Arsenal face Woverhampton Wanderers at the Emirates tomorrow knowing that they haven’t lost to the Midland side since 1979. but knowing that this will probably be the best Wolves side they have faced in that time. Their Portugese boss Nuno Espírito Santo has bought well over the summer and is looking to continue wowing the Premiership.
So this weeks View From The Enemy comes direct from the WolvesFc website and is titled……
Arsenal vs Wolves | 5 things to know
1. Happy London travels
Wolves have enjoyed a perfect record in London so far this season and are now going for the hat-trick at the Emirates Stadium. Nuno’s side have conquered the east with victory at West Ham United and the south with three points against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park. Now the north is task number three at the Emirates and Wolves will want to build on their success in the capital. Other away games have wielded a point at Manchester United, but defeats at Leicester and Brighton.
2. Gunners gaining momentum
Unai Emery has really stamped his mark on Arsenal and currently has them on a 15-match unbeaten run in all competitions. The Gunners are fifth in the Premier League and already through to the latter stages of the Carabao Cup and Europa League. On home soil in the Premier League the Gunners have beaten West Ham, Everton, Watford and Leicester, while they drew an entertaining game with Liverpool last weekend. Thursday night’s goalless draw with Sporting Lisbon was just the second time Emery’s Arsenal had failed to score in a match, and the first since the opening day against Man City.
3. Jota back in contention
Diogo Jota returned to training on Friday and becomes an option for Nuno, but the door remains open for Ivan Cavaleiro or Adama Traore to start. Both have been given an opportunity in recent weeks and could enjoy the opportunity to stretch their legs on the Emirates’ big pitch. Morgan Gibbs-White also enjoyed an impressive cameo against Spurs, so could he be handed his first top-flight start?
Danny Welbeck suffered a broken ankle on Thursday night so will be missing for the hosts. He joins Mohamed Elneny and Konstantinos Mavropanos in the treatment room, but Nacho Monreal will hope to be back fit in time for Sunday. In Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, the Gunners have the joint-leading scorer in the Premier League with seven goals, while fellow striker Alexandre Lacazette isn’t far behind with five, so Wolves will need to be at their best defensively on Sunday.
4. Wolves to set the record straight?
If records are there to be broken, then Wolves must do exactly that this weekend. Their Premier League history against the Gunners makes for bleak reading, with their 2011 point at the Emirates the only times Wolves have avoided defeat in eight matches. Their 15-match winless run against Arsenal is their longest against a single club ever, so Nuno will be determined to make history with his side this weekend.
5. Jimenez hot property
A place in the Fantasy Premier League Team of the Week was Raul Jimenez’s rewarded for his contributions against Tottenham last weekend. The Mexican netted from the penalty spot after winning another spot kick earlier in the game, earning points for a goal and assist. The striker, who also claimed points for playing the full 90 minutes, was the top bonus point earner, scooping three points ahead of Lucas Moura and Harry Kane. He’s joint-sixth for points amongst the strikers, level with Marko Arnautovic, despite being £1.4m cheaper at £5.7. The Mexican scored against Emery’s Sevilla back in 2014 for Atletico Madrid so has history. Is it time to give Raul a chance in your FPL team?
Im confident ahead of this game, not confident if a cleansheet but of a win. Probably its cos its at the Emirates or Aubameyang n Lacazette are fully rested.
No news about Adama Traore? Disappointing
I always wonder why some people make so much of when last so and so won at such and such, Wolves winning at Arsenal in the distant past, at least longer ago than when all present players were here, is of total irrelevance. Rather like saying there have been no accidents involving penny farthing bicycles since God 1904, or whenever. Plain non thinking when people trot out this “not won since at wherever since irrelevant ago ” nonsense. As if what happened in 1979 and since, had any relevance to todays Arsenal / Wolves teams. CAN WE ALL STOP THIS SORT OF SILLY NONSENSE FROM NOW ON. I can , of course, see that it is of interest to anoraks, and I am a prime anorak for football stats myself, as many of us are and that is fine by itself, BUT as a help to predict todays results it is nonsense. Obviously!!
