1. Happy London travels
Wolves have enjoyed a perfect record in London so far this season and are now going for the hat-trick at the Emirates Stadium. Nuno’s side have conquered the east with victory at West Ham United and the south with three points against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park. Now the north is task number three at the Emirates and Wolves will want to build on their success in the capital. Other away games have wielded a point at Manchester United, but defeats at Leicester and Brighton.
2. Gunners gaining momentum
Unai Emery has really stamped his mark on Arsenal and currently has them on a 15-match unbeaten run in all competitions. The Gunners are fifth in the Premier League and already through to the latter stages of the Carabao Cup and Europa League. On home soil in the Premier League the Gunners have beaten West Ham, Everton, Watford and Leicester, while they drew an entertaining game with Liverpool last weekend. Thursday night’s goalless draw with Sporting Lisbon was just the second time Emery’s Arsenal had failed to score in a match, and the first since the opening day against Man City.
3. Jota back in contention
Diogo Jota returned to training on Friday and becomes an option for Nuno, but the door remains open for Ivan Cavaleiro or Adama Traore to start. Both have been given an opportunity in recent weeks and could enjoy the opportunity to stretch their legs on the Emirates’ big pitch. Morgan Gibbs-White also enjoyed an impressive cameo against Spurs, so could he be handed his first top-flight start?
Danny Welbeck suffered a broken ankle on Thursday night so will be missing for the hosts. He joins Mohamed Elneny and Konstantinos Mavropanos in the treatment room, but Nacho Monreal will hope to be back fit in time for Sunday. In Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, the Gunners have the joint-leading scorer in the Premier League with seven goals, while fellow striker Alexandre Lacazette isn’t far behind with five, so Wolves will need to be at their best defensively on Sunday.
4. Wolves to set the record straight?
If records are there to be broken, then Wolves must do exactly that this weekend. Their Premier League history against the Gunners makes for bleak reading, with their 2011 point at the Emirates the only times Wolves have avoided defeat in eight matches. Their 15-match winless run against Arsenal is their longest against a single club ever, so Nuno will be determined to make history with his side this weekend.
5. Jimenez hot property
A place in the Fantasy Premier League Team of the Week was Raul Jimenez’s rewarded for his contributions against Tottenham last weekend. The Mexican netted from the penalty spot after winning another spot kick earlier in the game, earning points for a goal and assist. The striker, who also claimed points for playing the full 90 minutes, was the top bonus point earner, scooping three points ahead of Lucas Moura and Harry Kane. He’s joint-sixth for points amongst the strikers, level with Marko Arnautovic, despite being £1.4m cheaper at £5.7. The Mexican scored against Emery’s Sevilla back in 2014 for Atletico Madrid so has history. Is it time to give Raul a chance in your FPL team?
