PL: Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Arsenal | Saturday 4th July | KO: 17:30 BST | Sky Sports

[bingobob]

I think a realistic test. City isn't one we expected to win really. This one we can and is ludicrously important.

precisely. It's our first proper test against a team where the result could go either way. Against City we were significant under dogs and it would have been a huge upset for City if we won.

The next run of games are tight games where it could go either way. Wolves, Leicester, Sp**s. They are all games we could win and lose in equal measure. If we beat Wolves it would be a great boost of confidence going into these remaining fixtures and hopefully put us in a position where we have the confidence, belief and form to do something against City.

So that's why I feel it's the first proper challenge of the restart. It's unfortunately a direct competitor.

 

[KrissKringle]

I don't think there's a chance in hell we'll beat this Wolves side considering the way we're playing.
Their middle and attack gel so much better than ours and it's gonna show.

 

[2Smokeyy]

I was watching the highlights of all three of their games after the restart and they look absolutely blistering on the counter attack. I know a lot of people on here don’t rate Adama Traore but he’s been a handful lately and very productive. I think Mustafi is going to get exposed in the air by Raul Jimenez which is why I’d prefer Rob Holding at the back for this one.

Neto looks like a baller too, where did they get him from?

 

[GunnerShy]

They've been good all season. We will need to over perform to beat them up there.

Things working in our favour are the empty stadium, team has a little bit of confidence and Auba a few goals under his belt.

Be interesting to see how he sets us up. Big challenge. If we win it, we should have plenty of confidence going into Leicester and Spuds. But we are underdogs.

 

[Makingtrax]

BBC prediction Mark Lawrenson:

Wolves never concede many, don't change their formation and everyone in their team knows their job. They are in a place where Arsenal would love to be.

Lawro's prediction: 2-0 Wolves

 

[Riou]

Wolves have only conceded 7 less goals than us...

Everyone bar Liverpool has been rather poor defensively this season, wish pundits would stop using that to have a go at us specifically.

 

[say yes]

They’ve got to be favourites for this, which is a very weird thing to type.

Must win game if we want to play in Europe next season.

 

[L3T5 PL4Y]

Wolves have only conceded 7 less goals than us...

Everyone bar Liverpool has been rather poor defensively this season, wish pundits would stop using that to have a go at us specifically.

BBC prediction Mark Lawrenson:

Wolves never concede many, don't change their formation and everyone in their team knows their job. They are in a place where Arsenal would love to be.

Lawro's prediction: 2-0 Wolves

I find it strange that these supposed "experts" and "analysts" watch football for so long, are surrounded by all things football and have so much resource but can only come up with lazy bullshit. I'm not even talking about the prediction against us but that they can't pinpoint the real reasoning behind what the predictions come from. Pretty strange.

Wolves are aggressive and fast down the wide areas with a strong and focused powerful base that play vertical to maximize the output of the runners. That is what we struggle to deal with.

The last time I saw Wolves play was 2 years ago against us.

Which also means, me= Champion!

 

[#254]

Nothing I’d like more than to stick one up Wolves. Their fans have become supremely arrogant since their emergence. I’m sick of their robotic system and 1980’s tactics.

We can beat Wolves. Man for man we have a better team. It looks like the lads are slowly adjusting to Mikel’s ideas, having struggled at the start of the restart. Selection will be key here. I’m really sad Mari got injured- he’s looked interesting in the little we’ve seen from
him so far. I’d go;

Martinez
Holding Luiz Sokratis
Bellerín Xhaka Ceballos Tierney
Pepe Aubameyang Saka

There’s a lot of pace in that attack, we can worry Wolves’ back three- particularly Coady who I feel is a bang average player. Also Wily Boly has been talking a lot about us in the build up, would love to shut him up too.

Im going for a 1-0 win for us. Wolves won’t be as intense without their fans at the Molinyeux. They feel invincible there, as someone who’s been a few times they generate an incredible atmosphere.

We can do this. A win here is a statement.

I believed in this vibe until I saw Spuds getting trashed at Bramall lane with no fans. Home advantage plays a factor with or without fans imo.

 

[The_Playmaker]

I was watching the highlights of all three of their games after the restart and they look absolutely blistering on the counter attack. I know a lot of people on here don’t rate Adama Traore but he’s been a handful lately and very productive. I think Mustafi is going to get exposed in the air by Raul Jimenez which is why I’d prefer Rob Holding at the back for this one.

