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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 snug 2-0 win over Lyon final week, with William Saliba and Gabriel on the right track within the first half.
And the Gunners head coach defined that his facet should set the tone within the opening exchanges in opposition to Gary O’Neil’s facet in North London.
“Take a look at right now with the way in which we began, for positive. It’s about sustaining that for 95 minutes and that’s the goal and targets that we have to have,” Arteta mentioned after the win over the French facet.
“There’s a number of positives to take from right now’s efficiency once more.
“I feel general it’s been a very optimistic pre-season with the tour and the membership and lots of people put a number of effort into making it work. I feel it was successful 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 did not 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 an enormous one for me to verify the lads are prepared for the Premier League and subsequent week is an enormous one for us within the switch market,” O’Neil mentioned.
“We’ve made one other £100m this summer season, we made £100m final summer season, and that does present its challenges to maintain the group staying aggressive and maintain the group as robust because it as soon as was 4 or 5 years in the past.
“We’re attempting to get it again to that, however with a really completely different make-up behind the scenes that we’re working to. However I get pleasure from 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 in opposition to Wolves (4) than he has in opposition to 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 possibilities 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 major menace 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 start out their marketing campaign with three factors, profitable 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 profitable run in opposition to 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 house defeat in February 1979.
It’s each the Gunners’ longest scoring streak in opposition to an opponent, and Wolves’ longest run with out a clear sheet in opposition to a facet of their respective histories.
However O’Neil will likely be hopeful of adjusting his facet’s opening day fortunes. Wolves have misplaced their opening Premier League recreation 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), profitable 2-1 on the Emirates in November 2020 below Nuno Espirito Santo.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Arsenal – 76.4%
Draw – 14%
Wolves – 9.5%
