Thomas

Could have been worse I suppose.

With Gary barely able to field a senior XI it’s commendable that things remained competitive right to the death.

Arsenal went strong with their own team selection and probed from the off without finding that killer final action to settle the nerves.

Had João Gomes managed to edge us ahead with the shot David Reya pushed against the post things would have been very interesting, but it was another Brazilian, Gabriel Jesus, who made the difference, wrestling with Matt Doherty to tee up Trossard to shank home.

You couldn’t begrudge them the lead under the circumstances but at the same time, it was harsh on Wolves for a high energy, well organised first half effort.

The title chasers dialled up the intensity after the break, but the gold shirts maintained a good shape and restricted them to relatively little.

Once Sarabia, Ait-Nouri and Lemina entered the fray, there was even hope someone might produce on the rare occasions we ventured forward but other than the occasional pot shot, nothing materialised.

There were a lot of solid performances but I’ve been pleased with Santi Bueno since he came into the side and he was composed and secure again tonight.

It was also good to see Boubacar Traore get a start and he did well enough, covering the ground and making life difficult for some illustrious opponents. I’m not sure the quality is there on the ball but he’s got a lot of other useful attributes that make him a handy squad player.

Hwang ran around up front and had a few decent touches but everything was coming back towards us instead of getting their defence turned.

Hopefully the minutes in his legs will prove a good investment and we can be more progressive in the more winnable fixtures to come next week.

With the same application we saw tonight there remains hope if not expectation.

With a full week to rest up and prepare for this one, I’m expecting a performance.

You can never dismiss the idea that a top side will just turn up and take you to the cleaners but I’ll be annoyed if that’s the case this time.

Arsenal have had a rough week and expended plenty of energy, which is to our advantage if Gary can extract the right response from the group.

The longer we stay in the game, the more uncomfortable it’s going to become for them so I hope Wolves come out ready to go the distance.

Arsenal

Villa did a number on the Gunners last week. It was a super performance from them and showed why Arsenal still aren’t quite at the Man City level, even if the league table suggests otherwise.

It’s unimaginative to say they need a number 9 but it’s true. In those clutch moments there’s no focal point to their attack. Shut them down out wide (easier said than done admittedly) and you restrict much of their effectiveness.

Arteta was taking some grief for moving Havertz out of that position for the Villa match after his recent good run, but having put him back there against Bayern in the week, the end result was the same – no goals in a crunch game.

Experience probably comes into it too. They’re a young side and however good many of their players are, not many of them have gone the distance in a big competition. That often makes the difference.

None of this is to say they’re not a highly formidable opponent. They exert a lot of control in games, have a couple of top class players in nearly every position and clearly know what they’re trying to do at all times.

They could still easily go on and win the title, but at the same time, it’s clear that a couple of additions would take them to a different level. I expect they’ll do that business in the summer and be right in there against next season.

This season, I think they’re going to finish second.

Wolves

I haven’t heard Gary’s update on the walking wounded but I assume he’ll be dealing from a similar deck to last weekend.

We could do with getting Ait-Nouri back because without him I think we’re lacking a ball carrier to prevent teams stepping onto us without the fear of being exposed with the space they leave in behind.

If we’ve got Cunha and Ait-Nouri and possibly even Hwang for some of the game, it changes the dynamic. The likes of Sarabia, Doyle and Doherty have done well for us this season but they’re very static players. We’ve been at our best when we’ve had more mobility in the XI.

Predictions

Well done to shrewdsimon, Aquilador, Marin wolf, Matt Cook, Steady Eddie and Pete Dunbar for all correctly predicting the 2-2 scoreline at the City Ground.

This is a tough one because I think Arsenal are feeling the pinch and it wouldn’t surprise me if Arteta rotated a few players to keep them fresh after a relatively short turnaround from Wednesday night.

They’ve got quality to come into the side but I just wonder if the pressure, recent results and a bit of uncertainty might tip it in our favour. I’ll say a draw, as I’m not quite bold enough to go all out – 1-1.

As always, if you’d like to join in with the Prediction League this season, it’s simple – just leave your prediction in the comment section below using the boxes provided. Then repeat for every preview article throughout the season, making sure you always use the same email address to make your prediction. Your email is what ties you to your overall score.

Up The Wolves!