West Bromwich Albion v Arsenal - Premier League - The Hawthorns Arsenal s Kieran Tierney (centre) celebrates scoring his side s first goal of the game during the Premier League match at The Hawthorns, West Bromwich. Copyright: Michael Regan

Saka returns: How Arsenal line up vs Wolves

Dan Critchlow

Feb 2, 2021

Arsenal’s team for their match vs Wolves has been released:

Wolves: Patricio, Boly, Coady, Kilman, Semedo, Neves, Moutinho, Neto, Adama, J. Willian, Podence

Subs: Ruddy, Hoever, Silva, Gibbs-White, Vitinha, Leander Dendoncker, Richards, Otasowie

Arsenal: Leno, Bellerin, David Luiz, Holding, Cedric, Xhaka, partey, Pepe,. Smith Rowe, Saka, Lacazette

Subs: Runarsson, Gabriel, Chambers, Elneny, Ceballos, Odegaard, Willian, Martinelli, Aubameyang

Pre match predicted XI

Looking to get back to winning ways on Tuesday, let’s have a look at our Arsenal predicted lineup away to Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Manchester United's Norwegian manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer (L) and Arsenal's Spanish manager Mikel Arteta (R) bump fists after the English Premier League football match between Arsenal and Manchester United at the Emirates Stadium in London on January 30, 2021. - The game finished 0-0. (Photo by Alastair Grant / POOL / AFP) / RESTRICTED — Manchester United’s Norwegian manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer (L) and Arsenal’s Spanish manager Mikel Arteta (R) bump fists after the English Premier League football match between Arsenal and Manchester United at the Emirates Stadium in London on January 30, 2021. (Photo by Alastair Grant / POOL / AFP) / RESTRICTED

Arsenal extended their Premier League unbeaten run to seven games with a draw against Manchester United at the weekend, but Mikel Arteta’s side aren’t really in a position to be celebrating dropped points.

The Gunners are still a way off the European places, and they need to keep winning to maintain any hope of finishing the season in them.

Arteta will probably need to make a few changes in midweek, however, having started almost exactly the same team against both Southampton and Manchester United last week. Here’s our Arsenal predicted lineup vs Wolves.

Goalkeeper

LONDON, ENGLAND: Bernd Leno of Arsenal looks on after he makes a save during the Premier League match between Arsenal and Manchester United at Emirates Stadium on January 30, 2021. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

After Mat Ryan’s knock ahead of the weekend, there’s even less doubt about the starting goalkeeper. Bernd Leno played excellently and kept another clean sheet against Manchester United, so he’ll keep his place here.

Defence

Gabriel Magalhaes in training with Arsenal (Photo via Arsenal on Twitter)

Gabriel Magalhaes and Pablo Mari are both potential options to give David Luiz a rest, but Mari is still a fitness doubt at the moment. It’s hard to see Arteta dropping both Luiz and Holding at once, so Holding will probably keep his place alongside Gabriel.

Unfortunately, Kieran Tierney is still unavailable, so Cedric Soares is likely to start at left-back. That leaves Hector Bellerin to start at right-back, given the alternative is Cedric.

Midfield

Granit Xhaka put in a good performance at the weekend and is likely to continue to keep his place in the side. He’s one of those rare players who doesn’t often need a rest, and he’s also important to the team right now.

We’d all like to see Thomas Partey alongside him, but the Ghana international has had all those injury problems lately and it would be a risk to include him as a starter again. The same goes for Emile Smith Rowe.

As a result, we’re predicting a couple of changes in midfield, with Dani Ceballos and Martin Odegaard coming in. This is partly what Odegaard was brought in for, to help ensure we get the best out of Smith Rowe by not overplaying him.

Forwards

Arsenal's English striker Bukayo Saka celebrates scoring his team's second goal during the English Premier League football match between Southampton and Arsenal at St Mary's Stadium in Southampton, southern England on January 26, 2021. (Photo by Frank Augstein / POOL / AFP) — Arsenal’s English striker Bukayo Saka celebrates scoring his team’s second goal during the English Premier League football match between Southampton and Arsenal at St Mary’s Stadium in Southampton, southern England on January 26, 2021. (Photo by Frank Augstein / POOL / AFP)

It’s hard to see anyone other than Alexandre Lacazette starting up front. Eddie Nketiah is available, but right now he’s only playing when Arteta absolutely has to rest Lacazette. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is seemingly quarantining.

If Bukayo Saka is fit, he’ll surely come back in. Nicolas Pepe worked hard and completed another 90 minutes on Saturday, so a rest might be a good idea for him.

Gabriel Martinelli and Willian only played 45 each at the weekend, so it could be either of them against Wolves on the left. Martinelli is surely the bigger goal threat, which is important in Aubameyang’s absence, so we’re putting him in.