Morning all.
Listening to Mikel Arteta giving an update on players fitness during his press conferences reminds me of when I very young. Each afternoon I’d come in from school, primary school I hasten to add, feeling peckish and I’d ask my mum or dad what was for tea and the reply I always received was “wait and see”. Most of the “wait and sees” were lovely but on the odd days when a pheasant casserole landed on my plate, it ended up staying there.
Arteta spoke yesterday about William Saliba, Jurrien Timber, Leandro Trossard and Declan Rice – all we got from him was wait and see. (if they return today) Cristhain Mosquera, Max Dowman, Gabriel and Kai Havertz will definitely miss out.
Anyway, we are up against a Wolves team which has picked up just two points so far this season. Not a win to be seen, just two draws which came away at Totts and at home against Brighton back in October.
Manager Vitor Pereira was sacked on 2 November 2025 after failing to win any of his first 10 games and with the club sitting bottom of the league table. Rob Edwards was appointed coach on 12 November 2025 but the results haven’t changed at all. Fans aren’t happy as was demonstrated on Monday night when they were thumped 4-1 by Man Utd.
Adrian Clarke, writing in the official matchday programme:
Edwards appears set on working with his usual 3-4-2-1 formation that reverts to a 5-4-1 out of possession, when they hunt in packs to force dangerous transitions. Only three sides have won more tackles than Wolves who set out to press inside the opposition half. While that has led them to create a respectable 103 high turnovers, just 13 shots and a single goal have stemmed from those regains.
You would not describe Wolves as a low-block outfit that absorbs pressure. They average 47% possession, and while they are second behind Burnley for the greatest number of long passes attempted so far in 2025/26, they can also move the ball sharply between the lines with crisp, short passing.
Supplying quality ammunition from the flanks is a real strong suit. Producing 69 successful open play crosses, Wolves lead this department by an incredible 19. Left-back Hugo Bueno, has 21 to his name, a division high, while on the other side Jackson Tchatchoua happens to be one of the fastest players in the Premier League.
However they’ve netted just eight times this season, while at the back they are wobbling. On Monday night at home to Manchester United, their back three looked disjointed and low on confidence, giving up 27 shots and an xG of 4.24.
Even though all the stats suggest a comfortable win looms large for Arsenal, nothing can be taken for granted. We have to turn up, be at our best and not give the visitors hope. Not a hope of a point and certainly not a hope of a win. In some ways, playing a side which sits bottom of the league and looking odds on favourite for relegation can be the toughest. Not because the opposition is suddenly brilliant but they are desperate to turn things around. I’m pretty sure Wolves will defend as if their lives depend on not conceding a goal so it’s up to Arsenal to wear them down, break them down.
I imagine we will hog the possession stats but it’s goals scored which will win the game. We’re at home, the fans will be in festive spirits I’m sure, so I hope by 10pm, The Arsenal will have three points wrapped up and under the tree.
Catch up in the comments.
Morning Rico,
Thanks that brings back memories of tea (not dinner) in my younger days. Simpler days,it was very much you get what you’re given,but didn’t do any harm.
Today’s 3 points are the same as other games. I think we’ll go as strong as possible from the start,I hope we make as many substitutions as possible,and as early as possible.
Only two of Madueke,Odegaard and Eze will probably start,surely after midweek Madueke is a must,one out of the other two starts,to be replaced by the other. Both on the pitch doesn’t seem to work.
I hope Gyokeres gets a goal to shut up a few people.
Morning Gooners.
Morning Rico, yep it makes sense not to be complacent and I doubt very much that we will be, Arteta will make sure of that.
Viktor Gyokeres needs a performance today, not only for himself but for the rest of us. He needs to score and maybe a couple or three would be just the ticket and Martin Odegaard needs to find him with some penetrating passes.
I’m not expecting many changes from Wednesday if any but I am expecting a good win and a clean sheet. Put them in the bank and then spend next week preparing for Everton (a)…
Morning Limey, Kev, all.
Always tea until I got older, then it was dinner although confusing as at school, we had dinner ladies.
Totally agree re Gyokeres, would be great to see him score a couple.
Agree Kev, Arteta doesn’t seem like a “complacency acceptable” kind of manager..
Good morning Rico and all.
Before the main one this evening is the little matter of Everton Vs Arsenal in the WSL. Kick off in twenty odd minutes live on Sky. We need a win up there on Merseyside.
It was always tea time when I was a kid, although it was the main meal of the day except on Sundays when we had dinner at lunchtime. No wonder a grew up a bit confused. 😕
One nil to The Arsenal.
One all now.
Two one to the Arsenal.
Breakfast was always breakfast in my house.
Brunch never existed when I was a kid thankfully, but I did occasionally hear the term elevenses.
At school it was dinner time at midday but I never had dinner until tea time in the late afternoon/ evening at dinner time I had lunch.
As for supper, forget it…
Now it’s just chaos…
Afternoon Cicero, thanks for the reminder, just turned it on.
😂 Kev
afternoon all!
These games sometimes become the most complicated.
Gabriel hasn’t been injured for very long, considering what they said he had?
https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/arsenal-gabriel-magalhaes-bustup-injury-36395085
Perhaps his return will be sooner rather than later..
Good afternoon Rico and all
A win today is a must. A clean sheet is a must. 1+ goals are a must as well. So many musts. But its Arsenal we are talking about.
I am not worried about Wolves. Not at all. I am worried mainly about us, whether or not we make things difficult for ourselves. Wolves are rock bottom for a reason, simply because they are crap. Its only us and our attitude and failure to score which may make them look like world beaters. If we go for the jugular from the first whistle and keep our foot on the gas we will win handsomely. If we are frivolous with chances and don’t score we will not win.
