Wolves 0-0 Arsenal – Premier League: Live score, team news and updates as Mikel Artera’s side look to keep title hopes alive and bounce back from European heartbreak

Wolves 0-0 Arsenal

Wolves try and play out but Arsenal win the ball up the pitch. It finds itself at Jesus’ feet, but the forward drags an effort even tamer than Havertz’s wide of the post.

Tommy Doyle, by the way, is on loan from Manchester City. He could lend a hand…

Alan Smith has just suggested on Sky commentary that people may lose respect for Arsenal if they stumble again here.

Wolves 0-0 Arsenal

Some interesting chants from the home fans towards Arsenal on the back of their Champions League exit in midweek. I cannot repeat them.

An early chance for Kai Havertz, but his tame, hooked effort is gathered by Sa.

KICK OFF – Wolves 0-0 Arsenal

Referee Paul Tierney blows his whistle for the first time today.

We are underway!

Here come the teams!

The players are on their ways out at Molineux.

Kick off is on the way.

‘We want to take points’

Gary O’Neil is aiming high.

It may seem weird to say that – it’s two good teams playing a game of Premier League football – but they are up against it tonight.

Have our full faith and backing. I wouldn’t put them in this position if I didn’t feel they were capable of producing. So, the aim is to take points from the game as always and give a real good account of ourselves. Can we make sure we always look like us? We’ve had really high standards this year.

Wolves have been good against the top teams this season. We’ll see if they can produce again.

Getting warm

I’m sat in an office in London, but it’s a bit frosty outside and I imagine it’s pretty similar a little further north.

The players have been out getting warm ahead of the game, and they may have had to put some decent effort in for that to have happened.

15 minutes until kick-off.

Worries for Wolves

While we are on stats, I must credit a member of the desk who has been on work experience for this one…

Arsenal have scored in their last 32 meetings with Wolves, their joint-longest scoring streak against any opponent.

They will be looking to hit a new record today, I suppose. But that is some streak, and I can’t really see it ending, if I’m honest.

Gunners’ rigid defence

One of the players I thought may be rested today was Gabriel, who had been struggling with a knock.

Nonetheless, he starts, and will help form an away defence that has been far and away the best in the league this season.

26 goals conceded in 32 games for Arsenal, five better than any other side.

David Raya has kept 12 clean sheets in 26 games since taking the No 1 spot – the most in the league – with Aaron Ramsdale keeping a further two.

Clean sheets in their last five Premier League away games, too.

Arsenal’s April curse

Those with better memories than most will notice that Arsenal have stuttered in April once again.

It’s now three years in-a-row that the Gunners have slipped up in the back end of the campaign. Two wins from five so far this month.

Why? There are a few answers. And my colleague Sami Mokbel has outlined them below.

If you are a Mail+ subscriber – if not, why not?! – then click below to read the piece.

SAMI MOKBEL reveals exactly what needs to change for Arsenal

Mail Online

Arsenal swap three

Mikel Arteta has made three changes from the defeat to Bayern Munich.

Tomiyasu, Jorginho and Martinelli drop out. Kiwior, Trossard and Jesus come in.

I thought they may change a few more for this one. I guess not!

Four Wolves changes

I make it four changes for Wolves from the draw with Forest.

Semedo, Lemina, Sarabia and Cunha drop out. Hugo Bueno, Traore, Chirewa and Hwang come into the side.

Ait Nouri is fit enough only for the bench – sorry Fantasy Premeir League players. 15-year-old Wes Okoduwa is also on the bench, and will become Wolves’ youngest-ever player if he is introduced.

BREAKING: Arsenal team to play Wolves

Raya, White, Saliba, Gabriel, Kiwior, Rice, Odegaard, Havertz, Saka, Trossard, Jesus.

Subs: Ramsdale, Zinchenko, Jorginho, Partey, Vieira, Smith Rowe, Nelson, Martinelli, Nketiah.

BREAKING: Wolves team to play Arsenal

Sa, Doherty, S Bueno, Kilman, Toti, H Bueno, Gomes, Traore, Doyle, Chirewa, Hwang.

Subs: Bentley, Ait Nouri, M Lemina, Sarabia, Holman, Barnett, Ojinnaka, Okoduwa, Fraser.

‘Wolves have nothing to lose’

It is difficult. O’Neil has had an excelelnt season bvut everyone is dependant on their players. But it makes them dangerous, it could almost be a free hit, young lads trying to make it and have the games of their lives. Nothing to lose.

Those are the words of former Arsenal forward Alan Smith, speaking on Sky Sports right now. He has a point, to be fair…

Team news is a matter of moments away.

Wolves struggling

And Wolves aren’t just struggling off-the-pitch, but on it too.

Winless in their last five games in a ll competitions since beating Fulham at the start of March, any hopes of Europe have likely drifted, though it is still a season to be proud of given what happened with O’Neil’s appointment at the start of the season.

Last time out, a Matheus Cunha brace helped them to a draw with Nottingham Forest. He is one of the players that will miss tonight through injury, however…

Gunners arrivals

A large crowd to greet Arsenal, then, as is the usual.

The Gunners have made it to Molineux in good time and will have their game-faces on for what is another huge game in their season.

They do not want to be nearly men once again.

I wonder if they will rest anyone tonight, with another game in midweek.

Wolves’ injury crisis

So, that injury crisis…

Wolves boss Gary O’Neil opened up on the difficulties in his squad ahead of this evening’s game, with the Englishman down to the absolute bare bones.

Craig Dawson, Nelson Semedo, Matheus Cunha, Pedro Neto and Jean-Ricard Bellegarde are all out, Hwang Hee-chan and Rayan Ait-Nouri aren’t fit enough to start and Mario Lemina and Pablo Sarabia are nursing knocks.

One was pleased he got to miss his science lesson this morning so he could train with us.

That was what he said of one of the players, 15 year-old schoolboy Wes Okoduwa, who could be included in the squad tonight.

Read more below.

Wolves set to include a 15-YEAR-OLD in their squad to face Arsenal

Mail Online

Arsenal looking to bounce back

The season does, admittedly, have a risk of dying out for Arsenal on the back of the last week.

They suffered that staggering defeat at home to Aston Villa in the Premier League last week, and were second best to Bayern in their Champions League quarter-final.

Today is, to be honest, do or die. There is quite a lot on their side – Wolves’ injuries, etc etc – however that does include expectation.

How the title race looks

So after a truly mental game week in the Premier League last weekend, the title is once again in the hands of defending champions Manchester City, who are looking to become the first team ever to win the Premier League four times in a row.

Pep Guardiola’s side lead both Liverpool and the Gunners by two points, with each team having six games left to play. This is Arsenal’s first of those six.

It is still techincally a long way from over, but City are usually relentless and this stage and, once they catch you, it’s hard to do the same to them.

Still, Arsenal can go back top today, which will apply a form of pressure.

Hello!

Good evening one and all and welcome to Mail Sport’s live coverage of the Premier League game between Wolves and Arsenal this evening.

Some say the title race is done. I think we will go a long way to finding out if that’s true this evening.