Arsenal VS Wolverhampton Wanderers Match Prediction
2018-11-11
15:30:00
Arsenal
VS
Wolverhampton Wanderers
Our Prediction Tip
Arsenal will win this match.
2018-11-1115:30:00 Arsenal will win this match.
Wolves have not beaten Arsenal since September 1979 – one of 29 wins in this fixture compared to Arsenal’s 57 with 26 draws. In Wolves’ last stint in the Premier League, which ended in 2012, Arsenal won five of the six matches they played against each other, though only Aaron Ramsey remains from the team which won 3-0 at Molineux the last time they met.
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Wolves should not be written off – they proved that with a solid start to the season and draws with Manchester United and Manchester City already this season.
The defeat to Spurs last weekend exposed their weaknesses, however – even if two penalties did allow them to hit back and get them dreaming of a stunning comeback.
That fell short, however, and if the Gunners want to keep the heat on the top four they need to follow Spurs’ suit and beat Wolves too.
Arsenal have drawn three of their last four matches, but only the Crystal Palace draw was a bad result on reflection.
Holding unbeaten Arsenal last weekend, with Alexandre Lacazette continuing his good form, kept them in touch of the top three, while the mid-week draw with Sporting sealed qualification to the Europa League knock-out stages.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has also been in good goalscoring form this season, while the Gunners’ injury worries have eased significantly.
Wolves have been lucky with injuries, and have barely changed their starting XI so far, but three consecutive defeats will ask questions of Nuno Espirito Santo’s ability to turn things round.
It is his first big test as Wolves’ boss in the many ways, but a trip to the Emirates Stadium is not an ideal place to be needing to turn things around.
Unai Emery has been lauded for turning things around for Arsenal this year and getting the team playing the attractive, attacking football they are best known for.
Wolves will be tricky, but Arsenal – with home advantage – can continue their unbeaten run and get back to winning ways after a couple of draws.
Arsenal are odds-on favourites for this match, though perhaps not as convincingly as you might have expected.
The Gunners are 9/13 to win with 10Bet – generous odds all things considered – and are 11/5 with Ladbrokes to win to nil, given Wolves are short of goals (taking away last weekend’s two penalties).
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette have both been in the goals this season, and both can be backed at a best price of 6/5 to score at any time – Aubameyang with Ladbrokes and Lacazette with 10Bet and Bet365.
Arsenal may have drawn their last two matches but they have continued a fine start to the season in the process. Wolves have lost their last three and this could make it four in a row in a fixture in which they have such a poor record.
Arsenal could have Nacho Monreal back at left-back after the Spaniard returned to training this week, which would allow Granit Xhaka to stay in central midfield. Sead Kolasinac returned against Liverpool meanwhile, giving Unai Emery options in the left-back position. Henrikh Mkhitaryan started ahead of Alex Iwobi against Liverpool and could retain his place. Danny Welbeck will definitely miss out after being stretchered off during the Europa League draw with Sporting.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang – Back to his best goalscoring form in recent weeks and now has nine for the season.
Alexandre Lacazette – The equaliser against Liverpool last weekend continued his return to form - he is starting to look more like the player who dominated the goalscoring charts for Lyon.
Mesut Ozil – Perhaps the key to unlocking Wolves’ organised and often stubborn defence.
Arsenal, though still unbeaten since the back-to-back defeats to Manchester City and Chelsea that marked the start of their season, have drawn three of their last four matches. Their only win in that time saw Stephan Lichsteiner and Emile Smith-Rowe score in a 2-1 Carabao Cup win at home to Blackpool. Since then, they drew 1-1 with Liverpool last weekend thanks to Alexandre Lacazette’s equaliser before a goalless draw at home to Sporting booked their place in the knock-out stages of the Europa League.
Wolves have kept things consistent with their starting line-ups this season, but recent results may force more of a rethink. Ivan Cavaleiro started ahead of Adama Traore and Diogo Jota last time out, and could retain his place up front, while Leo Bonatini and Leander Dendoncker are others awaiting a first Premier League start.
Raul Jimenez – Scored his third goal from the spot against Spurs last weekend to continue a solid season on loan from Benfica so far.
Ruben Neves – Another goalscorer from the spot against Spurs, the Portuguese playmaker has made the step-up to the Premier League as smoothly as expected.
Matt Doherty – A threat up and down the right, contributing goals and assists from the flank while he will also have to watch Aubameyang at the other end.
After back-to-back wins against Southampton and Crystal Palace, Wolves have lost their last three matches. They were beaten 2-0 at home by Watford before losing 1-0 at Brighton. That was followed by a 3-2 loss at home to Spurs; having been 3-0 down, they hit back through Ruben Neves’ and Raul Jimenez’s penalties but could not complete the comeback.
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