Arsenal sent major Wolves warning ahead of Premier League clash with clear Man City example
Mikel Arteta has been warned that Arsenal could play right into the hands of Wolves in their Premier League clash at Emirates Stadium. Gary O'Neil's side head to Emirates Stadium as huge underdogs but they have been told their displays against Tottenham, Manchester City and Liverpool this season should give them confidence in the capital.
At Molineux, Wolves beat Spurs and Man City 2-1 and they were unfortunate to be defeated by Liverpool despite taking the lead. Earlier this week, Fulham beat Wolves 3-2 at Craven Cottage in controversial circumstances with a late penalty scored by former Arsenal man Willian.
Two days later, the Gunners were in action themselves as they secured top spot in their Champions League group with a 6-0 win against RC Lens. Arsenal have fared much better against teams that have attempted to match them across the pitch, although for Wolves that is not expected to be the case, according to former player Don Goodman and for good reason.
“Wolves are a good team and they always tend to do better against the teams that want to have a go at them," he told OLBG. "Their real strength is in transition. They have so many ball-carriers, and the full-backs, midfielders and forwards are all mobile and quick. They all like to run with the ball.
“Those kinds of players open up games, and that's why they've caused problems to Man City, Tottenham, and even Liverpool - which was a game Wolves lost. They were miles better in the first half of that game, and Cunha missed a great chance to go 2-0 up and maybe win the game. That's hypothetical, though, and I don't go down that road.
“Teams like Sheffield United, who sit in and give the other team possession, are the ones where Wolves struggle. They've got better results against the better teams. They drew with Villa and Newcastle. They can hurt teams like Arsenal, as they'll try and dominate the ball and have a go at Wolves. That will help Wolves, I would say. I think they can make it very, very hard for Arsenal.”
Having beaten Man City and Spurs, while also picking up points against Aston Villa and Newcastle, Wolves have proven they can compete against the teams aiming for a European spot. On the opposite side of things however, they have struggled against fellow bottom-half teams with defeats to Fulham and Sheffield United following a draw against Luton Town.
However, Arteta seems well prepared for the task that awaits. "They’re very prepared," he said of Arsenal's weekend opponents on Friday. "They have a lot of quality over there. It’s not a coincidence what they’re doing. They perform really well against the top sides and that says a lot about the coaching staff, what Gary is doing, the way they have prepared and how they control opponents - difficult opponents - especially when they play at home. We’re going to have to try to break them down tomorrow."
