Arsenal vs Wolves preview: injury-hit Gunners face rock-bottom Wanderers in Emirates mismatch

League leaders Arsenal take on the worst team in Premier League history as Wolves arrive at the Emirates with just 2 points from 14 games

By "Big" Barry O'ConnorPublished Dec 12, 2025, 9:06 AMUpdated Dec 12, 2025, 9:06 AM
Arsenal vs Wolves preview

Arsenal vs Wolves preview

On paper, this should be the most one-sided match of the weekend. Arsenal are top of the league. Wolves are making history for all the wrong reasons.

But football has a funny way of throwing up surprises, and Mikel Arteta will be taking nothing for granted on Saturday night.

Wolves' historic collapse

Let us be absolutely clear about how bad Wolves have been this season. Two points from 14 matches. Zero wins. Twelve defeats. Seven goals scored - the fewest in the division by a country mile.

This is one of the worst starts to a Premier League season in history. Gary O'Neil was sacked weeks ago, and caretaker boss has done nothing to stop the rot.

The 4-1 hammering at home to Manchester United on Monday was their eighth consecutive defeat. Fans are boycotting matches in protest against the owners. The club is in complete meltdown.

Jorgen Strand Larsen has just one league goal all season. Matheus Cunha looks like a man who has already mentally checked out. The defence has conceded 29 goals - by far the worst in the division.

Relegation is not a question of if, but when. And possibly by how much.

Arsenal's injury nightmare

The Gunners would normally fancy themselves to put five or six past this Wolves side. But Arteta has problems of his own.

The injury crisis continues to bite. William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes, Kai Havertz, Leandro Trossard, Mikel Merino, and young prospect Max Dowman are all unavailable. That is the spine of the team wiped out.

Arsenal have suffered 28 injuries this season - the highest in the Premier League. Arteta has admitted his squad is stuck in a dangerous circle where missing players overload those who remain.

Last weekend's 2-1 defeat at Aston Villa ended their 18-match unbeaten run. Emiliano Buendia's 95th-minute winner was a gut punch, and suddenly the title race looks wide open again.

Can Wolves cause an upset?

In normal circumstances, absolutely not. But these are not normal circumstances.

Arsenal are patched together with reserves and academy players. The confidence has taken a hit after Villa Park. And desperate teams with nothing to lose can be dangerous opponents.

Wolves will sit deep, try to frustrate, and hope to nick something on the counter. It is their only chance. If Arsenal score early, this could turn into a cricket score. But if it stays tight into the second half, nerves might creep in.

What Arsenal need

Professionalism. That is it. No fancy stuff, no overthinking. Just get the job done.

Bukayo Saka will be key. Martin Odegaard needs to pull the strings in midfield. And whoever plays up front must be clinical - chances will come, and they need to be taken.

A clean sheet would be nice too. Arsenal have kept just two in their last six matches, and that is not title-winning form.

Barry's prediction

Arsenal 3-0 Wolves

I cannot see anything other than an Arsenal win here. Wolves are too bad, too broken, and too demoralised to cause an upset. The Gunners will be professional, efficient, and ruthless.

Three points and on to the next one. That is all Arteta will be thinking about.

"O
"Big" Barry O'Connor

Barry has been covering English football for 30 years. He is an outspoken character ("loudmouth") who has his ins at the pubs where the supporters go. He isn't afraid to call for a manager's sacking after just two losses. His style is direct, populist, and sometimes brutal. He loves puns in headlines and focuses on conflicts, wages, and dressing room drama.