Arsenal Targets Winning Start In Premier League Clash With Wolves

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Mikel Arteta is eager for a strong start as Arsenal begin their Premier League campaign against Wolves at the Emirates on Saturday. Arteta's team wrapped up their pre-season with a 2-0 victory over Lyon, thanks to goals from William Saliba and Gabriel in the first half.

Arteta emphasised the importance of setting the tone early against Gary O'Neil's side in North London. "Look at today with the way we started, for sure. It's about maintaining that for 95 minutes and that's the target and objectives that we need to have," Arteta said after the win over Lyon. He praised the team's pre-season efforts, noting, "I think overall it's been a really positive pre-season with the tour and the club and a lot of people put a lot of effort into making it work."

Wolves are looking to bounce back from a poor end to the 2023-24 season. They have not beaten Arsenal in the Premier League since February 2021. O'Neil's team lost five of their last six league games, including three consecutive defeats, and ended their pre-season with a 1-0 loss to Rayo Vallecano.

O'Neil acknowledged the challenges ahead, stating, "Next week is a big one for me to make sure the lads are ready for the Premier League and next week is a big one for us in the transfer market." He added, "We've made another £100m this summer, we made £100m last summer, and that does provide its challenges to keep the team staying competitive."

Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard had an impressive season last year, scoring 11 goals and providing 11 assists in 48 appearances. Odegaard has scored more Premier League goals against Wolves than any other opponent, with four goals in total.

Key Players to Watch

For Wolves, Matheus Cunha will be crucial following Pedro Neto's transfer to Chelsea. Cunha was Wolves' top scorer last season with 14 goals and eight assists in 36 appearances. He also registered the highest expected goals (xG) total in the squad.

Arsenal are favourites to win their opening match, with Opta's data-led simulations giving them a 76.4% chance of victory. Wolves have only a 9.5% chance of winning according to these simulations.

Match Prediction: Arsenal Win

The Gunners have won their last six Premier League matches against Wolves, equalling their longest winning streak against them from 2003 to 2011. Arteta has also won his opening Premier League fixture in each of the past two seasons.

Arsenal have scored in each of their last 33 meetings with Wolves across all competitions. This is both Arsenal's longest scoring streak against any opponent and Wolves' longest run without a clean sheet against any side.

However, O'Neil remains hopeful of changing his team's fortunes on opening day. Wolves have lost their first Premier League game in each of the last three seasons but have never started four consecutive league seasons with defeat.

Wolves have managed just one win in their last 13 away top-flight visits to Arsenal, securing a 2-1 victory at Emirates Stadium in November 2020 under Nuno Espirito Santo.

The probability of an Arsenal win stands at 76.4%, while there is a 14% chance of a draw and only a 9.5% chance for Wolves to emerge victorious.