No Pushovers at This Stage: Wolves V Arsenal Preview

I like how Arteta put it 

“We have some good examples this year when we have dropped points against teams near the bottom. We have to go there with the right mentality and the right approach and sense of pride. When you are playing away from home, there are no easy games in the premier league.”

I said this against Aston villa and as well against QPR, Arsenal’s biggest undoing in the past couple of seasons has been complacency against seemingly minor teams. In the past two seasons, the gooners have actually missed out on winning the championship due to losing focus and stumbled against “second paged” premiership teams, all the fans are now hoping though, that the team has turned a corner, through such a turbulent season, for them to finally string up a series of consecutive wins, it has been such a great achievement. Team has managed to win 7 of their last 8 games and is hoping to capitalize on their fierce rivals’ slip up in the battle for 3^rd position as they visit molineux to take on bottom side Wolverhampton wanderers. 

Since sacking their manager Mick McCarthy in February of this year, wolves have only managed to muster 1 point out of their last 8games, things are really looking bleak for Terry Connor and yet he has to do all his best to help the team keep in top flight football something that is really proving so hard for wolves. However its teams like these, struggling and battling to hang on to dear lives that have always given Arsenal the hardest of times, last season, right after victory over the mighty Barcelona, Arsenal could only muster a 2-2 draw against Wigan in their next outing.

The gunners’ team is once again faced with injury issues to their key men, with choice left back Gibbs ruled out, Sagna probably facing a late fitness test and Gervinho still not expected to start because of the ankle injury that ruled him out of the game against Manchester city. As if this is not enough, Arsenal are also to travel without their current on-form and arguably the best center back in the league currently, Laurent Koscienly as he has to serve a two games ban following his double figures yellow cards accumulation. The Arsenal is however expected to build on their form and resilience to employ whatever it takes to realize the three points needed for this fixture.

Predicted starting XI:

Wolves : Hennessey; Zubar, Johnson, Bassong, Ward; Kightly, Henry, Davis, Milijas, Jarvis; Fletcher.

                                                                Formation:  4-4-2

Arsenal: Szscesny; Jenkinson, Djorou, Vermealen, Santos; Song, Arteta, Rosicky; Theo, Chamberlain; Van Persie

                                                                Formation: 4-3-2-1