Mikel Arteta is hoping for a quick begin as Arsenal start their quest for the Premier League title once they welcome Wolves to the Emirates on Saturday.
Arteta’s facet concluded their pre-season preparations with a cushty 2-0 win over Lyon final week, with William Saliba and Gabriel on track within the first half.
And the Gunners head coach defined that his facet should set the tone within the opening exchanges towards Gary O’Neil’s facet in North London.
“Have a look at immediately with the way in which we began, for positive. It’s about sustaining that for 95 minutes and that’s the goal and aims that we have to have,” Arteta stated after the win over the French facet.
“There’s quite a lot of positives to take from immediately’s efficiency once more.
“I believe general it’s been a very constructive pre-season with the tour and the membership and lots of people put quite a lot of effort into making it work. I believe it was a hit once more.”
Gearing up for our season opener
Sobha Realty Coaching Centre
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) August 14, 2024
Wolves, in the meantime, will likely be hoping to enhance on a dismal finish to the 2023-24 season, however face a facet they’ve didn’t beat within the Premier League since February 2021.
O’Neil’s facet misplaced 5 of their final six league video games (W1), together with the final three in a row, concluding their pre-season fixtures with a 1-0 defeat to Rayo Vallecano at Molineux final Saturday.
“Subsequent week is a giant one for me to ensure the lads are prepared for the Premier League and subsequent week is a giant one for us within the switch market,” O’Neil stated.
“We’ve made one other £100m this summer time, we made £100m final summer time, and that does present its challenges to maintain the workforce staying aggressive and maintain the workforce as robust because it as soon as was 4 or 5 years in the past.
“We’re making an attempt to get it again to that, however with a really totally different make-up behind the scenes that we’re working to. However I take pleasure in these challenges rather a lot.”
A brand new season on the horizon pic.twitter.com/rPn4CWu9nd
— Wolves (@Wolves) August 14, 2024
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Arsenal – Martin Odegaard
Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard loved his joint-most prolific season for the Gunners final 12 months, netting 11 targets and including 11 assists throughout 48 appearances in all competitions.
Odegaard has scored extra Premier League targets towards Wolves (4) than he has towards some other opponent, however three of these have come away from the Emirates.
The Norwegian will hope to have an impact on the high finish of the pitch, along with his 102 probabilities that he created for the Gunners final 12 months a complete solely bettered by Pascal Gross (103) and Bruno Fernandes (114).
Wolves – Matheus Cunha
With Pedro Neto’s switch to Chelsea confirmed final week, final 12 months’s high scorer in all competitions, Matheus Cunha will pose a big risk to Arsenal’s defence.
Cunha contributed 22 purpose involvements (14 targets and eight assists) in 36 appearances final 12 months, registering the best anticipated targets (xG) complete within the Wolves squad within the Premier League (9.49).
The Brazilian scored in his final go to to North London in a 2-1 defeat to Arsenal and will likely be hoping to proceed his scoring streak on the Emirates this weekend.
MATCH PREDICTION: ARSENAL WIN
Arsenal are the clear favourites to begin their marketing campaign with three factors, successful 76.4% of Opta’s data-led simulations, with Wolves rising victorious in 9.5% of these.
The Gunners have received every of their final six Premier League encounters with Wolves, their joint-longest successful run towards them (additionally six in a row from 2003 to 2011).
Arteta has received his opening Premier League fixture in every of the final two seasons, with one other victory securing three consecutive opening day triumphs for the primary time since between 2007-08 and 2009-10.
Arsenal have scored in every of their final 33 conferences with Wolves in all competitions, final failing to take action since a 1-0 dwelling defeat in February 1979.
It’s each the Gunners’ longest scoring streak towards an opponent, and Wolves’ longest run with no clear sheet towards a facet of their respective histories.
However O’Neil will likely be hopeful of fixing his facet’s opening day fortunes. Wolves have misplaced their opening Premier League sport in every of the final three seasons and have by no means began a league season with defeat in 4 seasons in a row of their historical past.
Wolves have additionally received simply one in every of their final 13 away top-flight visits to Arsenal (D4 L8), successful 2-1 on the Emirates in November 2020 beneath Nuno Espirito Santo.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Arsenal – 76.4%
Draw – 14%
Wolves – 9.5%