FULL TIME
Arsenal [2-0] Wolves
MATCH PREVIEW & MORE INFO
Arsenal possible starting lineup: Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko; Odegaard, Partey, Rice; Saka, Havertz, Martinelli
Wolves possible starting lineup: Sa; Doherty, Mosquera, Toti, Ait-Nouri; Sarabia, Lemina, Gomes, Podence; Cunha, Hwang
Match Preview
The Premier League returns to the Emirates Stadium as Arsenal host Wolverhampton Wanderers in their first match of the 2024-25 season. Arsenal, aiming to dethrone Manchester City, face a Wolves side with top-half ambitions under Gary O'Neil.
Arsenal's quest to reclaim the Premier League title begins after a close but ultimately unsuccessful challenge last season. Despite falling short, Mikel Arteta's team showed significant progress and were in contention until the final day. They ended their campaign with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Everton, although it wasn't enough to secure the title.
This season, Arsenal have strengthened their squad and have looked sharp in pre-season, with notable wins, including a 4-1 triumph over Bayer Leverkusen and a 2-0 win against Lyon in the Emirates Cup. Their only setbacks were a penalty shootout loss to Manchester United and a narrow defeat to Liverpool. The Gunners are aiming to maintain their momentum at home, where they have been formidable.
Wolves, on the other hand, are looking to build on a mid-table finish from last season. After a challenging start to the 2023-24 campaign, they stabilized under Gary O'Neil and even threatened a top-10 finish before a poor run of form saw them end in 14th place. Wolves had a mixed pre-season, highlighted by an impressive 3-0 win over RB Leipzig but marred by defeats to Crystal Palace and Rayo Vallecano.
Wolves will be hoping to end a run of poor results against Arsenal, having lost their last six encounters with the Gunners. Their last victory at the Emirates came in November 2020, in a match overshadowed by a serious head injury to Raul Jimenez.
Team News
Arsenal:
- Kieran Tierney (hamstring) and Takehiro Tomiyasu (knee) are unavailable for Arsenal's opener.
- Jurrien Timber, who tore his ACL last season, is a doubt due to a foot injury, and Fabio Vieira is also questionable with a hip issue.
- Oleksandr Zinchenko is expected to start at left-back after an impressive pre-season.
- David Raya is likely to make his competitive debut in goal following his permanent move from Brentford.
- Thomas Partey is set to anchor the midfield as Arsenal continue to pursue Real Sociedad’s Mikel Merino.
Wolves:
- Nelson Semedo is suspended after receiving a red card in the final game of last season, with Matt Doherty and new signing Pedro Lima competing to start at right-back.
- Matheus Cunha (hamstring), Daniel Podence (calf), Mario Lemina (thigh), and Jorgen Strand Larsen (groin) are all expected to be fit despite recent injuries.
- Leon Chiwone (ankle) remains sidelined, and Enso Gonzalez is out for an extended period after suffering an ACL injury during the Olympics. Sasa Kalajdzic is also recovering from a cruciate ligament injury.
Arsenal will be looking to start their season strongly and continue their dominance over Wolves, while the visitors aim to upset the odds and end their losing streak at the Emirates.