ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE
Manchester, Feb 19: Arsenal’s Premier League title charge suffered another damaging blow as Mikel Arteta’s side squandered a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 with bottom-placed Wolves, a result that has swung momentum firmly towards Manchester City in the championship race.
Cruising at 2-0 midway through the second half at Molineux, Arsenal appeared set to steady nerves after a recent dip in form. Instead, teenage substitute Tom Edozie struck in the fourth minute of stoppage time to complete a stunning comeback and hand the Gunners a second successive setback.
“There was a big difference in how we played in the first half and the second half. We dropped our standards and we got punished for it,” Bukayo Saka told the BBC.
The dropped points leave Arsenal five clear of City but having played a game more. With the two title rivals still due to meet at the Etihad Stadium in April, and City hosting Newcastle this weekend, the gap could shrink to just two points before Arsenal face Tottenham in Sunday’s north London derby.
The latest stumble adds to growing signs that Arsenal are once again feeling the strain of a title race they have led for much of the season.
Earlier this month, they were nine points clear after a 3-0 win over Sunderland. Since then, the advantage has steadily eroded. A draw at Brentford last week was followed by Wednesday’s collapse against a Wolves side that had managed just one win all campaign.
Arsenal had started brightly, with Saka heading home in the fifth minute before Piero Hincapie doubled the lead in the 56th. But Hugo Bueno’s superb curling strike sparked Wolves’ revival, and Edozie’s late intervention sealed a dramatic point for the relegation-threatened hosts.
“Incredibly disappointed that we gave two points away,” Arteta said. “What we did in the second half was nowhere near the standards we need to win in this league. When you don’t perform, you can get punished.”
If City go on to clinch a seventh title in nine years, their dramatic 2-1 comeback win at Liverpool earlier this month may be remembered as the turning point. Erling Haaland’s stoppage-time penalty at Anfield ignited belief in Pep Guardiola’s side, who then comfortably beat Fulham to apply further pressure.
The perception of a shifting tide has been as significant as the points themselves. Arsenal’s once-commanding lead is now fragile, and City — seasoned in hunting them down in recent seasons — know that victory in their remaining matches would guarantee the crown.
Both clubs are still competing on multiple fronts, including the Champions League and domestic cups, and will meet in next month’s League Cup final — another encounter that could carry psychological weight in the title run-in.
For Arsenal, the equation is clear but unforgiving. Avoid defeat at the Etihad and win the remaining fixtures, and the title is theirs. Slip again, and City’s relentless pursuit may once more prove decisive.
The title race, once painted in shades of red and white, is now delicately poised, balanced on nerve, composure and the ability to withstand suffocating pressure.
Arsenal have spent months setting the pace, dictating the narrative, daring to believe that this could finally be the season they end a 22-year wait for the crown. Yet championships are not decided in autumn flourish or winter dominance; they are forged in the unforgiving stretch of spring, when fatigue creeps in, doubts grow louder and every misplaced pass feels heavier than the last. Manchester City, battle-hardened and ruthless in the run-in, sense vulnerability.
They have been here before. They know how to hunt.
For Arsenal, the challenge now is as much mental as tactical — to rediscover the authority that built their lead, to silence the noise, and to turn frustration into fuel.
The margins are thin, the stakes enormous. One slip can alter destiny. One statement win can restore belief. With a derby looming, a trip to the Etihad on the horizon and trophies still on the line, the coming weeks will define not only this season but the identity of Arteta’s project. It is no longer about momentum or perception. It is about resilience. And in a race where history, pressure and pride collide, only the side that holds its nerve will lift the Premier League trophy.
There is, however, still time for a twist. Titles are rarely won without turbulence, and adversity often sharpens ambition rather than dulls it. Arsenal remain masters of their own fate, perched at the summit with points on the board and lessons painfully learned. The collapse at Molineux may yet serve as a wake-up call — a reminder that control must be sustained, not assumed. Around them, City’s machine hums with ominous consistency, but even relentless champions are not immune to pressure when the margins tighten. The run-in will test squad depth, temperament and leadership in equal measure. For Arsenal’s young core, this is a defining examination — a chance to prove that past near-misses have hardened rather than haunted them. The destination is still visible. The path, though, has become steeper. (AP)
