Arsenal travel to the West Midlands to play against Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday, April 20, 2024, hoping to return to winning ways.
The Gunners have failed to secure a victory in their last 2 matches across all competitions, losing 2-0 to Aston Villa in their last Premier League fixture, and 1-0 to Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League.
Both defeats have seemingly put a dent in their season, with Arsenal relinquishing their lead at the summit of the league table to Manchester City.
Their loss to Bayern Munich also resulted in them crashing out of the UEFA Champions League 3-2 on aggregate, after playing out a 2-2 in England.
Mikel Arteta’s side have continued their woeful display at the dying embers of the season, with April being a dreaded month for the Gunners in the last 3 seasons.
Mikel Arteta takes his Arsenal to the Molineux to play Wolves hoping to squash the “Arsenal curse”
Many have tagged their frailties in April as a curse, with Arsenal losing their bearings any time the month of April comes around, especially in the dispensation of Arteta.
During the 2020/21 season, the Gunners dropped 8 points in the race for the top-six, before additionally dropping 9 points during the 2021/22 season in the race for the top-four.
In the 2022/23 season, it was a battle for the league title and they dropped 9 points in April 2023.
In the 2023/24 season, they have dropped 3 points thus far, and it will be interesting how they fare in their upcoming matches.
They have amassed 71 points from 32 league matches, and they are 2 points behind league-leaders Manchester City, who have picked up 73 points.
Meanwhile, Wolverhampton Wanderers are also not in the best of form, as they are winless in their last 5 matches across all competitions, losing 3 games and drawing 2.
Despite their underwhelming display this term, they occupy a relatively okay position based on their standards, as they sit 11th on the table, with 43 points from 32 matches.
Gary O’Neil’s side are 18 points above the drop zone, with Luton Town, who sit 18th on the log amassing just 25 points from 33 matches.
Wolverhampton Wanderers are also 3 points better than the guaranteed 40 points mark, which traditionally confirms a team’s place for the subsequent season.
Their match against the Gunners will certainly be intense, but they have failed to pick up even a point against Arsenal in their last 5 league meetings.
In the reverse fixture for the 2023/24 season, Mikel Arteta’s side secured a 2-1 win at the Emirates Stadium.
Wolves last defeated the Gunners in February 2021, defeating Arsenal 2-1, courtesy of goals from Ruben Neves and Joao Mourinho, while Nicolas Pepe scored the only goal on the day for the losing side.
Team News for Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wolves will need to assess Nelson Semedo following a recent hamstring issue.
Meanwhile, Jean-Ricner Bellegarde is also making progress after his knee injury, while Rayan Ait-Nouri might return for the game against Arsenal, although he remains a doubt for the fixture.
Winger Pedro Neto, who has been linked to the Gunners, will play no part in the game, as he is unavailable for action due to a hamstring problem.
Team News For Arsenal
For Arsenal, Jurrien Timber is said to be the only absentee at this stage, with the Dutchman still nursing a knee injury, although he could be back in the coming weeks.
Wolves vs Arsenal predicted lineups
Wolves: Sa; Kilman, Dawson, Toti; Semedo, Lemina, Gomes, Doyle, Ait-Nouri; Cunha, Hwang.
Arsenal: Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Tomiyasu; Partey, Rice, Odegaard; Saka, Havertz, Trossard.
Prediction: Wolverhampton Wanderers 1-3 Arsenal
Kick-off Time And Date: 07:30 PM, Saturday, April 20, 2024
