This morning all the headlines deservedly belong to the giant Welshman after a quite remarkable performance to repel the Arsenal onslaught.

Wenger reckons they’d have won this game 19 times out 20, but surely if our goalkeeper had played this well in all of those matches Professor Football should rethink his figures?

Another poor decision to deal with

Wayne will deservedly scoop all the plaudits, but the rest of the team also warrant a substantial slab of credit too.

Maintaining a shape, defending your 18-yard box and not allowing such slinky opposition to simply walk the ball in is a tough ask, particularly away from home. That type of stubborn discipline often gets overlooked, but it’s a skill in itself.

By the end, Arsenal were effectively playing into our hands by throwing crosses into the box for the likes of Berra and Johnson to gobble up, which is testament to the work we’d done up to that point.

The center of midfield, so often criticised for being wide open were phenomenal defensively. Henry made a string of fine interceptions and tackles to cut out killer passes, whilst Milijas once again dispelled the myth that he’s lazy when the opposition have the ball.

To see the Serbian dismissed with 20 minutes to go was both cruel and unjust. Quite what the referee saw in the tackle I’ll never know, but the game had certainly been bubbling towards a flash point for a while. To me the man in the middle simply failed to keep tempers in check.

Fortunately, it didn’t cost us and the injustice only served to make point gained all the more satisfying, not least when you consider we’d lost to Arsenal in all 6 of our previous Premier League meetings.

Speaking of satisfaction, what about another goal for Fletch? His superb reaction header just before half-time means he’s now scored goals at Anfield, Old Trafford and the Emirates this season – not too shabby when you consider he probably only had one decent chance in all of those games.

Once again the Scot was largely anonymous, left isolated by the formation and dominance of the home side, but yet he still managed to gobble up the only half chance that came his way to level the scores.

Keeping him fit will likely be the difference between survival and relegation.

A word too for Roger Johnson. There were moments where he wobbled, particularly in the first half, but as the game wore on his influence grew and the skipper made vital blocks and clearances to keep the scores level. That’s what we paid the money for.

Finally, well done Anthony Forde.

The youngster slotted in seamlessly down the right, looked neat and tidy on the ball and didn’t put a foot wrong throughout. He also looked confident and skilful in possession so I’ll look forward to seeing what he can do against lesser opposition.

Indeed it was wholly appropriate that Mick finally gave youth a chance on the big stage, on a day that unquestionably belonged to another academy graduate.

Thanks Wayne.

At this precise moment, the Gunners sit just outside the top four having already made it through to the last 16 of this season’s Champions League.

Battered 2-0 last season

That’s a pretty impressive feat, when you consider the players that have left, the injuries they’ve had to contend with and the relatively meager amount Wenger spent in the summer to plug the holes.

With back-to-back home games against Wolves and QPR things promise to get even better for the Londoners as they reach the halfway point in the season.

In particular, they’ll be licking their lips about tomorrow’s game against a struggling side they’ve beaten in each of their last 6 Premier League matches.

Yes, whilst Wolves have been able to upset City, United, Chelsea, Liverpool and Spurs since returning to the top division, Arsenal have been a tougher nut to crack.

We came agonisingly close to taking a point from the Emirates two years ago and probably should have got a draw in last season’s home match.

That said, we were soundly thumped by them 2-0 back in February in one of the most one-sided matches I’ve ever seen. Robin van Persie scored both goals that day and if the Dutchman is in the mood again tomorrow, our prospects will be decidedly bleak.

The Team

I have no idea what Mick will do tomorrow and I have no idea what I’d do either. Play 442 and we’re likely to be carved open at will, play 451 and they’ll camp inside our half and probably pick us off. It’s a tricky one.

This is my guess at the starting XI:

Hennessey, Zubar, Johnson, Berra, Ward, Henry, Milijas, Edwards, Hunt, Jarvis, Fletcher

So that’s Dave Edwards straight back in for his work-rate, with SEB dropping out to leave Fletch as the lone forward.

Prediction League

5 of you correctly predicted the Norwich game would end in a draw with 3 also getting the 2-2 scoreline.

Well done to Louie, Ad Mant and Rich for getting the maximum. Ask K and Stourbridge Wolf take a single point.

