Never before in the history of the Premier League has a team at the top of the table lost a two-goal lead over a team at the bottom. But Arsenal’s extraordinary defeat against Wolves showed why many still have doubts about their title credentials.
The majority of home fans considered themselves in doubt, and even Mikel Arteta, often a staunch defender of his players, seemed perplexed by what they had just witnessed. “We have to blame ourselves,” Arteta said after the dramatic 2-2 draw.
The game should have been over when Pierrot Hincapie put Arsenal two points behind. However, Hugo Bueno’s goal changed the mood and they never regained the lead. “I can’t believe how many times they gave the ball away cheaply,” Paul Merson said on Sky Sports.
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Free to watch: Premier League Wolves vs Arsenal highlights
Their game management at Molineux was disastrous. Wolves had more possession in the second half, completing 163 passes to Arsenal’s 180. Rob Edwards praised the team’s spirit, but this statistic speaks more to Arsenal’s desperate decision-making.
For long periods in the second half, Arteta could be seen shaking his head, arms outstretched and his back to the bench. He urged his team to remain calm and told them to recirculate the ball. When they tried to pass, the Wolves were dragged around.
But it’s terrible that Arsenal have allowed the pattern of play to change. The only time they really tried to stop things was in stoppage time, slowing down time and delaying the restart. Even that can be interpreted as a weak attempt to hang on.
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Gabriel Jesus was booked after throwing a tantrum at full-time during Arsenal’s match against Wolves
Why did Raya keep running for so long?
His performance will be remembered for David Raya’s mishandling that led to the equalizing goal, but throughout the second half he continued to send the ball for long stretches without success. They had possession of the ball in the first half, but gave it away in the second half.
David Raya’s pass in Arsenal’s 2-2 draw against Wolves was long but didn’t work
He wasn’t alone. Martin Zvimendi and Declan Rice were supposed to take the lead, but that wasn’t the case. A crossfield pass was deflected. At one stage in the closing stages, Leandro Trossard attempted an ambitious diagonal cross-shot, only to pass the ball to Jose Sa.
“The performance in the second half was nothing close to the standard required to win in this league,” Arteta said. “We had moments one after another. Even though we scored the second goal, we never let up and controlled the game.”
Hugo Bueno pulled back the goal for Wolves and Arsenal withdrew.
Arsenal’s pass success rate dropped to 76 percent in the second half. That’s down from 87 percent in the first 45 minutes. At this time, Arsenal were playing in Wolves’ half, so it was hard to predict how this would turn out.
How was Gokeres ruled?
“I thought the second half of this game was really good and really aggressive,” Edwards explained in a press conference. “We won a lot of duels, which allowed us to play 40 yards higher on the pitch than them in the final third.”
Victor Goqueres and his touch on the ball in the Arsenal vs. Wolves draw
Santi Bueno was especially strong against Victor Goqueres. “I thought he won some great duels in the second half.”The Arsenal striker struggled to keep hold of the ball and was replaced by Gabriel Jesus, who made the only impact after the whistle.
Centre-back Bueno had more touches inside the opponent’s penalty area than Arsenal’s two strikers. Perhaps the lack of centre-forwards is not too surprising, but what really alarms Arteta is the drop-off from the players he has relied on.
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Paul Merson ‘worried’ about Mikel Arteta’s interview after Arsenal’s 2-2 draw with Wolves
What can Arteta change now?
Raya and Gabriel were a huge part of this team, but even if it was a result of them trying to take responsibility, it was their decision to fail in key moments. Why didn’t Zvimendi provide a metronome pass to nullify this reversal?
“They know what is required of them and they couldn’t do it,” Arteta said. Does he need to look at himself? Did the late changes against Wolves exacerbate Arsenal’s problems rather than solve them? Is it possible that Christian Norgaard is a dominant influence?
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Bukayo Saka reacts to Arsenal squandering two-goal lead against Wolves
Asked about the mounting pressure on Arsenal’s squad, Bukayo Saka told Sky Sports: “I think we need to get back to our level. We just need to get the basics right.” He’s right. But what if it was pressure that was preventing Arsenal from doing those basic things?
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A look back at the remaining Premier League games in the title battle between Arsenal and Man City
It was hard to miss the home fans shouting “Second Again” at them, a sign of Arsenal’s mostly male reputation. 2 wins in 7 games due to bad timing. Manchester City, who have won six of the last eight seasons, know they have it in their hands once again.
Whether that will reverse the pressure remains to be seen. The worry for Arsenal and Arteta is that Josep Guardiola and his players, despite their own problems, will be able to cope much better than the side who were plotting to make history at Molineux on Wednesday night.
