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After an impressive 11 game winning streak in all competitions, Unai Emery’s men dropped points in the last two games against Crystal Palace and Liverpool in the last two premier league outings. Although the unbeaten run has extended to 15 games, the Gunners have dropped to fifth in the Premier league table, four points behind the fourth-placed Tottenham albeit with a game in hand.
The Gunners host Wolverhampton Wanderers, who are placed 11th in the table, at the Emirates. The Wolves would be looking to end Arsenal’s unbeaten run after giving Tottenham a run for their money with a spirited second-half display last week.
Here is how the Gunners are expected to line up against the Wolves:
Goalkeeper
Bernd Leno has emerged as the first choice goalkeeper for the North London outfit in the recent weeks. Although concerns remain over his positioning and dealing with crosses, Leno has proven to be a fine keeper with class saves in the recent weeks. His distribution with the ball at his feet is also a vital factor in Arsenal’s smooth build-up play.
Defence
Rob Holding and Shkodran Mustafi are expected to start at the heart of the defence. Both the defenders were solid against Liverpool in a thrilling 1-1 draw and their exploits are likely to see them keep their places in the starting XI.
Hector Bellerin and Sead Kolasinac have returned to the first team action against Liverpool and both the fullbacks played their hearts out in that game. Barring any further setbacks, they are expected to retain their places with the experienced duo of Stephan Lichtsteiner and Nacho Monreal still recovering from their injuries.
Midfielder
Unai Emery has found a perfect midfield pair in Lucas Torreira and Granit Xhaka with the former as a defensive midfielder and the latter as a deep-lying playmaker. The duo will be tasked with the ability to stop the Portuguese midfield duo of Ruben Neves and Joao Moutinho from dominating the game.
Mesut Ozil is the playmaker in the Unai Emery’s system with the German hoping to exploit the spaces left behind by the attack-minded Wolves.
Attack
Alexandre Lacazette was rested for the game against Sporting Lisbon and he will lead the line for the Gunners with Alex Iwobi and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, guilty of missing chances against Sporting Lisbon, taking up their positions on the flanks.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan is expected to drop out of the starting XI owing to poor showings in the recent weeks. With Danny Welbeck in danger of facing a lengthy spell on the sidelines, Emile Smith Rowe is likely to see more first-team action from the bench.