Logically, I really can’t see a way we’ll take anything from this match.

However, purely because we’re due a result against Arsenal and you normally achieve at least one upset a year, I’ll go for the most unlikely of Wolves wins.

2-1 to the old gold.

If you’re one of those dedicated souls making the trip down to London tomorrow, have a great time and get right behind the lads.

Up The Wolves.

I remember enjoying the highlights later that night and Jimmy Greaves commenting that “It was like watching a good youth team against a bunch of senior pros who are that much tougher and stronger than their opponents”.

I bring this up now because that particular comment was ricocheting around my head yesterday as I witnessed a rampant Arsenal side completely demolish Wolves from start to finish.

Phase 2 Goal 2

Mick McCarthy called it a ‘slap’ but a ‘pummeling’ seems a much more appropriate adjective to describe one of the most one-sided two nil victories I’ve ever seen.

Make no mistake about it, had it not been for wasteful finishing, good fortune and some quite miraculous goalkeeping from Wayne Hennessy, this would have been a rout. Six nil wouldn’t even have flattered Arsene Wenger’s team on the balance of play.

Of course the early goal from Robin Van Persie certainly didn’t help matters. If Wolves had a game plan, it went up in smoke when the Dutchman was given ample space to swivel and fire home a superb volley to put the Gunners in control early doors. Was it good movement or did Stearman and/or Zubar go to sleep? I fear the latter.

Regardless, Wolves never recovered from the setback and the home side saw out the remainder of the game with unerring ease.

Arshavin and Walcott ran riot down the flanks and with Wolves employing a ridiculously high line, Fabregas, Song and the quite brilliant Jack Wilshere poked holes in the back four at will, leaving our stranded defence chasing shadows all afternoon.

The only surprise was that it took Arsenal the best part of an hour to kill the game off; Van Persie profiting from phase 2 offside (or whatever they’re calling it) to slam home the decisive second goal.

Wolves for their part, kept at it for the duration, which was admirable given the gulf in class and unquestionably helped ensure the scoreline remained respectable. Goal difference could prove crucial come May, so we should definitely be thankful that we only took a relatively minor hit.

Unfortunately, for all Arsenal’s quality, strong performances from gold shirts were in short supply.

As stated, Wolves were indebted to Wayne Hennessy for a string of fine saves and his overall improvement from last season is there for all to see. Long may it continue. He flapped at a cross in the first half that Arshavin should have scored from, but deserved his luck and was faultless from there on out.

Ronald Zubar suffered a nightmare start to the game, but I thought he grew in stature throughout, occupying some useful attacking positions, particularly towards the end of the match as we attempted to setup an unlikely grandstand finale.

Berra and Stearman did all they could, managing more than a few vital interceptions and even one quite-brilliant goal line clearance. Still, they’ll probably never suffer a more torrid afternoon of football. The pace of Walcott was something they quite simply couldn’t cope with.

Further forward, Adam Hammill was frequently involved with our best moves. At times he was sloppy in possession but for me he was the only the player in a gold shirt trying to make something happen. He deserves tremendous credit for that. I’m looking forward to seeing how the tricky winger does against some of the lesser opponents in the league.

Henry, Milijas and O’Hara were all bypassed far too easily in the middle of the park and probably more than anything else, this brought about our downfall. In possession we weren’t incisive enough and when Arsenal had the ball, they seemed capable of jogging through the middle at will. In fact, it was only when Foley came on and Wolves adopted a 442, that things tightened up.

You could therefore perhaps argue that the tactics weren’t quite right, but I think sometimes you just have to accept that the far better side taught us a lesson.

And yesterday, that was certainly the case.

The Gunners will be hoping to bounce back after surrendering a four goal lead to Newcastle last time out. However they were no doubt buoyed by seeing Man United’s unbeaten run brought to an abrupt end at Molineux hours later.

No more 95th minute heartbreakers please lads

Arsene Wenger will hope his side avoid a similar slip-up, particularly with a daunting Champions League tie against Barcelona to navigate in midweek.

With that fixture in mind, perhaps Wenger will consider resting a few players, especially those returning from international duty. Could that give Wolves a boost?

