Premier League | Gameweek 23

Jan 25, 2025 at 3pm UK

Molineux Stadium

Wolves vs Arsenal

Match preview

For a moment against Dinamo Zagreb, the Gooners may have felt a dreadful sense of déjà vu as Mikel Arteta's men failed to capitalise on Declan Rice's second-minute opener and almost allowed Fabio Cannavaro's men back into the game with some sloppy defending.

However, Kai Havertz's header on 25 minutes put all fears to rest before Martin Odegaard's tap-in completed the scoring for Arsenal, who are now just one point away from securing a place in the last 16.

Avoiding the play-off stage could mean that the mid-season trip to Dubai - a godsend for Arsenal in recent years - is on the cards for Arteta and Co, who desperately need this season-saving trip if last weekend's agonising 2-2 draw with Aston Villa is anything to go by.

By surrendering a two-goal lead and drawing 1-1 with former manager Unai Emery, Arsenal dropped six points behind Liverpool - who have a game in hand - in the Premier League, with surprise package Nottingham Forest only behind on goal difference.

As painful as that result was, the visitors have now gone 12 Premier League games without defeat - the second-longest unbeaten run in the division behind Liverpool's 17 - and Arsenal's attackers are always up to the task against Wolves.

Arsenal's 2-0 win over the West Midlands side earlier in the season extended their unbelievable scoring streak against Wolves to 34 games in all competitions, with the last time they failed to find the net against Saturday's hosts dating back to 1979.

That 46-year run is also, unsurprisingly, Wolves' longest without keeping a clean sheet against a particular opponent, a disheartening omen for a side who have seen Pereira's new side lose their edge since the turn of the year.

Gary O'Neil's successor took seven points from his first nine top-flight games, but Wolves have now lost three in a row to Nottingham Forest, Newcastle United and Chelsea, conceding three goals and scoring just once.

It is only goal difference that keeps 17th-placed Wolves above 18th-placed Ipswich Town in the tense relegation battle, and the hosts are now in danger of losing their first four league games of the calendar year for only the third time after 1906 and 1982.

In another harbinger of doom for the Old Gold, Wolves' fourth defeat in each of those sequences coincidentally came at the hands of Arsenal, who will secure an eighth successive win over their relegation-threatened opponents if they can strike lightning for a third time in the West Midlands.

Recent Performance

Wolverhampton Wanderers Premier League form:WWDLLL

Wolverhampton Wanderers form (all competitions):WDLWLL

Arsenal Premier League form:WWWDWD

Arsenal form (all competitions):DLLWDW

Team News

Arsenal kept Dinamo Zagreb at arm's length despite the absence of hamstring victim William Saliba, who is not expected to be out for more than a few weeks, but the Gunners will be without him again at Molineux.

Arteta also has to contend with the absence of Myles Lewis-Skelly, who suffered a knee knock in the draw at Villa, while Gabriel Jesus (knee), Bukayo Saka (hamstring), Ben White (knee) and Takehiro Tomiyasu (knee) remain sidelined.

It is not all doom and gloom on the fitness front for Arsenal, however, as Ethan Nwaneri and Riccardo Calafiori were both in the matchday squad against Dinamo Zagreb after shaking off muscular problems, although the latter did not make it onto the pitch.

As for Wolves, Pereira's side travelled home from Chelsea with no new fitness concerns, and there is a slim chance that Toti Gomes (thigh) will be back in action when the Gunners visit.

However, the hosts will be without Sasa Kalajdzic (knee), Boubacar Traore (knee), Enso Gonzalez (knee) and Yerson Mosquera (knee), while Mario Lemina was left out of the squad to face the Blues as he considers a move away.

Speaking of players who could be on the move elsewhere, Pereira took issue with Matheus Cunha's body language after the draw with Chelsea - the Brazilian did not acknowledge the Wolves faithful at Stamford Bridge - but the head coach should not consider playing him against one of his supposed admirers.

Possible starting lineup

Wolverhampton Wanderers possible starting lineup:

Sa; Doherty, Agbadou, Bueno; Semedo, Andre, J. Gomes, Ait-Nouri; R. Gomes, Cunha; Larsen

Arsenal possible starting lineup:

Raya; Timber, Kiwior, Gabriel, Calafiori; Odegaard, Partey, Rice; Martinelli, Havertz, Trossard