wolves vs arsenal: Gunners blow two-goal lead as late Edenzie strike leaves title race open
Arsenal saw a two-goal advantage evaporate at Molineux as Wolves fought back to salvage a dramatic 2-2 draw. The result will intensify scrutiny over the Gunners' temperament in the closing stages of the season and hands Manchester City fresh hope in a tight title race.
Late collapse shifts momentum in title race
Arsenal appeared in control after Bukayo Saka opened the scoring in the fifth minute and Piero Hincapié added his first goal for the club early in the second half. But a stunning Hugo Bueno strike and a stoppage-time finish from 19-year-old Tom Edozie — on his senior debut — turned the game on its head. Edozie’s late intervention came from a scramble between the goalkeeper and a defender, the shot deflecting in to complete a comeback that nobody at Wolves could have confidently expected before the game.
The draw follows a 1-1 draw away at Brentford and means the Gunners have dropped four points from winning positions in successive matches. With Manchester City five points behind and holding a game in hand, the margin for error has shrunk; if City win all remaining fixtures, they would overhaul Arsenal. The fixture list also offers a crucial head-to-head at the Etihad in April that could be decisive if both sides maintain form.
Pressure, punditry and the 'bottle' narrative
Criticism is inevitable after results like this. Voices close to the game have suggested the language of mental fragility will re-emerge, with one former player predicting that the word 'bottle' will be widely used in the coming days. Another pundit described the display as 'slow and lazy' and warned that a pattern of surrendering control in the latter stages risks defining Arsenal’s campaign if it persists.
Those narratives feed off history: Arsenal have finished runners-up in recent seasons and the club’s supporters and players are acutely aware of the psychological weight of a title run-in. The manner of the Wolves draw — two-goal cushion squandered and a stoppage-time equaliser conceded — is the kind of result that invites harsh headlines and intensifies the pressure ahead of the next fixtures.
Arteta’s response and the immediate test
Manager Mikel Arteta conceded the team fell short in the second half and stressed that the response must come on the pitch. He urged his players to accept criticism and channel the disappointment into performance, emphasising that there was no excuse for the drop in standards after a strong opening period. His message was blunt: take the blow and win the next one.
The next match is a north London derby on Sunday with kick-off set for 11: 30 AM ET, an instant opportunity to extinguish the talk and restore momentum. Arteta framed the fixture as the right stage for a reaction, acknowledging the need for a rapid response and saying the painful lessons from Molineux should be used to improve.
Beyond the derby, Arsenal must address basic defensive lapses and the loss of control that allowed Wolves to re-enter the contest. Statistics from recent weeks underline a dip in results: just two league wins in the last seven matches suggests vulnerabilities that opponents are beginning to exploit. To reclaim initiative in the title race, the Gunners will need more consistency, greater tempo and ruthless game management in the closing stages.
For now, the title remains very much alive, but the psychological edge has shifted slightly. Arsenal must answer criticisms swiftly on the field — starting in the derby — or risk giving momentum to their rivals when it matters most.
