Wolves vs Arsenal
Date: 24/04/2019
K/O: 19:45
Venue: Molineux
Referee: Stuart Atwell
A misfiring Wolves will face off against a stunned Arsenal side as both failed to capitalise against their more preferable opponents at the weekend.
Both teams stumbled in chasing their hotly contested European league positions after underwhelming performances led to Wolves failing to beat Brighton and Arsenal suffering a shock defeat against London rivals Crystal Palace, both at home.
Wolves home form had prevented Nuno Espirito Santo’s men from being subject to more scrutiny due to their poor results against weaker opposition and their dreadful away form in recent weeks. However, that has changed now they failed to overcome a besieged Brighton side who conceded seven goals in their previous two games and are hovering above the relegation zone.
Arsenal too were reliant on their home to quieten discontent amongst the critics and fans, however they must respond to a startling defeat at the Emirates, with an infrequent victory on the road when they travel to Molineux on Wednesday evening.
Unai Emery and his Gunners have been handed a lifeline after Chelsea joined the shortcomings of the other teams chasing the final two Champions League positions, who also dropped points in the previous round of fixtures home to Burnley.
Wolves tend to perform much better against tougher opposition and the same can be expected when going toe to toe with Arsenal. Last time out, Wolves managed to leave with a point and their track record against the top six will give them confidence despite another slump in form.
They can reclaim 7th with a victory but a draw would likely only see them move up to 9th and level on point with Everton and Watford in 7th and 8th. They have shared the lead for 7th with Watford for the majority of the latter half of the season but their cup heartbreak against the Hornets may have taken the wind out of their sails.
Arsenal have not impressed on the road this season, only taking 22 points from a possible 48. Their home form has been their saviour, only sitting behind Liverpool and Manchester City. Arsenal’s mentality has been attributed to their weaknesses when playing away, something that has stemmed from the Wenger era. Unai Emery has not corrected that but recognises it as a problem.
The same old defensive ineptitude also seems present in the current Arsenal squad and has been their undoing time after time. Nuno Espirito Santo has urged his men to go for the kill against the Gunners and get on the front foot. It will be a real test of Arsenal’s weaknesses, but if they want a European spot it’s something that needs to be overcome against the West Midlands club.
Team News
Wolves will have a fully fit squad available and it’s likely that Nuno will stick with the same side which were locked in a stalemate against Brighton on Saturday. Nuno is known for consistently fielding the same starting eleven despite the team’s current form.
Therefore, it can be anticipated he will repeat the starting line up from the weekend. The smallest Premier League squad have gone no more than two weeks with a player injured throughout the entire season.
Emery’s preparation for this difficult game won’t be made any easier by the fact that Aaron Ramsey and Denis Suarez will both be unavailable.
The Welsh international suffered a hamstring injury in the Europa League win at Napoli on Thursday night and it is uncertain whether he will return before the end of the season. Suarez, meanwhile, is still suffering from a groin strain which he too picked up against Napoli in the first leg.
Xhaka could return to the squad since his hip injury which he too sustained in Napoli. The long-term absentees Hector Bellerin, Rob Holding and Danny Welbeck are all still sidelined.
Predicted Starting XIs
Wolverhampton Wanderers (3-5-2): Rui Patricio; Bennett, Coady, Boly; Costa, Doherty, Jonny, Neves, Mouthinho; Jota, Jimenez.
Arsenal (3-5-2): Leno; Mustafi, Koscielny, Mavropanos; Maitland-Niles, Guendouzi, Ozil, Xhaka, Kolasinac; Lacazette, Aubameyang.
Prediction: Wolverhampton Wanderers 1 – 1 Arsenal
As the season comes to a close and both teams are hunting for a European spot come the end of the season, Arsenal for Champions League and Wolves for Europa, each game becomes a must win as both of these sides are competing against three other teams for the respective league positions.
Wolves have a better home record and an astonishing record against the top six whereas Arsenal struggle on the road. With both teams dreaming of Europe, pressure may get the best of some players on both sides. A mentally weak Arsenal need to turn this around while Wolves will no doubt be fired up despite their poor performances since the FA Cup semi-final collapse. Expect a tight game but both sides attacking knowing what’s at stake.