It’s worth noting that Arsenal have already suffered 3 league defeats at home this season with Albion, Newcastle and Spurs all leaving with the maximum, so they’re far from invincible.

Still, it goes without saying they’re a quality side and if Fabregas, Nasri and co are on song, it’s tremendously difficult to contain their devastating passing game.

Wolves managed it for 95 minutes last season but fell victim to a last gasp header from Nicklas Bendtner. Similarly, Wolves pushed them all the way at Molineux earlier in the season but ultimately came up short.

Perhaps we’re due the rub of the green against the Gunners?

The Wolves team should pick itself, barring injuries, and I’m expecting to see the same eleven that overcame Man United last Saturday. That would mean a team of:

Hennessy

Zubar
Berra
Stearman
Elokobi

Jarvis
Henry
Milijas
O’Hara
Hammill

Doyle

It’s possible Mick could opt to bring in someone like Dave Edwards, who gets around the pitch and presses the ball, but I think we need to try and keep possession ourselves, so two creative players should aid that game plan.

Prediction League

Well, a surprising number of you correctly predicted we’d beat Man Utd last weekend. Rob, Martin and my esteemed colleague Ben all picked up the maximum for getting the scoreline right. Well done lads!

Super Kev Doyle, Aikiwolves and Exeter Wolf kept the faith but didn’t get the correct score. A single point is your reward.

I’ve decided to abandon all logic this weekend because it obviously doesn’t apply to Wolves.

What the hell hey? 2-1 to the boys in gold.

I’ve gone mad I know.

If you’re heading down to our nation’s capital, have a great time and roar the lads on.

Up The Wolves.

In those dramatic final moments, Fabianski performed a minor miracle in keeping out Christophe Berra’s rasping low drive, before bowling the ball half the length of the pitch to setup Marouane Chamakh to coolly slot home the killer second goal.

The early goal was a massive setback for Wolves

It was typical of Wolves’ efforts up to that point; an endless abundance of spirit and no short amount of quality, but ultimately not quite enough to breakthrough.

We can talk about bad luck, bad decisions and bad Arsenal all we want, but it won’t change the fact we got nothing. Again.

And despite all of the above, I feel we were very much architects of our own downfall. A sluggish start saw us a goal down inside a minute and by the time we eventually got a foothold in the match, Arshavin had already wasted copious opportunities to end the contest.

Mick’s starting eleven also had me baffled. Dropping Hunt, bringing Mancienne in and moving Edwards out of the advanced midfield role he’s filled so effectively was a strange decision.

We also had Jarvis tucked inside for some reason, taking away the width that has been our greatest attacking weapon in recent weeks. Couldn’t understand that.

Still, once Edwards had limped off, Hunt restored better shape and balance to the side; enjoying his most effective game in a gold shirt. In fact, it was his introduction that seemed to spark life into our performance.

We dominated the remainder of the first half and only quick-feet and a superb adjustment from Fabianski prevented Hunt from heading in a deflected cross that dropped just under the bar.

Arsenal came close to killing the game off in the second half with only the post and a superb goal-line clearance from Henry keeping the score down to one. Had they done so, it would have been significantly against the run of play, as Wolves had dominated the ball throughout.

I thought Milijas in particular was different class. He won the battle of the midfield-maestros with Fabregas and constantly picked out incisive passes to move us forward. In the kind of form he’s in at the moment, he looks as good as anyone and I don’t just mean at Wolves.

At the back, I’d like to give a special mention to Berra, who I thought was absolutely superb. I’ve heard a lot of negativity directed towards the Scot, but the improvement in his game has been huge. He certainly deserves more credit than he’s getting and I think the impact he has on games is taken for granted.

Doyle again worked tirelessly, but when the moment finally came to reward his industry with a deserved goal, his shot whistled agonisingly passed the far post. I don’t want to be critical of our superhuman lone forward, but from that position he needs to be tucking those chances away. The margins between defeat and precious points are too thin to waste such openings.

And whilst we’re talking about thin margins, surely Fabregas should have been dismissed. Not only was his mistimed, studs-up challenge on Ward worthy of a straight red, his conduct throughout was nothing short of a disgrace. Kicking the ball away, demanding players get booked and generally whining to the officials were all actions that warranted yellow cards, but for some reason, the referee turned a blind eye. Respect campaign? You’re having a laugh.

