Arsenal vs Wolves preview, team news, kick-off, prediction, live on Sky Sports

Team news, stats and prediction ahead of Arsenal vs Wolves in the Premier League on Sunday, live on Sky Sports (kick-off 7.15pm).

Team news

Arsenal will be without the suspended Nicolas Pepe for Sunday's Premier League visit of Wolves.

The winger was sent off in last weekend's draw at Leeds and misses out - with midfielder Thomas Partey also unlikely to feature due to a thigh problem.

Willian (calf) is hoping to be available, while both Mohamed Elneny and Sead Kolasinac are in contention following positive Covid-19 tests during the international break. Forward Gabriel Martinelli (knee) remains sidelined.

Captain Conor Coady will return to the Wolves squad after missing his first league game in over three years.

The defender sat out Monday's 1-1 draw with Southampton as he self-isolated after coming into contact with someone who had coronavirus, falling eight short of Phil Parkes' club record of 127 straight league appearances.

Romain Saiss is out of the trip having tested positive for Covid-19 and is still self-isolating, while Jonny is not expected back until next year as he recovers from a serious knee injury.

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Arsenal vs Wolves will be broadcast live on Sky Sports Premier League and Main Event from 7pm on Sunday; kick-off at 7.15pm. Sky Sports customers can watch in-game clips in the live match blog on the Sky Sports website and app. Free highlights will also be published on the Sky Sports digital platforms and the Sky Sports Football YouTube channel shortly after the final whistle.

Watch the Premier League live on Sky Sports

At least 146 Premier League games will be shown live on Sky Sports in the 2020/21 season. The Premier League has further increased the number of televised games this season from 200 to 231, with over half of the extra fixtures set to be shown live on Sky Sports.

Overall, Sky Sports will be showing at least 146 Premier League matches live throughout the 2020/21 season, continuing to bring you all the latest twists, turns and shocks at the home of the Premier League.

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There will also be two additional midweek programmes - one will be played across the weeks commencing January 11 and 18 and the second will be in the week commencing May 10. All of these games will be broadcast live.

You can also follow the action with our dedicated live blogs on the Sky Sports website and app, and watch free match highlights from every game shortly after full-time on our digital platforms and YouTube channel.

Jones Knows prediction

It's all gone a bit Unai Emery for Mikel Arteta.

Arsenal are playing with no cohesion, the boss does not know his best XI, especially in forward areas and it has been 476 minutes since they scored Premier League goal from open play. This means you could have boarded a plane to New York, landed at the other end, and Arsenal still would not have scored in that period. I simply cannot have a home win on my mind with Wolves in town when assessing the prices.

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I am always keen to keep Nuno's team on my side when they travel to a so-called big-six team, bar Man City or Liverpool.

Since promotion, in eight trips to Manchester United, Tottenham, Chelsea and Arsenal, they have only been on the end of a defeat just once. They have the ability to suck the life out of games, then strike when the opportunity arises. The last two meetings at The Emirates between these two ended level - a repeat scenario could be on the cards.

JONES KNOWS PREDICTS: 1-1 (5/1 with Sky Bet)

Opta stats

• Arsenal have lost just one of their last 19 top-flight meetings with Wolves (W13 D5), going down 1-3 at Molineux in April 2019.
• Wolves are winless in their last nine away league games against Arsenal (D4 L5) since a 3-2 victory in September 1979. However, each of their last three visits to the Emirates have ended in a 1-1 draw.
• Arsenal have lost their last two home Premier League games by an aggregate score of 0-4 - they've not lost three in a row at home in the league without scoring since a run of four in November/December 1908.
• Arsenal have scored just one goal in their last five Premier League games, failing to score in either of their last two. They last went three league games without scoring back in February 2016.
• After a 10-game unbeaten run in Premier League games in London (W5 D5), Wolves have lost their last two in the capital by an aggregate score of 0-6.
• Only Tottenham (nine) have conceded fewer Premier League goals this season than Wolves (10). However, coming into this weekend's games, Wolves have scored fewer goals than any other side in the top half of the table (nine).
• Arsenal haven't kept a clean sheet in any of their last seven Premier League home games, their longest run without a league shutout at home since a run of nine between January-August 2007.
• Arsenal are averaging just 9.1 shots-per-game in the Premier League this season, their lowest on record in a single campaign in the competition (since 1997-98). Indeed, their lowest three average shots-per-game figures have been in the last three seasons (also 12.3 in 2018-19 and 10.7 in 2019-20).
• No Arsenal player has had more shots (13) or created more chances (11) than Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang this season. However, the Gabonese striker has scored just one goal in his last eight league games.
• Since Wolves were promoted back to the Premier League in 2018, Raúl Jiménez has scored 32 per cent of their goals in the division (34/107). Of the ever-present teams in that time, only Jamie Vardy at Leicester (36 per cent) and Arsenal's Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (33 per cent) have scored a higher share of their side's goals since 2018-19.

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This week on the Pitch to Post Preview Podcast, Peter Smith is joined by Michael Bridge and Charlotte Marsh to look ahead to a blockbuster London derby between title hopefuls Chelsea and Tottenham. James Cooper explains how Bruno Fernandes has become Man Utd's leader, and we analyse Arsenal's creativity problems.

Plus, Tim Thornton has the latest from Leeds and Sheffield United - including the story of how the Blades almost signed Diego Maradona! Charlotte then makes her bold Pitch for what she thinks will happen in this weekend's Premier League action…

Listen to the Sky Sports Pitch to Post Podcast on: Spotify | Apple | Castbox

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