Premier League preview: Wolves v Arsenal

Arsenal striker Robin Van Persie will hope to break a streak of four games without a goal when his side take on Wolverhampton on Wednesday.

Van Persie has not scored in 435 minutes of football with his last goal coming in Arsenal’s 2-1 victory over Newcastle on March 12.

It is an unfamiliar position for the Dutch striker.

His goal against Newcastle was his 32nd for the season in just 34 games and although his goal-per-game ratio has worsened since, Van Persie is still one of the best-performed strikers in Europe this season.

Wolves could be the perfect opportunity for Van Persie to get back in goal-scoring form.

Terry Connor’s side have lost six straight matches, conceding 19 goals in the process.

Wolves lost 2-1 to Stoke on Saturday and remain bottom of the Premier League with just 22 points, six points behind Wigan, Blackburn and Queens Park Rangers.

While Van Persie will be expected to break his scoring drought sooner rather than later, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger will be happy with how the rest of his squad have shouldered the goal-scoring burden.

Arsenal have won three and lost one of their past four games, hitting the back of the net seven times since Van Persie’s last goal.

Theo Walcott, Thomas Vermaelen and Mikel Arteta have all scored twice in that period.

Wenger will have to plug a hole in his defence for the trip to Wolves with Laurent Koscielny suspended after the French defender picked up his 10th yellow card of the season in Arsenal’s 1-0 victory over Manchester City on Saturday.

That win was Arsenal’s seventh in eight Premier League matches and puts them on 61 points, two points clear of fourth-placed Tottenham with six games to go in the season.

The two London clubs are chasing the third automatic Champions League berth in the Premier League, with Newcastle also in the hunt, equal with Tottenham on 59 points.