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Morning all.
Listening to Mikel Arteta giving an update on players fitness during his press conferences reminds me of when I very young. Each afternoon I’d come in from school, primary school I hasten to add, feeling peckish and I’d ask my mum or dad what was for tea and the reply I always received was “wait and see”. Most of the “wait and sees” were lovely but on the odd days when a pheasant casserole landed on my plate, it ended up staying there.
Arteta spoke yesterday about William Saliba, Jurrien Timber, Leandro Trossard and Declan Rice – all we got from him was wait and see. (if they return today) Cristhain Mosquera, Max Dowman, Gabriel and Kai Havertz will definitely miss out.
Anyway, we are up against a Wolves team which has picked up just two points so far this season. Not a win to be seen, just two draws which came away at Totts and at home against Brighton back in October.
Manager Vitor Pereira was sacked on 2 November 2025 after failing to win any of his first 10 games and with the club sitting bottom of the league table. Rob Edwards was appointed coach on 12 November 2025 but the results haven’t changed at all. Fans aren’t happy as was demonstrated on Monday night when they were thumped 4-1 by Man Utd.
Adrian Clarke, writing in the official matchday programme:
Edwards appears set on working with his usual 3-4-2-1 formation that reverts to a 5-4-1 out of possession, when they hunt in packs to force dangerous transitions. Only three sides have won more tackles than Wolves who set out to press inside the opposition half. While that has led them to create a respectable 103 high turnovers, just 13 shots and a single goal have stemmed from those regains.
You would not describe Wolves as a low-block outfit that absorbs pressure. They average 47% possession, and while they are second behind Burnley for the greatest number of long passes attempted so far in 2025/26, they can also move the ball sharply between the lines with crisp, short passing.
Supplying quality ammunition from the flanks is a real strong suit. Producing 69 successful open play crosses, Wolves lead this department by an incredible 19. Left-back Hugo Bueno, has 21 to his name, a division high, while on the other side Jackson Tchatchoua happens to be one of the fastest players in the Premier League.
However they’ve netted just eight times this season, while at the back they are wobbling. On Monday night at home to Manchester United, their back three looked disjointed and low on confidence, giving up 27 shots and an xG of 4.24.
Even though all the stats suggest a comfortable win looms large for Arsenal, nothing can be taken for granted. We have to turn up, be at our best and not give the visitors hope. Not a hope of a point and certainly not a hope of a win. In some ways, playing a side which sits bottom of the league and looking odds on favourite for relegation can be the toughest. Not because the opposition is suddenly brilliant but they are desperate to turn things around. I’m pretty sure Wolves will defend as if their lives depend on not conceding a goal so it’s up to Arsenal to wear them down, break them down.
I imagine we will hog the possession stats but it’s goals scored which will win the game. We’re at home, the fans will be in festive spirits I’m sure, so I hope by 10pm, The Arsenal will have three points wrapped up and under the tree.
Catch up in the comments.