Wolverhampton Wanderers vs. Arsenal: Preview, Live Stream, Start Time and More

Good news has been hard to come by at Molineux.

Wolves are fighting to get out of the danger zone and get themselves into a position so they can have a chance at staying in the Premier League. With only five victories this season, Wolves are six points behind Queens Park Rangers, Blackburn Rovers and Wigan Athletic. They are also seven points behind Bolton Wanderers. 

Arsenal are trying to overtake Tottenham Hotspur for third. The Gunners will just have two days of rest after playing Manchester City. With their hopes of a title this year realistically gone, they will try to play spoilers in the title race between Manchester City and Manchester United.

The Wolves match will likely see some changes in the starting XI for the Gunners. 

Arsène Wenger is fully focused on the City match—and he should be. Arsenal are in a extremely tight fight for Champions League football next year. 

The last time these two squads faced each other, it resulted in a 1-1 draw at Emirates Stadium right after Christmas. It is one of Wolves' seven draws.

The Gunners were left frustrated by Wolves back in December; they had 27 shots, 11 of which were on goal, with Wolves' goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey saving 10 of the 11 shots.

Arsenal also had 73 percent possession. When Nenad Milijas was sent off in the 75th minute, Arsenal thought they could score more goals, but fell short.

Here's a preview of the upcoming Gunners-Wolves match:

Where: Molineux Stadium, Wolverhampton, England 

When: Wednesday, April 11, 2:40 p.m. EDT

Watch: ESPN3.com 

Player to Watch: Robin van Persie

It would be very not to pick him. Van Persie is a contender for player of the year, and has 33 goals so far. Playing against a team that is last in the table, it’s hard to imagine him not scoring any goals.

Some have said that he deserves to be at a bigger club, and there have been hints at him moving. Where he would go is a question for the transfer window. A strong showing at Wolves could get him closer to scoring 40 goals on the season.

If van Persie gets to that mark, his price will go up.

Key Matchup: 

Back lines vs. Strikers

It’s going to be extremely difficult to play perfect with just two (Arsenal) and three (Wolves) days of rest. Space will be open as tired players means stretched back lines. Open space for van Persie could mean a hat trick.

It would not be surprising to see Wolves score against the Gunners as well, since they gave Arsenal a hard time the last time they met. With the December match in mind, Wolves are capable of scoring against Arsenal.

What They're Saying:

Wolves:

Usually when a manager is sacked, there is not a lot of talk about him coming back. Mick McCarthy, who was sacked in February, says he could have kept Wolves in the Premier League. McCarthy told BBC Sport that he is still “involved emotionally at Wolves and it’s been tough for Terry Connor coming in.”

Arsenal:

Arsène Wenger has his mind on Manchester City. He said that Arsenal has to stop selling its players to City. “Am I flattered? More worried.” He is worried mostly because van Persie has been linked to a move to Etihad.

There is also some concern over striker Marouane Chamakh. A photo of Chamakh smoking a shisha pipe has sparked a little off-the-field controversy. It is not illegal in the UK, but Wenger said he hoped that Chamakh would not do that during the season because “it is not the best thing to do.”

Prediction: 3-1 Arsenal 

With just two days to rest up, the Gunners will be a little tired, while Wolves will have an extra day of rest.

There should be plenty of space for van Persie to roam and take shots. Arsenal should be able to control the possession like they did the last time they met with Wolves—but this time Arsenal will be able to finish their chances.

However, given that they will have just played one of the biggest matches of the weekend, the back line will be stretched. Wolves should be able to score, but not enough to cope with Arsenal’s attack.

If Arsenal were fully rested, it would be tempting to predict five or six goals.