English Premier
2025-01-25 - Wolves vs Arsenal
A Sports Betting Pick by Auls
Football: English Premier League
Saturday 25th January 2025 - Kick Off 3pm
Wolves
Vitor Pereira is clearly trying to make his mark on the Wolves squad by setting some high standards for what he expects. Mario Lemina has fell foul of the rules and Pereira made it clear he was not very happy with Matheus Cunha's body language after the 3-1 defeat at Stamford Bridge on Monday, although the manager is giving the reportedly want-away forward a chance to make amends.
Clubs like Arsenal and Nottingham Forest have been linked with a move for Matheus Cunha in this transfer window, but 17th placed Wolves might not be able to afford to let him go as they battle for their Premier League future. The side have a 2-1-7 record at Molineux and that will need to be significantly improved if Wolves want to finish the right side of the relegation line.
Wolves made a solid start under Vitor Pereira and have progressed in the FA Cup, but the defeat at Chelsea makes it 3 straight losses in the Premier League and all in games in which they have conceded three goals. They did have their chances in the 0-3 home defeat to Nottingham Forest, but the result means Wolves have lost 3 of their last 4 at Molineux in the Premier League.
Toti is hoping to be available, but Mario Lemina's future remains clouded and he may not be involved.
Arsenal
An early goal set Arsenal on their way to a comfortable Champions League success on Wednesday and they are almost certainly going to be finishing in the top eight in that Group table. That means there is a significant break coming up for the squad, but they may only be rewarded with some warm weather training if Arsenal can regain some lost momentum in the Premier League title push.
Last weekend was extremely disappointing for Arsenal fans travelling to the Emirates Stadium when hearing leaders Liverpool had scored late goals to win at Brentford, but disappointment grew into frustration when The Gunners blew a 2-0 lead in their 2-2 draw with Aston Villa. This means the gap between Liverpool and Arsenal is back up to 6 points and the latter are under pressure to improve their 5-4-2 away record.
Arsenal's win over Dinamo Zagreb means they have lost 1 of their last 18 games in all competitions, but winning games consistently has proven to be beyond them in the absence of Bukayo Saka. The side are unbeaten in 7 away games in all competitions, but 3 of those have ended in draws including on Arsenal's visit to the Amex Stadium in their last Premier League game.
William Saliba has missed both games over the last week and is hoping to be available next weekend when Arsenal host Manchester City. Ben White is another hoping to return in early February.
Head to Head
Arsenal beat Wolves 2-0 at the Emirates Stadium earlier this season.
The Gunners have won 7 in a row against Wolves since the latter did the Premier League double over Arsenal in the 2020/21 season.
Arsenal have won 3 straight games at this ground.
Prediction
Both sets of fans may have one ear on the fixture being played at Anfield at the same time as this one, but the Wolves and Arsenal players can only focus on what is best for themselves.
Vitor Pereira's early impact at Molineux has been weakened in recent games with Wolves continuing to concede far too many goals and 3 losses in the row in the Premier League leaves them attached to the likes of Leicester City and Ipswich Town.
Only superior goal difference is keeping Wolves above the drop zone, but the manager knows his team need to improve if they are going to edge out the two clubs below them in the standings.
This is a tough game for Wolves who have lost 7 in a row to Arsenal, while star striker Matheus Cunha has clearly had his head turned by reports linking him with a move to either the Emirates Stadium or City Ground. The board will not want to lose Cunha, who has had a big impact for the club, but manager Vitor Pereira was not very impressed with his attitude after the loss at Stamford Bridge and needs to get the team behind his methods.
They are hosting an Arsenal team that has struggled for consistency in recent weeks, which has left them chasing Liverpool in the Premier League standings. Last weekend could be a pivotal moment that fans look back upon after the leaders scored late to win at Brentford and Arsenal dropped two points from a winning position, but Mikel Arteta still feels there is enough time to turn things around.
In all likelihood, Liverpool are going to beat Ipswich Town this weekend and that is going to put some pressure on the Arsenal players. The team have been creating chances, but injuries at the back have left Arsenal a little more vulnerable than we have been used to seeing and they are expected to be without William Saliba again.
However, the manager has to believe his Arsenal team can move into very promising positions against a Wolves team that have been conceding goals at an alarming rate in recent Premier League matches. Wolves have caused problems when they have had the ball in possession against the likes of Nottingham Forest and Chelsea, while they created some big openings against Newcastle United too.
Conceding goals as they have puts a lot of pressure on the forwards to take those chances though and Arsenal's run against Wolves will give the visiting team confidence.
The storm hitting the United Kingdom at the back end of the week is a concern regarding playing conditions, but those are expected to be much better on Saturday and Arsenal can find the solutions in the final third to secure a very important three points.
The Statistics :
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The Pick :
Wolves 0-2 Arsenal