Neto looks like a baller too, where did they get him from?

Do you realise how good Mustafi is in the air? Its It's probably the strongest part of his game.

 

[Oxeki]

I think Mustafi is going to get exposed in the air by Raul Jimenez which is why I’d prefer Rob Holding at the back for this one?

I know a lot of people (myself included) don't like mustafi, but he's arguably our best defender in the air. He's far better than Holding. Holding won't make as much mistakes as Mustafi but his defensive ineptitude is just as bad if not worse than Mustafi's Brain fart. Never seen an Arsenal player get so much hype for doing nothing

 

[Makingtrax]

Do you realise how good Mustafi is in the air? Its It's probably the strongest part of his game.

Yep, he's good in the air . . . terrible with his feet, panics under pressure, rash with his tackles and has little awareness of opponents around him.

It's the only part of his game.

 

[L3T5 PL4Y]

Yep, he's good in the air . . . terrible with his feet, panics under pressure, rash with his tackles and has little awareness of opponents around him.

It's the only part of his game.

I think while trying to get good at heading his head kind of broke.

 

[Makingtrax]

I know a lot of people (myself included) don't like mustafi, but he's arguably our best defender in the air. He's far better than Holding. Holding won't make as much mistakes as Mustafi but his defensive ineptitude is just as bad if not worse than Mustafi's Brain fart. Never seen an Arsenal player get so much hype for doing nothing

Holdings OK in the air and better at just about everything else than Mustafi. His distribution has been poor since coming back, dreadful against Norwich, but he used to be a lot better. Just rustiness.

 

[The_Playmaker]

Yep, he's good in the air . . . terrible with his feet, panics under pressure, rash with his tackles and has little awareness of opponents around him.

It's the only part of his game.

Jimenez in the air isn't the problem. Jota sitting him on his arse is.

 

[2Smokeyy]

I know a lot of people (myself included) don't like mustafi, but he's arguably our best defender in the air. He's far better than Holding. Holding won't make as much mistakes as Mustafi but his defensive ineptitude is just as bad if not worse than Mustafi's Brain fart. Never seen an Arsenal player get so much hype for doing nothing

I’m not sure if you’re implying that I rate Holding because I certainly don’t.

The main reason why I suggested Holding was due to that performance against Southampton when he was winning everything in the air plus he’s better on the ball too and probably won’t get spun by Jota 1 vs 1.

 

[Taylor Gang Gunners]

I believed in this vibe until I saw Spuds getting trashed at Bramall lane with no fans. Home advantage plays a factor with or without fans imo.

Spuds were garbage. Like, very bad. Sheffield would’ve spanked them with or without the fans. One of Sheffield’s players (Egan I think it might’ve been) admitted they missed a step without the fans.

 

[Oxeki]

I don't want Bellerin in the starting lineup. What if Nuno decides to shift Adama to the left and Sic him on Bellerin. It could be brutal. I want AMN instead. At least he can hold his own physically and has pace to combat Adama Traore

 

[Riou]

Lets keep the run going tomorrow lads and ladettes...not overly confident, but not going in with zero hope either!



...how this man never won World player of the year in 2003 or 2004 is such a ****ing joke.

(also those types of goals should easily count)

 

[SingmeasongSong]

I was watching the highlights of all three of their games after the restart and they look absolutely blistering on the counter attack. I know a lot of people on here don’t rate Adama Traore but he’s been a handful lately and very productive. I think Mustafi is going to get exposed in the air by Raul Jimenez which is why I’d prefer Rob Holding at the back for this one.

Neto looks like a baller too, where did they get him from?

I'd usually argue against Mustafi, but you gotta admit he's done okay under Arteta and wasn't at fault for most of our problems.

He's actually had several good games and even if none of us sees him as good enough for a potential future Arsenal side that wants to challenge to top spots, he's currently maybe even the best performing CB we have.

Holding is finished for me, he's got 1 good game and then 5 ****ty ones, + lacks the speed of a top defender as he's one of the slowest players we have.

Considering Wolves, Holding is just not keeping up with their runners, if we don't maintain a perfect structure for 90 minutes, which I'd doubt, given recent history.

Mustafi is at least relatively fast.