Arsenal vs Wolves LIVE: Score, Updates, and How to Watch the Premier League Match
Gradual progress, incremental improvement. Arsenal have been on a serious upward trajectory over the past few seasons, and now there’s only one place left to go. Of course, that final step is always the most difficult, yet it is also the end ambition, the goal, the whole point of a new direction, new investment and new reason for optimism.
Mikel Arteta – like most bosses who go up against Pep Guardiola-led teams – remains unproven in that most important context. If last year was about showcasing they could stay the course and be in a genuine title fight into the final week or two of the season, then 2024/25 must be about underlining the reasons why Arsenal can take the final step – and, of course, about actually taking it.
Two points off the title as they were last year feels close, and yet... it never feels that close to Manchester City, somehow. This is after all a team who have twice won the league recently by single-point margins, have hit record tallies along the way and have become experts in seeing out the season.
It’s time for Arsenal to deliver – and one uncomfortable question holds the key
Mikel Arteta fired a warning to Manchester City by insisting Arsenal are “still far” from their full potential.
Arsenal have pushed City all the way during the last two campaigns and missed out on the title by just two points last season. The Gunners were able to register more wins than ever before in the Premier League, achieve the club’s second-best points total and break numerous other records. It still failed to end a 20-year wait for another league crown but Arteta feels there is plenty of growth in a squad which has been boosted by the summer arrival of Riccardo Calafiori and the return to fitness of Jurrien Timber.
Arsenal vs Wolves: How to Watch and Team News
Stay tuned, the teams will be announced in just five minutes’ time.
Who are Arsenal going to choose to lead them into the new season?
Arsenal vs Wolves: Recent History
These two teams have met 164 times, with the first meeting taking place in 1904. Arsenal have won 64, losing 32 and drawing 28. Their most recent meetings ended 2-0 and 2-1 to Arsenal last season, with Wolves last winning in February 2021. Overall Arsenal have won seven, drawn one and lost two of the last 10 fixtures between the two.
Arsenal vs Wolves: Live Updates
Fans have been arriving at the Emirates ahead of the 3pm kick off:
We’ve had a look at the fans arriving, here are some shots of the players:
Arsenal fans will be expecting a lot from their side this season, having pushed Manchester City in the last two campaigns. It went down to the final match of the season, but it was still in City’s hands. The Gunners will want to go one better and secure their first league title since 2004.
Arsenal vs Wolves: The Teams
Arsenal have named their team for their Premier League opener:
Arsenal XI: Raya, White, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko, Partey, Rice, Odegaard, Saka, Martinelli, Havertz
Subs: Ramsdale, Calafiori, Timber, Jorginho, Nelson, Nwaneri, Trossard, Jesus, Nketiah
Wolves XI: Sa, Doherty, Mosquera, Toti, Ait-Nouri, Bellegarde, Lemina, J Gomes, R Gomes, Hwang, Strand Larsen
Subs: Bentley, S Bueno, Podence, Cunha, Dawson, Doyle, Sarabia, Chiquinho, Guedes
Arsenal vs Wolves: Pre-Match Press Conference
Mikel Arteta has challenged Arsenal to improve once again this season, but sensed the motivation in his players during a club gathering on the night Manchester City clinched the Premier League title.
Arsenal enjoyed a record-breaking 2023-24 campaign, winning more games than ever before in the division and yet missed out on silverware to Pep Guardiola’s side by two points.
The title race went to the final day and City won a fourth consecutive league crown but Arsenal staff, including co-chair Josh Kroenke, players and their families gathered on the same night at a venue in central London to reflect on the near-miss and a burning desire to go one better was already evident.
Mikel Arteta reveals key meeting inspiring Arsenal to ‘climb the highest mountain’
City’s recent dominance has played out amid the backdrop of 115 charges from the Premier League hanging over them.
It is a long-running case which should reach a conclusion before the end of the season but Arteta declined to comment. “It is nothing to do with us,” Arteta insisted.
The Arsenal boss was more forthcoming about where he can improve ahead of Saturday’s visit of Wolves. Bayer Leverkusen head coach Xabi Alonso described Arteta as a “competitive animal” after a recent pre-season friendly. And Arteta laughed, adding: “Yeah, I love it. Everything I do, I try to win. I try to do it at my best.
“I am happier afterwards, I feel fulfilled. If I am not able to do it, obviously I try to learn from it and apply things that will get me closer to doing that. That is the way I am.”
Arteta claimed: “I don’t see that we are close to that full potential. We are still far.
“The only thing we can ask of ourselves is to be the best version of ourselves and maximise that potential. The rest is not in our hands.
“Can I do the best every day of my capabilities at the service of the team and can I be consistent in any context?
“That’s what we can do. We do that, then we are a great team, to achieve what? Let’s see, depending on what others do.
