Hipster Gooner: Preview: Arsenal v. Wolverhampton Wanderers

Wolves? Wolves.
Free use image via Wikipedia.

Emirates Stadium, London

Saturday, February 12

3:00 p.m. GMT, 10:00 a.m. EST

Predicted Line-Up

guesses in red

Szczesny

Sagna - Koscielny - Squillaci - Clichy

Denilson - Wilshere

Walcott - Fabregas - Arshavin

van Persie

Subs from: Almunia, Gibbs, Djourou, Song, Rosicky, Bendtner, Chamakh
Suspended: Diaby (first of three, violent conduct)

Out: Nasri (hamstring), Fabianski (shoulder), Vermaelen (Achilles)

Arsenal News and Notes

Nobody is injured coming back from international duty! Hooray!
Cesc Fabregas and Robin van Persie have recovered from their probably fictitious physical ailments that kept them off international duty.
Alex Song (thigh) and Johan Djourou (knee) face Friday fitness tests and Arsene Wenger is optimistic that they will be in the squad. Song is supposedly at 90%. Could they be rested anyway, with Barcelona on the horizon?
Denilson (does anyone remember what was wrong with him? thigh? hamstring?) is fit and back in the squad, and will have to start if Song doesn't, since Abou Diaby is suspended.
Samir Nasri is back in training and is a week or two away from competition. Shame he'll miss the first leg of the Barcelona tie. And Thomas Vermaelen should be, what, three weeks away? So they say.
Arsenal had a six match winning streak across all competitions snapped last week, but remain unbeaten in seven overall, unbeaten in eight league matches, and unbeaten in ten at the Emirates.

Wolves News and Notes

Stephen Hunt (calf) faces a late fitness test, as does Dave Edwards (leg.)
Defender Kevin Foley (ankle) will likely be recalled.
Long term injuries include Michael Kightly, who has missed all year with a tendon problem in his knee, and Adlene Guedioura (broken leg.)
Wolves have only picked up four points on the road this season, in 11 road matches. Wolves picked up a win at Liverpool Red and a draw at Liverpool Blue.
They have been giant killers at Molineux, however, having beaten Manchester City, Chelsea, and most recently, Manchester United at home. But, Arsenal won there in November, so really, that's just nothing but helpul.

Match Facts

Arsenal have beaten Wolves eleven straight times, across all competitions.
Marouane Chamakh needed about 37 seconds to score against Wolves at Molineux in November. Then, Wolves controlled a lot of play for about 92 minutes before Chamakh scored again.
In this match last year, Arsenal needed a billion minutes before Nicklas Bendtner headed in an injury time winner.
Wolves' last win against Arsenal came at Highbury by a 3-2 score in 1979.

The Referee

The referee is Merseyside-based Chris Foy.
The last time Chris Foy was supposed to take charge of an Arsenal match, it was against Leeds in the FA Cup at the Emirates. Then, it turned out that the referee was actually Phil Dowd. For the love of God, if that happens again...
Arsenal have won both matches worked by Foy in which they've played this year by 2-1 scores, first at Blackburn then at home against Fulham.
Foy has not worked a Wolves match this season. His last was a 0-0 draw with Stoke in April.

Around the League

These are the reverse fixtures of those played November 9-10.
Saturday: Manchester United v. Manchester City; Old Trafford, Manchester
Saturday: Birmingham City v. Stoke City; St. Andrew's, Birmingham
Saturday: Blackburn Rovers v. Newcastle United; Ewood Park, Blackburn
Saturday: Blackpool v. Aston Villa; Bloomfield Road, Blackpool
Saturday: Liverpool v. Wigan Athletic; Anfield, Liverpool
Saturday: West Bromwich Albion v. West Ham United; The Hawthorns, West Bromwich
Saturday: Sunderland v. Tottenham Hotspur; Stadium of Light, Sunderland
Sunday: Bolton Wanderers v. Everton; Reebok Stadium, Bolton
Monday: Fulham v. Chelsea; Craven Cottage, London

Hipster Gooner