Wolves goalkeeper Jose Sa has been left inspired by what he’s seen from Arsenal’s defence this season.
Ahead of the Gunners’ visit to Molineux, the Wolves goalkeeper spoke highly of Mikel Arteta’s work, focusing on Arsenal’s back four.
It’s unsurprising feedback, given that Arsenal are in a league of their own when it comes to goals conceded in the Premier League this season, letting in a total of 18 from 26 games.
On paper, the trip to face bottom-of-the-table Wolves should be simple for Arteta’s league leaders, but it won’t be, as we saw at the Emirates back in December.
Based on what you saw from Arsenal against Brentford, could Wolves cause an upset?
Jose Sa admits he’s been inspired by Mikel Arteta’s defence at Arsenal this season
Some Wolves players think they can upset Arsenal, which is what they nearly did when the two sides met earlier in the season.
Arsenal only beat Wolves thanks to a 94th-minute own goal, in what was a terrible performance from Arteta’s side.
Still, one Wolves player walked away from the Emirates still inspired by the Gunners, and that was Jose Sa.
Sa didn’t play in the fixture, but he would’ve paid close attention to both teams, as he recently admitted that he’s been influenced by how Arteta’s defence operates.
“All the games are tough in the Premier League, but of course Arsenal are leading, so it will be a tough game for us,” he told Wolves’ official website.
“They have a very good defence, I took a lot from the way they defend, they are very good, so it’s a big strength of theirs.”
Predict the scoreline when Arsenal visit Molineux to face Wolves
Some memorable games here 👀
Though the defence is what Sa has taken a lot from, the goalkeeper didn’t restrict his praise for Arsenal to just the back four.
“They have good players and a lot of quality, even up front,” he continued.
“I spoke about defence, but up front they have a lot of quality, so it’s a tough game.”
How Arsenal’s defence compares to Wolves
It’s no surprise that Sa is mesmerised by Arsenal’s defence, as when comparing the Gunners to Wolves, the numbers are astounding.
The Old Gold have conceded 48 goals this season to Arsenal’s 18, which was a figure Wolves actually surpassed back on matchday nine.
| Statistic | Arsenal | Wolves |
| Goals against | 18 | 48 |
| Clean sheets | 13 | 3 |
| Goals against per game | 0.7 | 1.8 |
It’s been such a tough campaign for the West Midlands club, who have been allowed to freefall due to insufficient backing from the top.
While Arsenal will sympathise with Wolves’ situation, any niceties must be spared from the first whistle, as the need to win is arguably greater for the Gunners than their relegation-bound opponents.
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