Premier League Preview: Arsenal vs Wolves - Analysis and Insights

A packed first weekend of the 2024/25 Premier League season will start to get really exciting when Arsenal host Wolves at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday, in one of four games kicking off at 3pm.

Arsenal will be looking to avoid a 3rd successive second place finish, with their sights set on going one better, while Wolves will be looking to build on a solid mid-table finish last time out. Both sides have taken significant action in the transfer window, both in the incomings and outgoings categories, and will hope that the new additions to their squad can bring something they didn’t quite have last campaign.

All this stats for Second place? What do Arsenal need to win the EPL 🏆? 114 points? Sigh 😞 pic.twitter.com/9wqijODHXQ

— Dr. Layla 😇 (@Afc_Layla) August 5, 2024

As the game edges closer, we dive in a detailed analysis of both sides, uncovering players, strategies and potential absences that could affect the course of the 90 minutes.

Arsenal vs Wolves Pre-season Form

Arsenal had an overall positive pre-season, and only lost one of their five warm up fixtures, a close fought game with fellow title hopefuls Liverpool.

Beating Bournemouth with the help of a penalty shootout in their first game, they then defeated Manchester United 2-1 in normal time, before losing in a mandatory penalty shootout that was scheduled after the game.

Liverpool beat them 2-1 in a game which neither side really deserved to lose, before they bounced back against German invincibles Bayer Laverkusen with a comprehensive 4-1 victory, scoring twice in the opening 10 minutes.

Their final friendly was in the Emirates Cup against Lyon, which they won 2-0 thanks to a goal each from center backs William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes. Scoring 11 goals and conceding 5 across their friendlies, there is plenty to be optimistic about for Arsenal fans.

Wolves had a slightly more mixed set of results, although they did start off with a 3-1 win against West Ham. However, they then took on Crystal Palace and lost by the same scoreline, looking unimpressive and far from their best, but there were positives that came from their mercurial form, as they picked up a surprising 3-0 victory over RB Leipzig in their next game.

Gary O’Neil has got Wolves cooking in pre-season. 👨‍🍳🐺 pic.twitter.com/7qZqOBuUem

— Football Tweet ⚽ (@Football__Tweet) August 4, 2024

They ended their pre-season with a 1-0 defeat to Rayo Vallecano, with a record of 7 goals scored and 5 conceded. Beating West Ham and Leipzig certainly shows promise, but they need to wipe out games where they don’t perform to their typical standards if they are to kick on this season.

Arsenal vs Wolves Goal Scorers

Arsenal achieved a nice spread of goals between their forwards last league season, as Bukayo Saka finished on 16, Kai Havertz on 13, and Leandro Trossard on 12. With Martin Odegaard and Declan Rice finishing on 8 and 7 respectively, there is significant goal scoring depth in the Gunners’ squad.

The fact that a goal can come from almost anywhere on the pitch is always something that opponents have to be wary of, and while they are marking one known goalscorer, another may well find himself unmarked and be given an easy opportunity to score and punish the defensive lapse. Expect similar scoring flexibility through Arsenal’s 2024/25 season.

Who do YOU think will score MORE goals in the Premier League this season?! 🤔⚽️

RT for Foden 🔵 Like for Saka🔴 pic.twitter.com/NJzyP9XpuH

— Arsenal News Channel (@Arsenalnewschan) August 15, 2024

Wolves had two primary sources of goals last season, namely Matheus Cunha and Hee-Chan Hwang, who both finished on 12 goals apiece. Their third best scorer was Pable Sarabia on a measly 4, and this is a concern they are still looking to address going into the new season.

Needing another source of goals, and now missing the superb creativity of Pedro Neto after his move to Chelsea, wolves need to work out an alternative strategy to get the ball in the back of the net. On the plus side, they now have over £50 million from the Pedro Neto sale to address this.

Arsenal vs Wolves Head to Head

Arsenal have had bragging rights over Wolves for the last six ties between the two, and Wolves are on a rotten run against the Gunners, having not beaten them since 2021. Unfortunately for them, I cannot see that changing this time out.

Last five results between the two:

• 20/04/2024: Wolves 0-2 Arsenal.
• 02/12/2023: Arsenal 2-1 Wolves.
• 28/05/2023: Arsenal 5-0 Wolves.
• 12/11/2022: Wolves 0-2 Arsenal.
• 24/02/2022: Arsenal 2-1 Wolves.

Arsenal vs Wolves Team News

Arsenal did not suffer any injuries during their pre-season fixtures, but they do have some pre-existing absentees to keep an eye on. One of these is Takehiro Tomiyasu, who was on the wrong end of a knee injury over the summer while taking part in the Asian qualifying games for the 2026 World Cup.

Jurrien Timber may also be unavailable for the game, although a return to the bench for him could be possible. He missed the entirety of last season thanks to an ACL injury, which he only seemed to fully recover from in pre-season.

For Wolves, their bill of health is relatively clean, although their best player from last season could face a race against time to be fit for their season opener.

Matheus Cunha felt a twinge in his hamstring during Wolves pre-season tour of the USA, and he subsequently didn’t play a part in any of their last three friendly games. While it is possible he returns in time for the Arsenal game, the likelihood is that he will be started on the bench, to mitigate against any further injury which could sideline him for a lengthy period.

WOLVES INJURY UPDATE

Jorgen Strand Larsen: Minor groin issue in the warm up but he felt he was ok to play, so managed to get some minutes

Mario Lemina: Suffered from cramp in his hamstring but should be ok

Matheus Cunha: He will be back on the grass on Monday and join the rest… pic.twitter.com/Zn7Rdehram

— 𝗔𝗟𝗪𝗔𝗬𝗦 𝗪𝗢𝗟𝗩𝗘𝗦 𝗙𝗔𝗡 𝗧𝗩 (@_AlwaysWolves) August 11, 2024

Arsenal vs Wolves Predicted Lineups

Arsenal (4-3-3): Raya (GK), White, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori, Odegaard, Partey, Rice, Saka, Hazertz, Martinelli.

Wolves (3-5-2): Sa (GK), Lima, Toti, Mosquera, Rodrigo Gomes, Joao Gomes, Sarabia, Lemina, Ait Nouri, Strand-Larsen, Hwang.

Arsenal vs Wolves Player to Watch

With quality all over the pitch, it is likely to be the new signings and unfamiliar names that most have the closest eye on. Arsenal have brought in Riccardo Calafiori following his excellent Euro 2024 campaign with a poor Italy side, while Wolves have made five new signings, with Pedro Lima and Jorgen Strand Larsen looking most likely to start the game.

Strand-Larsen will likely be up against a combination of Gabriel Magalhaes and Calafiori, a stern test for someone so new to English football. However, fans mustn’t forget that however highly rated Calafiori is, he has also only just been introduced to the English game, and looking at the matchup between the two signings, it hints at being an intriguing one.

Riccardo Calafiori gets straight to work 💪 pic.twitter.com/J3WQvAUPlZ

— B/R Football (@brfootball) July 29, 2024

Who will adapt the most quickly, who will have the best debut, and who will stamp their mark on the team early in the season. The first game between the two promises to give us early indications as to how their seasons may unfold.

To see each sides summer transfer, click here.

Where can I watch Arsenal vs Wolves?

The game will not be broadcasted on UK TV, but text commentary will be available to follow on any live scores app of your choosing, such as Goal Live or Sofascore, as well as on the BBC Sport app and website.