“I think it is going to be a really, really competitive league.”
Arsenal vs Wolves: Match Preview
On BBC’s Final Score before the game, Mikel Arteta said that Arsenal “need this adrenaline” and he is “really excited for the new season”.
“It will be a really tough match and we have to go day by day. Today we have to earn the right to be better than Wolves and win the game.
“One of the main things is to have the players available and I think we are in good shape.”
The Premier League kicked off for 2024/25 with a late 1-0 win for Manchester United over Fulham last night. The second game of the season has just finished too, with Liverpool beating Ipswich 2-0. As well as the Arsenal match at 3pm, these are the rest of Saturday’s fixtures.
3pm - Everton v Brighton
3pm - Newcastle v Southampton
3pm - Nottingham Forest v Bournemouth
5.30pm - West Ham v Aston Villa
Arsenal vs Wolves: Match Updates
There’s a moment of applause for Kevin Campbell, just after ‘North London forever’ rings out around the Emirates.
And soon after, we are underway! Can Arsenal lay down an early marker in their bid for a first title since 2004?
Both sides are out of the tunnel now, so we’re close to kick-off!
Arsenal vs Wolves: First Half
3 mins: Nothing to report in the opening exchanges and both sides feel their way into the match. Martinelli wins a corner after his cross is put behind.
Some feel like this will finally be the year that Arsenal wrestle a league title away from Man City. Could it be true? Do they still need a proven number nine? Can City really expect to win FIVE titles in a row? We’ll be closer to knowing within a few weeks.
For now though, we have to settle for what should be a straightforward win for Arsenal at home to Wolves, who have lost Pedro Neto and Max Kilman so far this summer.
5 mins: Sa parries the corner away and Bellegarde carries out of danger before winning a throw. Wolves go on the attack, but Doherty’s shot is blocked by Gabriel.
7 mins: A promising attack for Arsenal breaks down on the edge of the Wolves box as Rice can’t get Odegaard’s pass under control. Wolves haven’t really been troubled so far, and they look calm as Ait-Nouri leads them forward.
9 mins: Brilliant from Odegaard to win the ball in midfield and clip a backheel into the path of Havertz. The German is bearing down on goal, but he sort of trips up over the ball and can’t get a shot away.
12 mins: White has a shot from outside the box, but it’s blocked and runs to Sa.
14 mins: Arsenal are beginning to turn the screw now, and a lovely touch from Saka in the box ends with him squeezing a shot through the Wolves bodies and forcing a low save from Sa.
17 mins: Wolves haven’t been poor and have settled fine, but Arsenal’s dominance is starting to show through. Saka is the latest to have a pop after a nice one-two with Havertz, but it’s straight at Sa.
20 mins: Arsenal win a corner and it does seem like it’s only a matter of time here. Rice delivers, but Sa does well to punch away at the near post and Doherty wins a throw when carrying it out.
23 mins: Joao Gomes is the first to be booked this afternoon, as he scythes down Martinelli. From the free-kick, a brilliant Odegaard pass finds Martinelli but his cross is blocked.
25 mins: GOAL!
They make it look easy, but it’s great work from Arsenal. From that free-kick, they recollect possession and recycle it to Saka on the wing. He’s in plenty of space and decides to swing in a cross – it’s an absolute peach, forcing Sa to commit off his line, and Kai Havertz is there to nod past into an empty net!
26’ GOAL! Havertz nods past Sa after brilliant Saka cross (ARS 1-0 WOL)
27 mins: Bellegarde is fouled once more as he looked to skip past Gabriel. The Brazilian is lucky to escape a yellow there. The young Frenchman has been a bright spark for Wolves in the opening half hour.
29 mins: Gabriel brings down Bellegarde not far from the edge of the Arsenal box. From around 25 yards, Bellegarde goes for the shot, but it creeps over the bar.
31 mins: Huge shouts for a penalty from the Arsenal faithful, but nothing doing. The ball breaks free and Arsenal are suddenly four-v-two. The ball is threaded through to Havertz, who carries for a few yards before slipping it into the path of Saka. The Englishman cuts back to try and move onto his left, but falls as he collides with the defender.
35 mins: Just 29 goals conceded last season for Arsenal, and they don’t look like conceding their first of the season this afternoon.
Or do they?!?!
It’s a superb save from David Raya!
Wolves clip a ball forward out of nowhere and it’s a great delivery, and new signing Strand Larsen gets across Saliba to nod it goalwards. Raya is scrambling across his goal and it goes the opposite way past him, but he reacts to claw it away!
39 mins: Odegaard ships it wide to Saka, who clips in an early cross to the back post that needs to be turned behind for a corner. Rice to deliver once more, but the attack ends as Saka tries to drive an effort from outside the box and it goes over.
