Arsenal vs Wolves preview: Away days

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The Gunners hit the road for the first time in weeks as they face a struggling Wolves side

Arsenal FC, fresh off a resounding Champions League win at the Emirates, head to the midlands on Saturday to face Wolverhampton in the Premier League.

January has been a frustrating month for the Gunners, but Wednesday's win over Dinamo Zagreb seemed to lighten the mood in North London. The Gunners' 3-0 win all but cements a top 8 spot in the CL league stage, and with one match left before the knockouts, there is breathing room in sight.

But back in the PL, Arsenal's fate is far less certain. Last weekend's draw against Aston Villa saw the gap between Arsenal and Liverpool widen yet again, and with less than half a season left to play, it's going to take a lot of things breaking Arsenal's way for them to even consider overtaking the league leaders.

Saturday is an opportunity for Arsenal to shake off a series of frustrating results in the league and make up what ground they can. Facing a relegation-threatened Wolves side that look to be spiraling, can they capitalize on the opportunity and get three vital points?

Here are five talking points ahead of Saturday's match:

Know the Enemy

Things have gone from bad to worse for the midlands club. After finishing 14th last season, Wolves started the current season winless in their first 10 matches, eventually sacking manager Gary O'Neill in December. Despite picking up 4 wins over their last 12 matches, they dangle precariously above the drop zone. Sitting 17th, they are tied with 18th placed Ipswich on 16 points and are winless in their last 4 matches. They've got ample talent, but their inability to keep goals out of the net have kneecapped their campaign, giving up a league-worst 51 goals against.

The issues on the pitch are one thing, but things are just as bad off of it. Their fans are vocally discontented with their ownership, as a lack of investment, a seeming resignation about relegation, and the rising cost of ticket prices have created massive tension, with the results on the pitch only further fueling the flames of discontent. On top of that, star forward Matheus Cunha looks to be on the way out, which has Arsenal on red alert as they plan on bolstering their attack in the January transfer window.

Wolves' home record is third worst in the league with only 2 wins in 10. A third on Saturday won't stop the bleeding outright, but it will certainly give them a breathing room between them and the rest of the relegation pack.

Last Time Out

It was the Bukayo Saka show on match day 1, when Arsenal hosted Wolves to open the Gunners' Premier League season in August.

The do-it-all right winger stamped his name on the match from the opening kick off. It was damned if you do, damned if you don't for Wolves' defenders. In the 25th minute, they gave Saka acres of space on the right, which allowed him ample time to whip in a pinpoint cross that Kai Havertz rose to meet with a thumping header, beating Jose Sa to open Arsenal's account for the season.

In the second half, Saka put the game to bed when he cut inside the box, dropped a shoulder, lost his marker, and buried it near post. It was a deserved man of the match performance for Arsenal's star as the Gunners cruised to a 2-0 win.

Many, though, will remember the match for the extracurriculars. Wolves defender Yerson Mosquera was involved in two moments that saw him inexplicably elude a deserved card, much to the frustration of Arsenal fans. First, he choke-slammed Havertz following a foul, which VAR didn't seem interested in checking despite obvious intent, and then later he violated Gabriel Jesus, grabbing his backside to move him from in front of a free kick. It was a harbinger of things to come for the Gunners, who have seemingly gotten the short end of the stick with calls this season.

As the old saying goes: If that were Arsenal…

Injuries & Suspensions

Mikel Arteta's pre-Wolves press conference provided a massive relief for Arsenal. Miles Lewis Skelly and William Saliba, both out against Zagreb with minor injuries, look to be available for Saturday. Ben White isn't fit enough to feature, but the gaffer speculated he will be back "very soon." That's all about as good of news as you could hope for.

Out: Bukayo Saka (hamstring), Gabriel Jesus (ACL)

Predicted Lineup

Attack: Trossard, Havertz, Martinelli

The attack got a little more dynamic with the return of Ethan Nwaneri to the lineup. I fully expect him to be a late substitute ahead of a start at Girona next week. Martinelli had a great game on Wednesday. He was quick and decisive and delivered an exceptional cross for Havertz' header, which was the German attacker's second goal in his last two matches. Trossard has been on a tear recently, and his omission against Dinamo was less due to form and likely out of a need for rest and rotation. Expect the Belgian back on the left on Saturday.

Midfield: Rice, Partey, Ødegaard

Declan Rice had a shout at Man of the Match accolades on Wednesday. He scored the opener on a fizzing volley and was a nuisance at both ends of the pitch. Partey came on as a late substitute at right back, so his legs are fresh (and, frankly, has no business being at right back any further) for a start on Saturday. Martin Ødegaard finally scored his first goal in 9 months. Hopefully that kicks on a more fruitful spell in front of the net.

Defense: Zinchenko, Gabriel, Kiwior, Timber

Both Oleksandr Zinchenko and Jakub Kiwior featured against Dinamo, and both have a shot at starting despite the returns of Saliba and MLS. Zinchenko was tidy and efficient and had a positive impact in the attack. Despite rumors of a possible transfer to Borussia Dortmund, he could get a rare (and potentially final) league start. Kiwior was ok, and was lucky to not give up a goal when he lost it under his own feet in the first half. Gabriel is nailed on, and Timber looked better in his return to the right after playing at RCB against Villa.

Keeper: Raya

David Raya had little to do in Arsenal's CL tie. Dinamo registered 5 total shots, none of which were on target. It was as close to rest as he could get outside of sitting on the bench.

Take the Reigns

It's easy to pay too much credence to what is happening around them, but for Arsenal to keep up their success, the Gunners can only do what they have set out to do and control what they can. Hoping and waiting for Liverpool to slip up is about as useful as catching the rain in a sieve, so Mikel Arteta's side can only focus on their own fixtures and make the most of them, which has been easier said than done with injuries keeping the starting XI in a perpetual state of flux. Too many woulda, coulda, shoulda moments have happened, and if Arsenal spend too much time lamenting those missed chances, they run the risk of missing the ones ahead of them.

Winter has been grueling for Arsenal in the Premier League. Thankfully, a long-overdue rest is just around the corner with a 10 day break in early February. Four matches stand between then and now for the Gunners, and the need to dig deep has never been greater. Key players are coming back into the fold, and not a moment too soon for a side in desperate need of rotation. A win at Wolves will go a long way in bolstering their mentality as they face key matches in several competitions. They've done it before. Can they do it again?

WHO: Arsenal at Wolverhampton
WHAT: Premier League match day 23
WHEN: Saturday, January 25th, 10:00am EST/7:00am PST/3:00pm GMT
WHERE: Molineux Stadium, Wolverhampton
HOW TO WATCH: Streaming on the Peacock app

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