wolves vs arsenal: Gunners' title bid rocked as two-goal lead collapses at Molineux

Arsenal surrendered a two-goal advantage to draw 2-2 with bottom-club Wolves at Molineux, a result that hands fresh momentum to Manchester City and intensifies scrutiny of the Gunners' temperament with the run-in tightening.

Late drama leaves Arsenal with uncomfortable questions

Bukayo Saka's early strike and Piero Hincapié's first goal for the club looked to have set Arsenal on course for a crucial victory. Instead, a Hugo Bueno curl in the second half and a dramatic 94th-minute finish from debutant Tom Edozie — capitalising on a mix-up between David Raya and Gabriel — robbed the visitors of three points, leaving them to rue missed chances and sloppy moments at the death.

The draw extends a worrying sequence for the Gunners: they have won only two of their last seven league matches and dropped four points in successive draws after failing to see out leads. The result means Manchester City, five points adrift before the game, can close the gap further if they win their fixtures, with a pivotal Arsenal meeting at the Etihad still to come on April 18.

Veteran pundits and former players have predicted that talk of Arsenal 'bottling' a title is likely to increase. One former forward said that "that word bottle will be used quite a bit in the next few days, " reflecting a wider scepticism about whether recent stumbles signal a deeper frailty when pressure rises.

Arteta: blunt self-assessment and a focus on response

Manager Mikel Arteta did not hide his frustration. He conceded the team "didn't perform at the level required" and urged his players to accept criticism and reply on the pitch. He described the evening as one the squad deserved to feel the consequences of, emphasising that emotion should quickly be channelled into improvement rather than extended debate off it.

Arteta pinpointed the second half as the decisive period, saying the side lost control and failed to impose the standards necessary to see out a game against an opponent fighting for points. He called for a short period to digest the result before turning attention to a north London derby on Sunday, with kick-off at 4: 30 PM ET, as the immediate chance to restore belief.

What this means for the title race and the run-in

The draw hands the initiative back to Manchester City in practical terms: if City were to win all their remaining fixtures Arsenal will no longer be guaranteed to finish top, and City’s consistency underlines the margin for error left to Arteta’s side. Arsenal still control much of their destiny — they play 11 matches remaining and can narrow any gap with victories — but the psychological impact of conceding late will be felt.

Wolves offered a reminder of the Premier League’s unpredictability. Facing relegation, they showed spirit and composure to fight back; the home side’s resilience and a stunning long-range finish from Bueno turned a night that had felt comfortable into a chastening setback for the visitors.

Arsenal must now manage a tight calendar and mounting external pressure. Key defensive basics slipped on the night and a string of small errors compounded into a costly collapse. The manager has framed Sunday’s derby as the first corrective test; beyond that, the visit to the Etihad on April 18 looms as a potential title-decider if points continue to be dropped.

For supporters and neutrals alike, the central question is now less about talent and more about temperament: can this Arsenal group arrest the wobble and convert control into trophies, or will past near-misses and lapses at critical moments define another season of 'what might have been'?