If you want a poetic spin on a dead rubber, how about this one?
Julen Lopetegui arrives in November with Wolves at rock bottom and watches from the stands as Arsenal cruise to a 2-0 victory.
Six months on, with the salvage job complete and rumours persisting about his possible departure, where do we close out the campaign? The Emirates of course.
So, if it is the end, it would be the most appropriate finale to what’s been a turbulent spell under the charismatic Spaniard.
Nobody wants him to leave – not least because of what that says about the club’s plans for the summer – but it’s better to be having these conversations now than in August.
Arsenal
It’s been a season of considerable progress for the Gunners but it’s ending in disappointment.
9 points from their last 8 Premier League games is the type of form that keeps teams in the Premier League but their objective was somewhat loftier. Talk about deflating.
Mikel Arteta has to make sure this sluggish finish doesn’t creep into next season because the competition at the sharp end isn’t going to ease up.
Injuries have pinched them with the most damaging loss being William Saliba. His partnership at the back with Gabriel was one of the most important factors in their title charge and without him, they’ve really suffered.
Zinchenko, Jesus and most recently Martinelli have also missed games and their squad wasn’t deep enough to cope. That’s something they’ll look to address in the months ahead.
On the plus side, they’re back in the Champions League so that will help with their recruitment plans. They also know that their best XI, which is a young group of players, gives them a fantastic platform to build.
Wolves
It’s been away from home that we’ve missed some of the stalwarts of previous years. The leadership of Coady, the bite of Saiss, the towering presence of Boly. These foundational players gave us some backbone and we haven’t replaced these qualities, hence why we’ve been like a piece of paper.
No, I haven’t gone crazy and I know this won’t be the team on Sunday, but the above XI are players that might be here next season if all the obvious ones leave.
Nunes is another who might seek a move but Joao Gomes could come in there to create a physically imposing midfield.
Either way, what this group has in common is energy. I think they could press high and play at a tempo with the ball that creates more chances.
The point I’m scratching at is that even if Lopetegui walks and we dispense of Raul, Jonny, Ait-Nouri, Moutinho, Traore, Raul, Costa and one or two others, we’d still have the foundations to build something.
Keep in mind we haven’t even talked about Kalajdzic, Chiquinho, Fabio, Giles, Hoever or several others that could come back and make a difference.
I think the squad needs shaping in the right way and a clear style of play introduced, but there’s plenty here for someone to work with and the right additions will bring out the best in some of the existing talents.
Predictions
Well done to Ben Rasmin, Rich and BigNachos who all correctly predicted the 1-1 scoreline against Everton last weekend.
Rich has now established a phenomenal total of 58 points to further underline his status as 22/23 Champion. There’s a battle for second heading into the final day with Ash K, Matt Cook, Ben Rasmin and WishFart all in contention.
As always, if you’d like to join in with the Prediction League this season, it’s simple – just leave your prediction in the comment section below using the boxes provided. Then repeat for every preview article throughout the season, making sure you always use the same email address to make your prediction. Your email is what ties you to your overall score.
You can read my prediction for the game in the comment section below.
Thank You
Well, that’s another 38 Premier League previews in the bank so thank you to everyone for reading them and contributing your own views in the comment section throughout the season. The diverse opinions in there before and after matches really help make this site a worthwhile destination and I hope even more people will join in next season. We need the happy clappers, the misery guts, the statisticians and everyone in between, so if you read but don’t contribute, please do consider making your voice heard. Equally, if you’d prefer not to, that’s also fine. You’re appreciated all the same.
Next season we’ll be into the 15th year of Wolves Blog and I’m looking forward to making it one to remember. There will be content over the summer when someone feels inspired, but if you’re taking a break, have a great holiday and see you in August.
Up The Wolves!