Arsenal travel to Wolverhampton Wanderers for a midweek fixture that’s been rescheduled to fit their progress to the Carabao Cup final. With their lead atop the Premier League cut to four points, this gives them a chance to reopen a more sizeable lead.
Wolves, meanwhile, have shown glimpses of fight recently amid a torrid campaign, but can they take anything away from this season’s form side?
Here’s everything you need to know about Wednesday’s game.
How to watch:
The match will be shown on Wednesday on Sky Sports Main Event and Premier League in the UK, NBC/Peacock in the U.S., JioHotstar in India and Stan Sport in Australia. You can also follow ESPN’s live updates.
Key Details:
Kick-off time: Wednesday, Feb 18 at 8 p.m. GMT (3 p.m. ET; 1.30 a.m. IST and 6:00 a.m. AEST, Thursday).
Venue: Molineux, Wolverhampton
Referee: Paul Tierney
VAR: Michael Salisbury
Injury and Team News:
Wolves
Hee-Chan Hwang, F, knock, OUT, est. return late February
Arsenal:
Max Dowman, M: ankle, OUT, est. return late February
Mikel Merino, M: foot, OUT, est. return late May
Martin Ødegaard, M: discomfort, DOUBT
Talking Points:
Arsenal have a chance to bounce back quickly
Yes, they are coming off a 4-0 thumping of Wigan Athletic, but it’s the Brentford draw last week that will annoy Mikel Arteta and Arsenal. That result saw their lead atop the league table cut to four points and this Carabao Cup enforced tweak in their schedule means they get a chance to open it up to seven again before Manchester City play their own game-in-hand.
In a title race, there is no pressure like the one you exert when you have points in your pocket, and that’s exactly what the leaders will want to do against the worst side in the division.
Do Wolves have a shot at all?
It’s hard to see one, really. In the last five league matches, two impressive draws against Newcastle United at home and Nottingham Forest away sandwiched three losses (to Manchester City, Bournemouth, and Chelsea). They may have run the leaders close at the Emirates in the reverse fixture with Arsenal needing two Wolves own goals to eke out a 2-1 win, but if Wolves are to get anything from this match it will take a herculean effort.
Their best bet lies with Tolu Arokodare throwing himself about up top and Adam Armstrong buzzing around him looking to pull the excellent Arsenal defence out of position.
Bukayo Saka needs to get going, but is Madueke a better bet?
A mix of injury and lack of form has meant Bukayo Saka, Arsenal’s standout attacker of the past few years, hasn’t really gotten going this year. With just four goals in the league (one penalty), Wolves represents a great chance for the winger to regain his goalscoring touch: something that Arsenal will greatly appreciate as the business end of the season approaches.
For Wednesday night, though, Noni Madueke might just be the better bet on the right wing. He may just have two league goals this season, but there is no opponent Madueke likes playing against more than Wolves. He has scored four goals against them, accounting for 27% of his total in the Premier League (4/15) and with a goal each against Brentford and Wigan Athletic, he’s in form too. Arteta might be served by giving him another start, even if it is instead of Saka.
Is Eze the answer in Arsenal’s midfield?
Eberechi Eze has had a curious debut season with his boyhood club. The highlight, of course, was that sensational hattrick in the North London Derby early on, but since then he’s dipped in and out of the team, with him not affecting play much at all when he’s in.
Against Wigan, though, playing deeper in midfield, he showed just how he could pull the strings; and just how much more progressive Arsenal can be when he gets on the ball and constantly looks for a forward pass. With Martin Ødegaard continuing to struggle with injury (and form), Eze in a deeper position might just be what Arsenal need.
What do the numbers say?
Nothing good, if you’re a Wolves fan.
The last time Wolves beat Arsenal in the league was in 2020-21 (they did the double), but since then have lost the last nine matches against them.
Of their 11 away league games against Wolves, Arsenal have won nine. That is their highest win rate against any side they’ve faced 10+ times away from home (82%).
Arsenal have scored in each of their last 36 meetings with Wolves (all comps). In competitive English football history, only Wrexham have had a longer scoring streak against an opponent (49 vs. Darlington between 1929 and 1961).
Arsenal have won their last 14 league matches against teams in the relegation zone by an aggregate score of 40-4. Wolves, meanwhile, have lost 16 of their 20 Premier League games against sides starting the day topping the table (W3 D1).
