Wolves v Arsenal Tips: Robin Bairner believes home side can keep this close

Wolves host leaders Arsenal in the Premier League’s most eyecatching of the weekend’s fixtures. Who will come out on top? Robin Bairner has the lowdown.

Arsenal are the real deal

Very few would have expected Arsenal to sit at the top of the Premier League table by the time the 2022 World Cup rolled around yet, with just one match before the year’s big event, Mikel Arteta’s side have just one hurdle left to clear in order to confound those critics.

The Gunners may not be favourites to go all the way to the title, but they are looking increasingly strong contenders after winning 11 of their opening 13 matches of the season. Only Manchester United have managed to beat them this term and they have succeeded in grinding out victories in games they might previously have stumbled. Last weekend’s 1-0 success over Chelsea was a fine example.

Wolves, meanwhile, have not reached the high standards they have come to expect and find themselves second from bottom. New manager, Julen Lopetegui, is waiting in the wings ready to take over after the World Cup, but this game represents a great chance for his future players to make an impression.

In need of the break

The World Cup break will be a very real watershed moment in the season for Wolves. Lopetegui’s appointment will be a welcome change for the club, who have won just two matches and secured 10 points so far this term.

While they have not been too bad defensively (22 goals conceded, so they are only a little below average), they have struggled in attack - eight goals in 14 games is a miserable record. Remarkably, last weekend’s 3-2 defeat against Brighton was the first time they had netted more than once in a league fixture this season. Indeed, they were well placed in the first half before being hurt by Nelson Semedo’s red card.

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It falls on the shoulders of interim boss Steve Davis to try and lift them out of the drop zone in the immediate future, though they are relying on both a remarkable home success and results elsewhere to go their way.

Hunting for Wolves

Arsenal, meanwhile, can round off an excellent start to the season with a win at Molineux. Arteta’s side has generally travelled well this season, but it’s worth noting that they have also dropped five points. That is just a small blemish in what has been a superb season.

They have fared well at Wolves lately, too. Six of their last eight trips to this venue have ended in victory, including a 1-0 success last season. Arsenal did the double over Wolves last term, twice winning by a single goal.

One issue for the Gunners is the number of their playing squad will head to the World Cup. Eight regular starters will journey to Qatar after this match, which will naturally affect their mentality heading into this game. Only Oleksandr Zinchenko, Gabriel and Martin Odegaard will stay at home.

World Cup unknown 

The mid-season World Cup throws up some unknowns, particularly in the week before it is due to start. It would be natural for Arsenal’s players to protect themselves and that is a factor which must be taken into account. 

How might this manifest itself, then? For a start, it makes an Arsenal victory less certain and it appears the market has taken that into account. In normal circumstances, that might be seen as a very valid bet. However, I prefer Wolves +1 on an Asian Handicap at 1.92, given they have lost only one of their last eight against the Gunners by more than that margin.

Players are unlikely to be throwing themselves into wild challenges and, with Semedo and Diego Costa banned, a low card count is probable. 

Wolves v Arsenal Tips

Back Wolves +1 on the Asian Handicap @ 1.92
Back Under 4.5 cards @ 1.56