Wolves vs Arsenal Prediction: Wounded Gunners could get caught cold at Molineux

This time last week, Arsenal were in control of their destiny in the Champions League and the Premier League title race. But after a 2-0 home defeat to Aston Villa followed by a 1-0 loss in Germany to Bayern Munich, the Gunners are out of Europe and trailing Manchester City by two points in the league.

Mikel Arteta must now lift spirits ahead of a trip to the West Midlands to face Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux on Saturday night (Sky Sports Main Event - KO, 19:30). Below you can find my Wolves vs Arsenal prediction alongside all the latest team news and match odds.

Neither side can lay claim to being in great form of late heading into this one. Since beating Fulham 2-1 on March 9, Wolves have been dumped out of the FA Cup by Coventry City and gone winless in four Premier League games, picking up just two points in the process.

Any dreams of a late-season charge for the European places have been forgotten, with Gary O'Neil's side now fighting for a top-half finish.

It all looked rosy for Arsenal after back-to-back wins to nil over Luton Town and Brighton & Hove Albion at the start of April, but a draw at the Emirates against Bayern, followed by defeats to Villa and the Bundesliga club, has seen the mood change dramatically.

The Gunners should be buoyed by their recent record against this weekend's opponents, though, having won the last five meetings between the pair including a 2-1 win in the reverse fixture in December, when Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard fired the hosts into an early lead. Matheus Cunha scored late on for Wolves but that proved to be merely a consolation.

Team News

The bad news for Wolves is that Cunha, who bagged a brace against Nottingham Forest last week to take himself to 11 Premier League goals this season, has been ruled out of Saturday's game. The Brazilian returned at the start of the month after a seven-match absence, making substitute appearances against Burnley and West Ham United before starting against Forest, but has picked up another injury.

That 2-2 draw at Forest was also significant for being Hwang Hee-chan's first game back since February 28 but the South Korean is not fully fit and can only play 45 minutes, according to O'Neil.

18-year-old forward Leon Chiwome, who made three consecutive appearances in the absence of Hwang, missed the trip to the City Ground and has been ruled out for the remainder of the campaign.

Pedro Neto was pictured on the grass this week for the first time since suffering a hamstring injury against Fulham in March, but this weekend is likely to come too soon for the Portuguese winger, while French midfielder Jean-Ricner Bellegarde is out injured for a sixth-straight game, and defensive duo Nelson Semedo and Craig Dawson will also be missing.

Rayan Ait Nouri could be available from the bench but will not be able to start.

Jurrien Timber was the only major name missing in the Arsenal squad that flew to Germany in midweek, with the Dutchman still not fully fit following his long injury lay-off.

The likes of Oleksandr Zinchenko, Thomas Partey, Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Jesus will be pushing for starts at Molineux.

Match Odds

Wolves are 15/2 to beat Arsenal at Molineux for the first time since February 2021, giving them an implied win probability of 11.8%, while the Gunners are 4/11, or a 72.3% chance.

The draw is available at 4/1, both teams to score at 5/6 and over 2.5 goals at 4/7.

Arsenal to win & both teams to score - Yes @ 15/8

Arteta will be looking for, and expecting, a big response from his side on Saturday, and while they might have to work hard for the three points, I think they will get them.

Wolves have won just once in their last six league games and could be running out of gas. Their threadbare options in attack have been laid bare during lay-offs for Cunha, Hwang and Neto, though the return of the former two has given them some added impetus in their forward line in the last couple of games.

Molineux should be alive for a Saturday night kick-off and they have proven to be difficult opponents for a few of the big clubs this season. Liverpool had to dig deep to come from behind and win 3-1 in September, while Manchester City Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea were all beaten 2-1 there before the turn of the year.

Only Brentford have managed to stop Wolves from scoring at home so far, and with Arsenal starting to show some vulnerability at the back, I think Saturday's hosts can get on the scoresheet this weekend.

Ultimately, I think the Gunners will come out on top with all their eggs in one Premier League basket now.

Arsenal to win from behind @ 6/1

Once Arsenal go in front, it's usually game over for the opposition - only Spurs (2-2), Liverpool (1-1) and Fulham (1-2) have taken points off the Gunners in the Premier League when they have scored the first goal.

That's why it's imperative for Wolves to go in search of the first goal on Saturday, and in front of a packed Molineux crowd willing them on, I think they can cause some early damage to a side bound to still be reeling from the disappointment of their meek exit in the Champions League.

Arsenal have struggled to fight back after going behind in recent games against Bayern and Villa, but with all due respect, Wolves are not on the level of those sides, and Arteta's charges should have enough in them to rally back and win in the West Midlands.

Betfred are running their famed Double Delight & Hat-trick Heaven offer on this match, meaning that if a player scores first and then nets again, you will be paid at double the odds. If he grabs a hat-trick, you will be paid at treble the odds!

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