At long last, Arsenal return to Premier League action this weekend. After what feels like a lifetime of international tournaments and pre-season, the best league in the world is set to commence. Arsenal have a fixture against Wolves at home, one which Mikel Arteta will be eager to win.
Arsenal’s opening five fixtures are difficult. In case you didn’t know, the first five fixtures include Aston Villa, Man City and Tottenham, all away from home. Therefore, it is pivotal that Arsenal beat Wolves, in order to kickstart their Premier League momentum. So, it is important to take this fixture seriously and not undermine Wolves, who are capable of surprises.
With that being said, what can Arsenal fans expect in the upcoming league opener? Here are 5 predictions for Arsenal vs Wolves.
Arsenal vs Wolves: 5 predictions for the opening Premier League game
1. Oleksandr Zinchenko will start
It doesn’t seem like a bold prediction to claim that a four-time Premier League champion will start a Premier League game. However, given that Arsenal signed Riccardo Calafiori and they have Jurrien Timber returning from injury, Zinchenko’s chances of starting would appear slim.
Well, they would appear slim IF he didn’t have an impressive pre-season campaign. As it stands, Zinchenko is one of the most in-form players for Arsenal. Against Bayer Leverkusen and Lyon in pre-season, he was one of, if not the best player on the pitch. This should not be overlooked, even if it was pre-season.
This season does appear as last-chance saloon for Zinchenko, so he will want to make a name for himself in the starting lineup early on. Many Arsenal fans appeared to turn their backs on Zinchenko but if there’s one thing the fanbase is, it’s forgiving. Make the most of your chances, Zinny.
2. Kai Havertz will start as a midfielder… Again
Don’t shoot the messenger, but I can see Mikel Arteta continuing with the attempt to play Kai Havertz as a midfielder. Everybody is fully aware that Havertz operates best as a centre forward but in pre-season, Havertz did impress as a midfielder. Hopefully this hasn’t sparked a lightbulb moment for Arteta, but it may well have done.
Havertz is flying with confidence at the moment. He finished last season at the height of his game and he had a good summer, both with Germany at the Euros and with Arsenal in pre-season. He will be a key player for Arsenal this season. We can only hope the looming midfield experiment will pay dividends.
3. Riccardo Calafiori will make his Arsenal debut from the bench
Riccardo Calafiori is yet to start a match for Arsenal and I don’t think it will be in this match. However, he is very much in the starting plans for Mikel Arteta, hence why the Spaniard has been full of praise for the Italian throughout pre-season.
I do think that the Emirates Stadium crowd will witness Riccardo Calafiori make his competitive debut, but it will be from the bench as Mikel Arteta wishes to ease him into action. Definitely do pack your sunglasses, though. It’s best to protect your eyes from his magnificent aura, even from the Clock End.
4. Pre-season stars will get a harsh reality check
The best part about pre-season is that it gives young players a chance to make a name for themselves. This is exactly what happened for Arsenal in pre-season, with the likes of Ethan Nwaneri, Myles Lewis-Skelly and Ayden Heaven.
However, crunching the squad numbers, it is hard to imagine any of those young pre-season stars being involved in the matchday squad. If they do, it is even more unlikely they will start.
So, it will be an unfortunate reality check for those young players to go from pre-season regulars, back to the academy. However, it will add fuel to their fire, allowing them to knuckle down to impress the Arsenal higher-ups throughout the season.
5. Eddie Nketiah will not feature to any degree
In the last pre-season match, Eddie Nketiah was an unused substitute. This is despite the likes of Lewis-Skelly, Reiss Nelson and Ethan Nwaneri being brought off the bench as part of wholesale changes.
Given his current situation, I wouldn’t be too surprised to see Eddie Nketiah left out of the matchday squad entirely. If he is left out of the squad, this would likely serve as an indication to Arsenal fans that the Hale End graduate is as good as gone.
