2 hours ago
19
Bukayo Saka could resume this new role in the Arsenal team as they face Wolves in the Premier League
Arsenal take on Wolves in the Premier League on Wednesday night as they look to put a seven-point gap between themselves and Manchester City. Mikel Arteta saw his side put four past Wigan Athletic on the weekend to reach the FA Cup fifth round, and continue their strides forward across four competitions they can still win.
He made many changes from the side that drew with Brentford ahead of this pivotal fortnight in the Gunners’ season. This trip to the Black Country precedes the North London Derby before they return to the Emirates Stadium for the visit of fellow capital rivals Chelsea.
The Gunners know City’s fixtures are far kinder, and if they do not pick up maximum points, their title credentials could take an almighty hit. Arteta will need to manage his side correctly through this gauntlet, and it was no surprise that so many starters were rested against Wigan.
FOLLOW OUR ARSENAL FB PAGE! Latest Gunners news, analysis and much more via our dedicated Facebook page
It means that several players who didn’t start can come back in for Wednesday. David Raya will naturally take his place back between the sticks, and William Saliba will be rejoined by long-time partners Gabriel and Jurrien Timber.
With Riccardo Calafiori seemingly injured, Piero Hincapie returns to the left back role, with Myles Lewis-Skelly likely not doing enough to book his place in the starting eleven for this clash.
Both Declan Rice and Martin Zubimendi will be expected to start in the middle, but the experiment which saw Bukayo Saka play in a central role could prompt Arteta to consider a more permanent solution. He said post-match how surprised he was by the connections that had already formed, especially with Noni Madueke.
Viktor Gyokeres and Leandro Trossard to make the team meaning Eberechi Eze’s good performance isn’t necessarily rewarded with another start and he’ll need to again make an impact from the bench. It still remains to be seen whether Martin Odegaard can be involved.
Changed Arsenal XI vs Wolves: Raya; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Hincapie; Zubimendi, Rice, Saka; Madueke, Gyokeres, Trossard
Ensure our latest sport headlines always appear at the top of your Google Search by making us a Preferred Source. Click here to activate or add us as a Preferred Source in your Google search settings
English (US) ·