Premier League predictions: Wolves vs Arsenal

Molineux will stage the lone mid-week Premier League fixture on Wednesday night after Wolves against Arsenal was brought forward to avoid a clash with next month’s Carabao Cup final, and the fixture offers the leaders a chance to steady nerves that have frayed during a wobble that has sliced their advantage at the summit to four points.

Arsenal travel to the Midlands knowing that a comprehensive victory over the division’s bottom side could act as the “kick-start” their flagging title bid requires, according to this week’s subscriber pundit Jack, a 32-year-old Gunners supporter from London. Jack, handed the unusual task of predicting both the mid-week encounter and the full weekend programme, believes Wolves have “nothing to lose” with relegation looming and could yet derail the leaders’ momentum.

Oliver Kay, writer and long-time predictor in The Athletic’s rolling competition, is unconvinced. He recalls December’s meeting at the Emirates, when Wolves “came so close to snatching a draw,” only to succumb to two stoppage-time own goals. Since then, Gary O’Neil’s side have lost just three of their last ten matches in all competitions, but Kay still expects Mikel Arteta’s team to “win comfortably” once the first goal is breached.

The prediction table adds an extra layer of tension: Kay has slipped to third behind six-year-old prodigy Wilfred and the subscribers’ collective, and another wayward forecast would further erode his fading lead over the in-house algorithm. Three points are awarded for the correct scoreline, one for the correct result, and a bonus for any “unique” call, a system that saw Manchester United fan James collect 12 points last round and nudge the readers above the columnist.

With only one league game on the calendar, all eyes will be on Molineux to see whether Arsenal can re-assert control or if Wolves, desperate to avoid the lowest points tally in Premier League history, can land an unlikely blow to the pacesetters.