Last season, Fabregas came down to Molineux, bossed the game and looked every bit a world class midfielder. Last night, he was a disgrace and the fact he ended up on the winning side makes his petulance even harder to swallow.

Moving on from the cruel nature of the last two defeats will be hard, but with a run of seven games up to Christmas that are all winnable, we must do so.

This is a make or break period.

And we can’t afford anymore ‘played well, but lost’ headlines.

The Gunners also come into the game on the back of a defeat, having lost 1-0 to Newcastle at the Emirates on Sunday. They’ll be smarting from that result and will see this as an excellent opportunity to get back on track quickly.

Arsenal won 4-1 at Molineux last season

Their away form has been mixed so far, having won two, drawn two and lost one on the road this season, although their only defeat did come at Stamford Bridge.

A few questions have been asked of Arsene Wenger’s team defensively and with Laurent Koscielny suspended and Thomas Vermaelen still out injured, Wolves will feel they have every chance of causing Arsenal problems at the back.

Going forward, they remain as devastating as ever and with Wolves still yet to keep a clean sheet this season, they’ll be confident of finding the net themselves.

I just wonder whether Mick McCarthy will think about one or two changes to the side that came up agonisingly short against Man United at the weekend? I suspect he’ll maintain the 4-5-1 system that has served us well recently, which will probably mean the likes of SEB and Fletcher remaining on the bench.

Mancienne, van Damme and even Elokobi might be considered for a start, but the same eleven from Saturday remains the most likely bet. That would mean a team of:

Hahnemann

Foley
Berra
Stearman
Ward

Hunt
Henry
Milijas
Edwards
Jarvis

Doyle

Prediction League

A lot of people said we’d lose against United, but only person got the score spot on. Well done to AikiWolves.

Needless to say, having predicted 1-1, I was even more gutted than most to see Park score that late winner, thus bringing to an end my good run of form. Still, I’m still out in front on the overall table.

I’m not feeling in confident mood about tomorrow. Saturday is bound to have taken a lot out of us and you need to be at your sharpest for 90 minutes (plus any injury time) to get anything. Could be a long night. I reckon 3-1 Arsenal.

If you’re going to the game, get right behind the lads. They’ll need our support tomorrow and if we can maintain the level of recent performances, we’ve got a chance.

Up The Wolves.

I don’t normally like to prattle on about the injustices we suffer, but today it just seemed like the Premier League was out to get Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Karl Henry - unlucky to be sent off?

Let’s start with the sending off. You might disagree with this point, but I think Karl Henry was silly to lunge into a tackle he really didn’t need to make. I’m being highly critical there, but when you’re playing a top side, you’re judgment has to be spot on for the whole ninety minutes. That being said, the decision to send him off was just plain silly.

Was it a foul? Possibly. He certainly went through the man, even if he did get some of the ball.

Was it a yellow card? Well, if you give the foul, potentially you might think it was worthy of a caution.

Was it a red card offence? Not in a million years.

For me, the referee has simply reacted to the unnecessary furor created by the Arsenal players, who surrounded the man in black, screamed wildly and wagged a few fingers to ensure the situation escalated sufficiently. All the top sides do it.

I would imagine Wolves will appeal the decision, but it won’t be rescinded. I’m certain of that.

Credit to Wolves for battling on with a man less and coming within a whisker of picking up what would have been a glorious point. They deserved to hang on.

I see a lot of people are pointing the finger of blame at Keogh for that audacious attempt at a lob from the halfway line with the clock ticking down. With a hindsight (what a wonderful thing that is) it was a crazy thing to do, but it seems a bit harsh to me to condemn him personally for costing us the point. A lot happened afterward.

Why was Zubar left isolated at the back post with Bendtner. Surely one of our center backs should have been in the vicinity? Or maybe now I’m the one being over critical?

Whoever you choose to blame, the one thing we can all agree on is the pain of this cruel defeat.

Console yourself with the fact there’s always someone worse off, hey Burnley?

What the Papers Say

The hosts dominated the game but were frustrated by their own inability in front of goal and Wolves’ commitment. Even after Karl Henry’s dismissal for a lunge on Tomas Rosicky, Wolves battled hard but have nothing to show for it.

