Game Week 16 Predictions: Arsenal to beat Wolves

Arsenal vs Wolves Premier League preview: Gunners, title leaders, host struggling Wolves amid injuries. Arteta eyes momentum. Verdict: Arsenal win.

Arsenal has a huge chance to restore some cushion on the chasing pack, it's a home game against Wolves, how will this play out at the Emirates? (Photo credit: Opta)

 Arsenal vs Wolves

Emirates Stadium

9:00pm

The Gunners are back at home after a run of away games, including the hurtful last-minute loss at Aston Villa last weekend; Arsenal would fancy this one.

Wolves continue to lose games, and day by day, they’re watching their top-flight status disappear. At this point, you’re almost certain that the Molineux would host Championship games and not Premier League games next season.

This is a tough one for Wolves, to be honest. They don’t have the firepower to contain the Gunners, and, following their 4-1 loss to Manchester United last weekend, you feel for them having to jump on the road to face the log leaders who need some league momentum after their recent slump.

Arsenal is still without their first-choice centre-back options, but they cannot afford to drop points against Wolves with Manchester City and Aston Villa breathing down their necks. Anything short of a win here would have the media asking questions, and you won’t blame them.

Injury has been a big issue for the Gunners this season, with key players still missing; however, on the balance of how Mikel Arteta has managed the squad, they’re still in a good place, and the title remains theirs to lose as things stand.

Wolves will lose Emmanuel Agbadou to AFCON, and Jean Bellegarde has torn his hamstring, which means he won’t feature again this year. Rodrigo Gomes and Marshall Munetsi are both sidelined too; Rob Edwards will have to find a way to present a squad that can compete at the Emirates.

Wolves must be brave. They can’t afford to make some silly mistakes they made against Manchester United last weekend. Setting poor offside traps and failing to pick their men would hurt them; they don’t want to go behind so early in the game.

Discipline is another issue. In possession and in tackles. They will struggle with eleven men; how much more if they get a sending off? They won’t see lots of the ball; they must make do with whatever they get. It will be a long night.

For Arsenal, Mikel Arteta can afford to rest some key players. Jurrien Timber is nursing a niggle; he could be taken out ahead of a tougher one at Everton next weekend. Piero Hincapie can retain the shirt alongside Christian Nørgaard, who filled in at Club Brugge brilliantly.

Bukayo Saka is that man Wolves must be wary about the most. Viktor Gyokeres will return for this one, but the likes of Declan Rice and Leandro Trossard could get their deserved rest for this one. Can Wolves survive this Arsenal firepower?

Verdict: Arsenal to win.