Preview: Arsenal vs Wolverhampton Wanderers - prediction, team news, lineups

First meets worst in Saturday night's Premier League offering, as table-topping Arsenal and basement boys Wolverhampton Wanderers collide at the Emirates Stadium.

The Gunners eased past Club Brugge 3-0 in midweek Champions League action, a couple of days after the Old Gold's 4-1 home humbling at the hands of Manchester United.

Match preview

A former Arsenal manager and former Arsenal transfer target conspired to punt a dent in the Gunners' title aspirations last weekend, when Unai Emery's Aston Villa condemned the Premier League leaders to their first loss in 18 games in all competitions, and in especially heartbreaking fashion too.

After trying and failing to clear their lines during a mad-cap goalmouth scramble, Arsenal's crestfallen fans and players witnessed Emiliano Buendia curl home an injury-time winner, one that left Mikel Arteta's men slamming the turf in fury.

Both Villa and Manchester City are now within touching distance of Arsenal in the Premier League table, meaning that the North London giants could drop down to third place if events go against them this weekend, although any notion of them 'bottling' the title has been shot down.

Nevertheless, without the injured Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba, Arsenal's defence has lost its impenetrable touch; the hosts have let in six goals in their last five Premier League games, after conceding just three in their first 10 matches of the season.

However, Arteta's backline held firm in Wednesday's 3-0 Champions League cruise against Club Brugge, and the home side have won each of their last four Premier League games at the Emirates, where they are still unbeaten in the top-flight campaign.

Arsenal losing that aforementioned home record on Saturday evening would be a shock of monumental proportions, as Rob Edwards's Wolves are well on their way to becoming the worst team to ever compete in the Premier League.

Boasting a pitiful two points from 15 games so far - an average of 0.13 per game - the Old Gold are on course to finish the season with just five to their name, which would comfortably surpass Derby County's infamous tally of 11 from the 2007-08 season.

Defeat number nine on the spin arrived on Monday night, when Jean-Ricner Bellegarde's leveller against Man Utd was a false dawn, as the Bruno Fernandes-inspired Red Devils roared back to leave Edwards's side 13 points adrift of safety.

Many fans filtered in late as protests against the ownership ramped up, although there are two crumbs of comfort for the visitors to cling onto, the first being that their only away point of the season so far arrived in North London against Tottenham Hotspur.

Furthermore, there have only ever been four instances of the bottom side beating the league leaders in a Premier League game, but Wolves are responsible for two of them, overcoming first-placed Manchester United in 2004 and 2011 while sitting 20th.

However, the Championship-bound visitors are on a miserable eight-match losing run against Arsenal, who have also scored in each of their last 35 games against Wolves in all tournaments, so visiting fans could be forgiven for already writing this one off.

Arsenal Premier League form:

Arsenal form (all competitions):

Wolverhampton Wanderers Premier League form:

Team News

Arsenal have largely cleaned up their act on the disciplinary front this season - they sit top of the Premier League fair play table - but Riccardo Calafiori is suspended for Saturday's game on account of yellow-card accumulation.

The Italian is one of six expected absentees for the Gunners alongside Max Dowman (ankle), Cristhian Mosquera (ankle), Leandro Trossard (knock), Gabriel Magalhaes (thigh) and Kai Havertz (knee), while Declan Rice (illness), William Saliba (knock) and Jurrien Timber (knock) will need close assessment.

In brighter fitness news, ACL victim Gabriel Jesus returned from 11 months on the sidelines in the victory over Club Brugge and was more of a threat than Viktor Gyokeres, but the Swede should be retained on Saturday.

On the other side of the suspension coin, Wolves midfielder Joao Gomes is back from a yellow-card ban of his own, and his return could push Yerson Mosquera out of the team, as Ladislav Krejci drops into a centre-back role.

However, Edwards is sweating over the bright Bellegarde - who came off with an unspecified injury in the Man Utd loss - while Rodrigo Gomes (groin), Marshall Munetsi (calf), Leon Chiwone (knee) and Daniel Bentley (ankle) are definitely missing.

Fer Lopez is first in line to replace Bellegarde should the latter miss out, although it would not be a surprise to see Edwards field both Jorgen Strand Larsen and Tolo Arokodare up front to strengthen the visitors' physicality.

Arsenal possible starting lineup:

Raya; White, Timber, Hincapie, Lewis-Skelly; Odegaard, Norgaard, Rice; Saka, Gyokeres, Eze

Wolverhampton Wanderers possible starting lineup:

Johnstone; Krejci, Agbadou, Toti; Tchatchoua, Gomes, Andre, Wolfe; Lopez; Arokodare, Strand Larsen

We say: Arsenal 4-0 Wolverhampton Wanderers

A table-topping Arsenal side taking on a 20th-placed Wolves outfit, who have been unable to buy a Premier League win all season - what could possibly go wrong, Gooners?

The 'banter era' is long gone, though, and there is nothing to suggest that the Old Gold can pull off the shock of all shocks - a goal-laden Arsenal victory is surely on the cards.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.