wolves vs arsenal: Arsenal's title bid dented as Molineux draw hands late blow
Arsenal saw a two-goal lead unravel at Molineux as Wolves fought back to claim a dramatic 2-2 draw, with a 94th-minute debut strike denying the Gunners all three points. The result hands momentum back to the chasing pack and raises fresh doubts about Arsenal's nerve with the season entering a decisive phase.
How the game turned
The contest began as Arsenal would have hoped. Bukayo Saka opened the scoring inside five minutes and Piero Hincapié added his first goal for the club in the 56th minute, leaving the visitors seemingly in control. But Wolves refused to lie down. Hugo Bueno produced a stunning 20-yard curler to halve the deficit and, deep into stoppage time, 19-year-old Tom Edozie — making his senior debut — pounced on a rare defensive mix-up between David Raya and Gabriel. Edozie's effort glanced in Riccardo Calafiori, completing a remarkable comeback and snatching a point for the hosts.
Title race implications and the pressure ahead
The draw means the title race is no longer entirely in Arsenal's hands. Manchester City, sitting five points behind, can cut the margin to two by winning their game in hand; if City were to win all remaining matches they would overtake the Gunners. Arsenal still have opportunities to control their destiny, including a pivotal trip to the Etihad in April, but back-to-back dropped points — following last week's draw at Brentford — have shifted momentum and intensified scrutiny.
With crucial fixtures on the horizon, the spotlight will be harsh. Arsenal travel to face Tottenham in the north London derby with kick-off at 4: 30pm ET on Sunday, a match that now doubles as an immediate chance for response and reassurance. Failure to steady the ship could let the narrative of implosion gather pace as the calendar tightens.
Reaction, accountability and what's next
Manager Mikel Arteta was blunt in his assessment, saying the team must take whatever criticism comes their way and that the remedy must be found on the pitch. He singled out the second-half display as particularly costly, stressing that while attitude and desire were not in question, a series of basic errors and a loss of control allowed Wolves back into the game.
Pundits and former players have already warned that labels such as "bottle" or questions about mental fortitude will intensify after another late collapse in a title race. One commentator described the performance as bordering on "slow and lazy, " suggesting that the Gunners' tempo and composure dipped at the worst possible time.
Wolves' manager highlighted the pressure on Arsenal and praised his players for capitalising on the situation, with the comeback providing a notable morale boost for a side heading towards relegation trouble.
For Arsenal, the task is straightforward but brutal: respond immediately, clean up the basic errors that crept into a transfer of control at Molineux, and restore the clinical ruthlessness that has carried them this season. The coming fixtures — starting with the derby on Sunday — will reveal whether this slip was a bump on the road or the beginning of a more damaging wobble.