42 mins: Saka was briefly down after that shot, but he’ll be okay to carry on. Wolves are enjoying possession at the moment, but not threatening. Out of nowhere, Arsenal almost score again.
They attack again and Martinelli lays it off to Rice, who checks it in behind with his back to goal. Martinelli collects and turns inside before releasing a shot that is narrowly diverted over the bar courtesy of a deflection.
45 mins: There’s just one minute of added time here as Martinelli is once again narrowly prevented from getting a shot away. The Arsenal attack breaks down and Wolves try and counter, but it breaks down and the referee blows the whistle for half-time!
Arsenal vs Wolves: Second Half
46 mins: No changes for either side at half-time. Wolves have the first threat of the second half, but the cross is headed away.
Back underway at the Emirates! Arsenal will be confident of extending this lead in the next 45.
48 mins: So good from Odegaard to skip past two challenges and slip the pass towards Saka, but Lemina does equally well to dispossess the Englishman.
50 mins: Another great chance for Arsenal as the square pass lands at the feet of Havertz. He opens his body up to try and tuck it into the far corner, but ends up scooping a shot well wide.
52 mins: Some nice play from Wolves in and around the box ends with Strand Larsen unable to get the ball out of his feet.
55 mins: Arsenal’s turn to attack and Saka swings in a corner that Gabriel meets, but Sa collects the loose ball from the header. Arsenal attack again and Havertz fouls Mosquera, with the Colombian responding by grabbing him by the throat. That could easily be red after a VAR check, but nothing is given. Wolves bring on Matheus Cunha for Bellegarde.
58 mins: Ait-Nouri is everywhere as he tries to link together a Wolves attack, but he’s dispossessed on the edge of the Arsenal box. The home side counter and the ref plays a good advantage before Martinelli slips it through to Zinchenko on the byeline. His cutback can’t find an Arsenal shirt in the box but it finds its way to Partey on the edge of the area, and the Ghanaian fires a low shot just wide.
62 mins: Wolves are certainly providing more attacking threat than they did in the first half, and Ait-Nouri fires narrowly wide from distance after Partey was guilty of not being alert enough in possession.
65 mins: Wolves come again on the attack, and some sustained possession ends with a corner as Mosquera’s corner is put behind. Rodrigo Gomes takes it, but it’s a poor delivery and easily cleared.
67 mins: The Emirates crowd is a little unsettled as Wolves continue to attack, with their latest effort being a cross flashed across the goal. Moments later, there’s some respite for Arsenal as Raya collects a low cross.
68 mins: Almost a huge mistake from Saliba as he accidentally lays off a pass straight to Cunha, but the Brazilian can only direct his shot straight at Raya. Zinchenko is replaced by Jurrien Timber for the hosts.
70 mins: A powerful drive from distance from Odegaard forces an Arsenal corner. Timber unleashes a shot from distance after receiving the corner near the edge of the box, but it goes wide and over.
73 mins: GOAL! The Saka special.
Arsenal take a free-kick quickly, and they ship it to Saka on the edge of the box. He cuts back, drives inside and unleashes his trademark low shot, and it flies past Jose Sa for 2-0!
74’ GOAL! Saka cuts in and fires his trademark shot past Jose Sa (ARS 2-0 WOL)
77 mins: It seems like that is game over for Wolves, and though they did have a 10-minute spell of great possession and attacking intent, it looks like they’ll leave the Emirates with nothing. Arsenal attack again but Havertz has a shot blocked as he tries to emulate Saka’s effort.
80 mins: Arsenal bring off Saka for Leandro Trossard, while Wolves brought on Daniel Podence for Rodrigo Gomes earlier.
83 mins: Partey is penalised for a foul and Wolves may have a chance with the free-kick. Gary O’Neill makes three changes – Chiquinho, Sarabia and Dawson come on for Ait-Nouri, Gomes and Strand Larsen.
85 mins: Raya collects the Wolves delivery and Arsenal clear. It’s a first involvement for Jesus, as he collects near halfway before skipping past two challenges, but he’s forced to recycle possession.
88 mins: Wolves fans think they have a shout for a penalty as Hwang goes down under the challenge from Timber, but nothing doing for the referee. Jesus is booked moments later for remonstrating with the ref.
91 mins: There’ll be five minutes of added time at the Emirates, as Trossard delivers the eighth Arsenal corner. It’s another that’s headed out and then cleared. Chiquinho clips a ball towards the back post but the attempted header back across goal is instead put over the bar.
Arsenal vs Wolves: Full-time
Arsenal FC 2 - 0 Wolverhampton Wanderers FC
It’s a comfortable win for Arsenal to start the season, with goals from Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka. The Gunners looked impressive in possession and created numerous chances throughout the match, while Wolves were unable to really threaten Raya’s goal. The home side will be confident of building on this victory as they look to challenge Manchester City for the title, while Wolves will need to improve if they are to have a successful season.
