Mikel Arteta has admitted Arsenal deserve criticism after self-inflicted mistakes threatened to derail their Premier League title push in a dramatic 2-2 draw against Wolves on Wednesday.
Goals from Bukayo Saka and Piero Hincapié had the league leaders on track for a win that would have moved them seven points clear. But late drama at Molineux allowed second-placed Manchester City renewed hope in the title race.
Hugo Bueno pulled one back with a fine strike before teenage debutant Tom Edozie capitalised on a mix-up between goalkeeper David Raya and defender Gabriel Magalhães to equalise deep into stoppage time.
The result marked a second straight league match in which Arsenal failed to hold a lead, following last week’s 1-1 draw with Brentford. City now trail by five points with a game in hand and still have a home clash against Arsenal scheduled for April.
“Incredibly disappointed. We need to accept it and be critical of ourselves because it was not good enough,” Arteta said, acknowledging his side’s recent inconsistency.
Having previously squandered strong positions in past title battles with City, the north London side risk repeating history. They have dropped 11 points from eight league matches in 2026.
Arteta, visibly frustrated, said his team failed to execute basic tasks in the second half, losing control and dominance. He urged calm reflection rather than emotional reactions that could harm the squad, stressing they must accept the setback because “we deserve it.”
Arsenal appeared increasingly tense as the match wore on, highlighting the pressure of chasing their first league title since 2004. They must now regroup quickly ahead of Sunday’s derby against Tottenham, followed by a key home fixture against Chelsea on March 1.
Tempers flared after the final whistle when Raya and Gabriel argued, and striker Gabriel Jesus shoved Yerson Mosquera during a confrontation.
Arteta said the way forward is to stay close to his players and remind them of their quality, insisting they must show resilience and determination during difficult moments.
ELIJAH ADEYEMI
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