Arsenal begin their latest quest for Premier League glory when they welcome Wolverhampton Wanderers to the Emirates Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Mikel Arteta’s men pushed champions Man City all the way last season only to narrowly miss out on a first top-flight triumph since 2004.
The Gunners bounced back from a similar setback the season before last and they look well placed to be the Citizens’ nearest challengers again this time around.
Arteta's side will be expected to get their latest title bid up and running with relative ease when they take on Wolves in the capital this weekend.
After being appointed as Wolves boss on the eve of last season, overcoming so many issues is a testament to the job Gary O'Neil carried out after replacing Julen Lopetegui.
Improving on last season’s 14th placed finish will be the aim for Wanderers this term and O’Neil’s crew have enough about them to compete for a top half finish.
How the bookies view it: Gunners to come out firing
Unsurprisingly, Arsenal are overwhelming 2/9 favourites on Bet 365 to make a winning start to their Premier League season on Saturday afternoon.
Wolves, who ended last season with just one win from their final 10 top-flight assignments, are massive outsiders at 14/1 (Bet 365) while the draw is also deemed unlikely at 6/1 (UniBet).
Head to head: Arsenal aiming for magnificent seven
Arsenal have held the upper hand in this fixture in recent times, claiming top honours from each of the last six Premier League meetings between the pair.
Last season’s corresponding fixture ended 2-1, with goals from Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard guiding the Gunners to victory.
Players to watch: Kai to kick on?
Kai Havertz hit top form during the second half of last season for Arsenal, scoring nine times across his final 14 Premier League appearances of the campaign. Thus, the German ace stands out at 4/5 (Bet 365) for a goal or an assist on Saturday afternoon.
Hwang Hee-chan was Wolves' joint-top goalscorer last season with 12 strikes. The South Korean attacker is a lofty 11/2 (Bet 365) to get in on the act at the Emirates.
Predicted line-ups
Several of Arsenal's regular starters missed out on the club's pre-season tour of the USA due to their involvement at international tournaments over the summer, though they are all expected to be available on Saturday.
Having picked up an injury in pre-season, Wolves' Matheus Cunha looks set to miss out this weekend.
Arsenal: Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko; Odegaard, Partey, Rice; Saka, Havertz, Martinelli.
Wolves: Sa; Doherty, Mosquera, Toti, Ait-Nouri; Sarabria, Lemina, J. Gomes; R. Gomes, Hwang, Strand Larsen.
Anything else catch the eye?
Arsenal are understandably short priced favourites on Saturday so that brings the Bet Builder feature into play with a view to obtaining a backable price.
Coupling up a home win alongside Wolves to collect the most cards looks worth supporting at 10/11 with Bet 365.
This bet would have paid out in both meetings between the pair last season and a repeat looks worth getting on board with this weekend at a shade below evens.
This English Premier League match between Arsenal and Wolverhampton Wanderers will be played on Aug 17, 2024 and kick off at 15:00. Check below for our tipsters best Arsenal vs Wolverhampton Wanderers prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
