Arsenal V Wolves
Tuesday 27 December, 2011 – 15:00 GMT
English Premier League
In a rearranged fixture, Arsenal take on Wolves at the Emirates in what can only be described as a home banker. At least it should be. The Gunners have won eight and lost only once in ten Premier League games. They’re also twelve places and seventeen points better off than fourth from bottom Wanderers, who were last victorious away from home over the Gunners way back in 1979.
Ominous stuff then for a visiting Wolves side striving to avoid a seventh consecutive away defeat in the Premier League, especially seeing as Arsenal have taken 13 from a possible 15 points in their last five at home. However, the Midlands outfit can at least take some heart from their opponent’s injury predicaments, with Gunners boss Arsene Wenger shorn of every recognisable full-back at the club for Tuesday’s clash.
Wolves are still to score a Premier League goal away to Arsenal, failing in three visits so far, but with the Gunners missing a whole host of key defensive personnel (Andre Santos, Kieran Gibbs, Bacary Sagna, Carl Jenkinson and possibly Johan Djourou) I find myself rather taken with their odds of netting at the Emirates. After all, they did manage to score against the three leanest defences in the top flight, at Liverpool, Man City and Man Utd – albeit solitary consolations.
Two of those goals came via top scorer Steven Fletcher, who is awesome in the air but even more clinical on the deck. He gets himself into some fantastic scoring positions and the six-goal striker could be the one to prosper, in behind an Arsenal defence who were run a little ragged by a usually toothless and unimaginative Aston Villa last Wednesday.
Setting up shop simply isn’t an option for Wolves. They aren’t the best defensively – just three teams (those currently occupying the relegation zone) have shipped more this season – and so will need to offer something meaningful going forward, which I believe they will. More importantly, they’ll be set-up to test this makeshift Arsenal defence, one likely to contain four centre-halves, and that should set us up for a lively encounter.
So goals is the call, and I foresee the visitors getting in on the act just as much as the hosts. I also suspect the final score will be a lot closer than many people expect, what with the Gunners a best-priced 1/4 to bring home the bacon.
Recommended Bet: Both Teams to Score @ 20/19 bWin
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