If we score 2 or more goals I want them from different scorers. Yes it would be nice to see Gyokeres score a hatful but for me it would be better if all the goals we score come from different scorers. If we put 9 past their keeper I want 9 different scorers.
Afternoon Devil, you want a lot.
I’d just like us to win..
Arsenal Women 3 – 1 Everton Women.
Arsenal in total control throughout the game, one tiny blip and then it was back to normal. The final result was never in doubt. Kim Little played her way back after injury and Leah Williamson also got a first run-out of her injury hit season. 🔔🔔🔔
Great to see the pair of them back. They’ve been missed..
Team … Raya, White, Saliba, Hincapie, Timber, Zubimendi, Rice, Eze, Saka, Gyokeres, Martinelli
Odegaard is on the bench
Arsenal team news
Team to play Wolves: Raya, White, Saliba, Timber, Hincapie, Zubimendi, Rice, Eze, Saka, Martinelli, Gyokeres.
Subs: Kepa, Odegaard, Jesus, Norgaard, Trossard, Madueke, Nwaneri, Merino, Lewis-Skelly.
Oops. 😝
I like that line up. Brilliant to see Saliba, Trossard and Timber back.
And Rice of course. Lol
Good and aggressive lineup. I would’ve love to see Madueke instead of Sake.
Is like watching paint dry. Frustrating.
White injured it seems. Hope its just a minor knock
You see what I am scared off??? its not them they are crap. Its us….we make it difficult and frustrating.
I just cant fathom out why when they play the likes of City they just roll over yet when they play us we make them superstars
Just one shot on target. Out of 6 total shots.
72% possession 0 shots on target
Turgid !
No surprise really, 11 Wolves players defending and Arsenal struggling to break through and finish…
Everything is so slow.
Still, why dont Wolves play the same way against City??? Why do they just roll over?
This has been going on for far too long imo. Not only with Arteta but also with Emery and before them AW.
So its not a question of something which is happening right now only. Its something which has been going on for decades now. We play certain teams and its difficult to score against them. The same team plays against Liverpool, City, United (under SAF) and they simply roll over like a puppy in severe need of belly rubs
Just why I suggested it’s no surprise. All this pass pass and pass gets us nowhere. Hopefully a few words from Arteta might speed us up
One goes in. Sam Johnstone with an own goal.
embarrassing. as embarrassing as much as Wolves are crap. 2-1 against such a team, even though its 3 points, is stuff of carelessness. To concede against them is an insult…from us to ourselves. 3 points is all that matters but still…..very embarrassing.
Unbelievable. You score one goal against the worst team in the league and you retreat. Arteta does that all the time. Play the game. Soaking up the pressure for no reason. We got lucky.
to rub it in with embarrassment……even our 2nd goal was an OG. We didnt score today. Wolves scored three
Wolves next game is against Brentford. Watch them roll over and spread their hands and legs wide open for belly rubs.
Meanwhile we will play Everton. City against WHU. Villa against Utd.
We will struggle as usual while the others have game sewn up within 30 mins. Or win by some lucky deflection
Wow that was not an easy watch,still 3 points,I would have loved a clean sheet but 2-1 i is technically better in terms of the league table.
We will have to be better at Everton,I’m a Crystal Palace fan tomorrow.
2-1, 3 points, job done. Now rest and come back firing on all cylinders..
Got it in 1 Obi :- go one up trying to see the game out with 10 minutes left and we are booting it out and taking off all of the outballs and dropping back to our penalty area and giving them the best possesion of the match. We spend 70 minutes aimlessly passing the ball to death get 1 up and forget how to do it . Sometimes you just have to keep the ball and take the pressure off .
Thanks Wolves for gifting us two own goals, Christmas has come early. Lucky, lucky Arsenal.
As Keown said after the game, the world and his mate wanted us to slip up but we got the job done.
He also said lucky Arsenal are back…
Let’s not forget how much luck Liverpool had last season, or City before them and they still haven’t been dealt with for their alleged breaches of the rules.
Yep, it was an awful game, yes we fell into the dropping deep trap again as we did against Villa but we won. I doubt we’ll remember this match should success come our way in May.
What match ? Lol.
Ha ha, it’s certainly one to forget..
ufff!
In the grand scheme of things it’s 3 points and that’s all that matters.
Strange that after a pretty nondescript performance that Gyokeres was finally looking dangerous in the 2nd half not least because Trossard was finding him with some great passes. He was also pinning their defenders, then Arteta takes him off and those defenders are suddenly on the edge of our box and it’s panic stations…
If Trossard is fit then I don’t want to see Martinelli starting in the Premier League, let him play Champions League or bring him on as a substitute in the Premier League but please don’t start him because he’s so ineffective.
Wolves, defiantly gave a run for our money,
Kev @ 1:11AM I agree with you about Gyokeres, I would like to see him and Trossard both start together,
Geoff, I think that Gyokeres isn’t making as many runs as he used to do when he first arrived as he doesn’t it seems expect to get the ball but as soon as Trossard came on he looked for him straight away and he was suddenly making those runs again – then Arteta took him off … 🙄
People will rightly say that Jesus helped save the day by forcing the defender into making the header for our winner, but maybe if Gyokeres had stayed on we might not have conceded in the first place?
Where was Eze? Apparently he was on the pitch for the first fifty-seven minutes. The invisible man!
That big striker Wolves have would look good in red and white. Just think how many more goals we’d score from set pieces. 😂
Re Eze, like Odegaard, when we are attacking a side with all 11 players back defending, they struggle to unlock doors in a way that Fabregas did, or Hleb etc. our painfully slow play on the break doesn’t help either. Hopefully a week of rest and recovery will see Arsenal back to their best next weekend.
Morning all
New post up.