The BBC

The longer Wolves held firm, the more adventurous they became and the greater the sense of frustration swirling around the Emirates.

The Telegraph

The question on the lips of all those in Old Gold was whether Karl Henry, the captain, would have been sent off had his team been playing against any other opposition. There can appear a sensitivity about Arsenal, which is fuelled by the persecution complex of the manager Arsène Wenger and, once Henry had cut through the back of Tomas Rosicky to leave him writhing and the home fans howling in the 66th minute, there was an inevitability about the card’s colour.

The Guardian

They’ve barely lost in the league down there since they moved from Highbury, and put it like this…If we did come away with three points at 5pm, I’d be coming away in my pants, just like those halcyon teenage days in my bedroom.

Arsenal won easily at Molineux earlier in the season

Trying to tell you their formation would be fruitless on my part, or who will play where. Doubtless they will be like Maradona’s pet dog: Foreign, spritely, and great to watch on the attack.

Until the month of March, we’d have all predicted defeat at the Emirates, particularly considering their crushing 4-1 win at Molineux before Christmas.

And after their remarkable fight-back against Barcelona this week, what has changed?

Well, quite a lot I’d argue.

For a starter, Fabregas, Arshavin and Gallas are looking decidedly unfit as the weekend approaches, while their goalkeeper Almunia has never instilled me with much confidence, despite his heroics against Barca.

And then there is the most important factor of all…Our absorbing four game unbeaten run, which has offered more hope and cause for optimism than at any other time this season.

The closer this game gets, the more optimistic we should all be.

If our win at West Ham was a beautiful big sponge cake to feast over, our belligerent, battling draw against Everton must have tasted like the icing, as we topped off one of the best weeks we could have imagined.

The ingredients seem to be coming together now, and the recipe is what we’ve all wanted, so what’s to stop us from doing what has been considered unthinkable for so long?

Arsenal won’t relish playing us at the moment surely, despite the obvious gulf in class.

Barring any training ground injuries, we’ll name the same team for the third consecutive game, and if we show the same fight and spirit as we have done of late, then a point isn’t out of the question.

And if we lose, then so what? It’s been a home banker since August!

Theo Walcott’s renaissance is a worry and much of the play will surely rain down on our left-side, while Bendtner’s form at Blues still lives in the memory, and that was before he was any good!

I’m going for a 1-1 draw. Why not? We beat these lot 5-1 a few years ago. Jim McCalliog, Hibbitt, Wagstaffe and a Dougan brace. We beat them all the time back then.

I’ll settle for one off Craddock’s arse on Saturday.

In fact, we could of been ahead had somebody managed to convert one of the many fizzing deliveries expertly arrowed in by Milijas. But it wasn’t to be and after Arsenal got their incredibly fortuitous opener, they set about dismantling a Wolve side that simply couldn’t cope when the visitors stepped up a gear.

Fabregas - Different class

I could talk about mistakes from Wolves players all day (there were many), but it wouldn’t do justice to an Arsenal side that oozed quality and picked us apart with unnerving ease. Their third goal, as sickening as it made me feel, was a thing of beauty and the kind of moment that draws embarrassing attention to the whopping great gulf in quality between the sides.

Could we of defended better? Probably. Could we of done better with the possession we had? Definitely. But sometimes you’ve just got to hold your hands up and say we were beaten by a better side. A significantly better side (Men Vs Boys as Jed so succinctly put it).

Picking positives out of such a defeat is difficult and most come attached to the words like ‘effort’ and ‘endeavour’. SEB was one of those to ‘put in a shift’ and I was impressed by some of his link-up play, but all too often he was isolated and gobbled up by the Arsenal centre-halves. Doyle started off well but struggled more and more as the game was slipping away.

I was glad Stearman got the nod at left-back and he certainly did himself no harm. I’d like to see him keep his place, at least in the short term, as I think he offers more in both directions than Big George. It will be interesting to see whether Mick makes any defensive changes for the daunting trip to Stamford Bridge.

