Arteta says Arsenal will not take Wolves for granted

MIKEL ARTETA has insisted Arsenal have had enough wake-up calls against so-called lesser opponents this season to take nothing for granted in tonight’s match at Wolves.

Arsenal are red-hot favourites to tighten their grip on the Premier League’s third and final automatic Champions League spot when they travel to Molineux.

Bottom-placed Wolves have lost their last six matches, while Arsenal have won seven of their last eight.

But the one blip in that spell came at QPR just over a week ago, the latest shock defeat for Arsène Wenger’s men away from home this season following surprise setbacks at Blackburn, Fulham and Swansea.

Arteta said: “I don’t think it will be easy at Wolves.

“We have some good examples this year when we have dropped points against teams near the bottom.

“We have to go there with the right mentality and the right approach and sense of pride.

“When you’re playing away from home, there are no easy games in the Premier League.”

Arsenal will be without defender Laurent Koscielny, who serves a two-match ban for picking up his 10th yellow card of the season in Sunday’s win over Manchester City, hours before the amnesty cut-off.

Gervinho missed the City match with a knock, the game came too early for Abou Diaby and Francis Coquelin (both hamstring), while Per Mertesacker and midfielder Jack Wilshere (both ankle) remain sidelined.

Wolves manager Terry Connor has no fresh injury concerns.

Connor will have the same group to select from as he did for the 2-1 defeat at Stoke on Saturday, with sidelined trio Jamie O’Hara, Stephen Hunt (both groin) and Jody Craddock (hamstring) the only players unavailable.

It remains to be seen whether or not regular captain Roger Johnson – dropped to the bench for the Potters match a week after his on-field confrontation with Wanderers goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey – regains his place in the team, with Connor insisting that incident had not played any part in his decision to demote the defender.