorer: Emile Smith-Rowe (10)
Wolves Form
- Last Five Games: W W L W W
- Last Result: Wolves 2-1 Leicester (Ruben Neves 8′, Podence 66′ | Lookman 41′)
- Leading Goalscorer: Raul Jimenez, Daniel Podence (5)
Gooner Daily predicts a 2 – 1 Arsenal win.
Kick Off – 8.45pm (GMT +1) at Emirates Stadium.
Sayonara.
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