Of course, naming and shaming the poorer performers is a much easier task. Henry had a terrible game, especially against the high standards he’s set himself in recent weeks. Far too often he was robbed of possession when he could of offloaded and that played into Arsenal’s hands and led directly to at least one of their goals. It’s admirable that he always wants to find a pass but he needs to learn that sometimes you’ve got no choice but to get rid of the ball.

Hennessy didn’t really do himself justice either. He was certainly at fault for the first goal and could possibly have done better with the fourth. The two in between he could do nothing about. It wasn’t a calamitous showing, but it wasn’t anywhere near the levels he’s reached in the large majority of other matches this season.

Zubar started off like an express train but seemed to lose confidence and basic errors began to creep into his game. I still think he’s got a lot to offer to the Wolves side but more concentration needed for the whole 90 minutes.

I could go on, but I wont.

I’m very much of the school of thought that this defeat won’t be one that costs us our place in the top flight come the end of the season. Nor will it be the match at Stamford Bridge in a fortnight. The back-to-back games at home to Blues and Bolton are a different story though. Should we fail to pick up at least four points from those two, I might well begin to worry.

This was a painful pill to swallow, but I strongly believe we were well and truly taken apart by the Premiership Champions elect.

Keep the faith.

I’m tormented by the thought of Fabregas pulling our midfield out of shape with incisive passes, terrified of Arshavin twisting and turning a hapless George Elokobi and I wake up in a cold sweat thinking of Van Persie bearing down on our goal.

Cesc Fabregas - Best midfielder in the Premiership?

And when you look at their form this season, it doesn’t paint a much better picture. Having thumped Everton 6-1 on the opening day, smashed another half dozen passed Blackburn and blown Spurs away 3-0 in the North London derby, a clean sheet seems unlikely (not that it’s ever expected).

But really though, what’s the point in worrying? It’s a terrible football cliche, but games against the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea, Man Utd, etc really won’t decide our fate come the end of the season and anything we pick up (other than a good hiding) should be considered a bonus.

That being said, I don’t expect us to lie down and accept defeat come Saturday evening. They’re undoubtedly a wonderful side, packed full of talented footballers and attacking menace. But in a one-off game, any team is beatable and if we can stop them playing (easier said than done) then who knows what might happen.

Wenger has real quality all over the pitch, but the one player we must target is Cesc Fabregas. We all know this guy’s the business and for all the creativity the Gunners have at their disposal, they’re a weaker side when the little Spaniard isn’t pulling the strings. With that in mind, we’ll need a big performance from Karl Henry and whoever lines up alongside him in midfield. I hope Mick picks Castillo, as I think we need him to sit in there to prevent us being too open. That’s a big decision for our manager because I’m positive this match will be won and lost in the middle of the park.

Unfortunately though, I have a strong suspicion that the Ecuadorian will be sacrificed in order to make way for the energy of Edwards and the creativity of Milijas. Here’s my predicted lineup:

Hennessy

Zubar
Craddock
Berra
Elokobi

Kightly
Henry
Edwards
Milijas

Doyle
SEB

So I reckon two changes this week with SEB restored to the starting XI in place of Iwelumo and Milijas rewarded for his second-half salvo last week at the expense of Castillo.

But whatever Wolves team takes to the field, we know they won’t be parking the bus. It’s not their style. We’ll have a go at the Gunners and probably create a couple of chances, which we’ll need to take as I suspect a few will be getting dispatched at the other end.

You surely won’t judge me too harshly for predicting defeat this week. I’m an optimist but I’m also a realist. If Arsenal play anything like they have been in recent weeks, Wolves will struggle to cope with them, however well we play. And as we seem to have a fetish for giving away the first goal, I’m worried about us being picked off if we’re chasing the game at any point.

However, I’ve seen enough in this Wolves side to know that they very rarely go down without a fight. I expect us to raise our game, compete all over the pitch, but ultimately lose out to a few moments of real quality. I’d say 3-1 to Arsenal is a decent shout.

As always when forecasting doom for our beloved team, I hope to have a significant amount of egg on my face come the full-time whistle. We all know that any points picked up here would be a massive boost ahead of the international break and subsequent trip to Stamford Bridge, so fingers crossed for a big performance.

If you’re going to the game, have a great time and roar the lads on. Should be a great match, regardless of the final outcome.

Up The Wolves.