Premier League action returns to the Emirates Stadium on Saturday afternoon as Arsenal faces Wolverhampton Wanderers on the opening day. The Gunners begin their latest attempt to dethrone Manchester City, while Gary O’Neil’s team aims for a top-half finish in the 2024-25 season.
A few months before Spain won gold in the 2024 Olympics men’s football tournament, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta had to settle for second place in the Premier League. Despite a late-season dip in their title challenge during the 2022-23 campaign, Arsenal had a slim chance of overtaking Manchester City on the final day but ultimately saw their 2-1 victory over Everton go unrewarded.
It’s been 45 years since Arsenal last failed to score in a competitive match against Wolves, who have conceded in their last 33 encounters with Arsenal. This streak is Arsenal’s longest against a single opponent and Wolves’ longest run without a clean sheet against any team. As such, Wolves supporters may come to the Emirates with more hope than expectation.
Arsenal and Wolves’ Form in the Pre-Season
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Arsenal has been strong overall, with only two blemishes in pre-season: a penalty shootout defeat to Manchester United (after beating them in normal time) and a narrow loss to Liverpool. The Gunners have played twice at Emirates Stadium this month, securing a 4-1 win over Bayer Leverkusen and a 2-0 victory against Lyon in the Emirates Cup, marking their fifth consecutive win at home.
Wolves, after a rocky start to the 2023-24 season, established themselves as a mid-table team under O’Neil and briefly threatened a top-10 finish before ending up in 14th place. They struggled in their final matches, losing five of their last six games, including their final three. However, they showed good form in pre-season, winning 66% of their friendlies, including a notable 3-0 victory over RB Leipzig.
Team News and Possible Line-ups
Kieran Tierney (hamstring) and Takehiro Tomiyasu (knee) will be unavailable for Arsenal’s Premier League opener. However, Mikel Arteta hopes that Jurrien Timber, who suffered an ACL tear at the start of last season, will overcome a foot problem in time to play. Fabio Vieira, who is dealing with a hip issue, is also a possible inclusion. The match will also be David Raya’s first competitive game since his permanent transfer from Brentford.
Both Arteta and Gary O’Neil understand the challenge of missing full-backs. Nelson Semedo is suspended for the first three games of the season due to a red card in the final match of last season against Liverpool. O’Neil anticipates that Matheus Cunha (hamstring), Daniel Podence (calf), Mario Lemina (thigh), and Jorgen Strand Larsen (groin) will be fit despite their minor injuries.
Arsenal’s Possible XI: Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko; Odegaard, Partey, Rice; Saka, Havertz, Martinelli
Wolverhampton Wanderers Possible XI: Sa; Doherty, Mosquera, Toti, Ait-Nouri; Sarabia, Lemina, Gomes, Podence; Cunha, Hwang
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