Agreed.
Let me help you then, Jon Fox. The information is included to form context around the match. It is an interesting fact that Wolves’ longest unsuccessful run is against Arsenal. Will that fact influence today’s match? Who knows? But, I’ve played enough football to know that it can play on your mind when you’re up against a bogey team opponent. It can mean the difference between heads between heads lifting and dropping, during pivotal moments. Why? Because we’re human beings. Of course that run will end one day. But, Wolves’ matches against Arsenal will be just that little bit harder until it does. And that’s a fact.
we should beat them we are better in every department but i don’t expect an easy win, keep moutinho off the ball he’s a good passer and neves shouldn’t be allowed to move up and dictate or shoot, i beleive torreira and granit will have a good battle on their hands but we will edge it as torreira is like kante when we first saw him at leic, to me he is worth two players on the pitch, and the wingers are great are running at our defense but the finishing is so so , keep them out of the box and watch out for them diving on soft touches and we should be fine i expect 3 points!!
good article but you say wolves and the manager bought well and in my opinion yes on paper but i would be fearful if i was a wolves fan, all those players and the manager as well our Mendes Super Agent acquisitions. what will happen to those chinese owners if they ever got on his bad side?
that’s the entire backbone of the team picked and negotiated by one man way to much power for an agent, that’s a person who earns a living by offloading his clients to bigger clubs and contract negotiations, so i expect them to do well against us as they will be giving it their all for the shopping window or a chance of a pay day, but i would not wish that sort of transfer business at Arsenal, i’m glad we are not them, all this power to one agent could blow up in their face if targets aren’t met, could be in the PL today and then looking like sunderland or portsmouth in a couple of years because of these bad decisions by the owners, not smart or good business in my view!!
Fair point about that agent I agree, but the alternative would be languishing as they recently were, in the lower reaches of the Championship. My cousins who are lifelong Wolves fans are glad they are where they are today, all powerful agent or not. So would our fans if we were in Wolves shoes.
Hey jon, Tell your cousins to enjoy the ride!! 🙂
they could be the next watford or the next sunderland 50/50 only time will tell, i’m putting my money on where the money is it will blow up in their face and they will need to change the structure to survive
when you see a system that’s been implemented in the past and failed you should ask questions, if i where your cousins or a wolves supporter i would ask what happaned at Valencia under the same Mendes revolution in 2015?
they had to hire Marcelino to get where they are today and that was with alot of internal problems due to a heavy influenced mendes team, not fun for the owners or the fans when that is reflected on the pitch, again only time will tell….in times like these i reflect and say i’m just happy i’m a Gooner with our baggage and our lovely owner, still happy, COYG
Our LOVELY????? owner? You must be in his will to ever think THAT!!!
i would love that!! how much would i get 🙂
Nothing! Nor would anyone else either. I am sure he will bury all his billions with him. But hey, just imagine if he did , how very many people would be in the cemetery at dead of night with spades, torches and suitcases!
Early days into the Emery era however based on what I have seen so far I am at least confident of our home games.
OT:looks like the mata to arsenal deals is real,unlike some fans on here,I will be happy if it’s true,at least we can finally have a midfielder who can take free kicks and a midfielder who will not only show up once in a month.I will take him ahead of miki and ozil.
I’m sorry your wrong; what matches are you watching? On current form I would rather have Ozil over Mata every day of the week.
Hmn the spuds have won at Palace…are now level on points with Liverpool though Klopp has a game in hand. Looks like there won’t be any top 4 finish for us before the international break. Also not encouraging that the spuds were able to pick up maximum points where we failed.
Yes well Zaha wasn’t there to dive tonight
Good point! ?
I always find it easier against the lesser clubs that try and play football and go toe to toe with us than those who try to shut up shop and ruin the game as in the past we have struggled to break them down and been caught napping.
I reckon we win handsomely tomorrow. Wolves will come to play football and we are better than them all over the pitch and we seem to be shaking off the lack of defensive organiststion that allows us to be caught off gaurd when we are in top.
3-0 win
We will WIN
Yep, can’t afford not to bud!