Arsenal squandered a two-goal lead as Wolves drew 2-2 in added time at Molineux, blowing their title race wide open.
Tom Edozie, 19, came off the bench on his Premier League debut to equalize after a mix-up between Gabriel and David Raya. Mikel Arteta watched in disbelief at how the Gunners lost control against a bottom-place club.
An early goal from Bukayo Saka looked set to simplify the evening for Arsenal, who completely dominated the first half at the top of the Premier League. It should have been so when Piero Hincapie scored his first goal for the club early in the second.
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Bukayo Saka opened the scoring for Arsenal against Wolves, ending a 15-game goalless run.
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Piero Hincapie scores Arsenal’s first goal to double the Gunners’ lead over Wolves in the Premier League.
But Hugo Bueno’s stunning curling strike into the top corner changed the mood and Arsenal looked to pull back and maintain their advantage. What Riccardo Calafiori was unable to stop to create commotion inside Molineux was undone by a crisp strike from Edozie.
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Bueno scored a sensational goal to halve Wolves’ deficit against Arsenal in the Premier League.
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Ricardo Calafiori failed to keep the ball out of the net as Arsenal conceded a late goal.
Arsenal lead the way with five points, but Manchester City now have a game in hand and with Arteta’s side still having to travel to the Etihad Stadium this season, this could still be seen as a key turning point in the Premier League title race.
Merson criticized Arsenal for being ‘slow and lazy’
Paul Merson on Sky Sports:
“If Manchester City win all their games from now on they will win the league. It’s disappointing.
“You can’t play in second gear. When Wolves lost 2-2 there was some urgency. We’ve never had anything like that before. You can’t play like that. Every game is a cup final until the end.”
“You have to play at a high tempo. If Arsenal play at a high tempo, Wolves can’t live with them. But if they play the way they play, slow and lazy, give the ball away, Wolves will always be in the game.”
“It could come back and bite them. It was really, really disappointing tonight.
“Now we’re absolutely blowing up. It’s bottle work and we’re melting. We’re now coming away from Brentford and two goals up against the worst team in the league.”
Arteta: We deserve a hit
arsenal boss Mikel Arteta talk sky sports:
“It’s hard to accept that in the second half we didn’t perform at any level in any aspect of the game to the standard we need to win in the Premier League and we paid the price.
“There are so many things that have gone wrong that it’s best not to judge. We’re all so emotional about it that now is not the time to do that. It’s a moment of underperformance, you’re at this level, the expectations are there. You deserve to get hit, because we deserve it too.”
Saka: We lost momentum
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Bukayo Saka reacts to Arsenal squandering a two-goal lead against Wolves.
Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka speaking sky sports:
“Very flat. Very disappointed with the result. The way we played, especially in the second half, was far from the level we have set ourselves this season.”
“Now is the time to reflect on some of our achievements and make sure we address the issues immediately so we can win the game, get back on the run and build momentum, because we’ve lost it a bit at the moment.”
Smith: Manchester City would love it now
Alan Smith on Sky Sports:
“We’ve often said they’re the best team in the league, the best squad, but that means nothing if they don’t have the composure and ability to play under pressure and get results. That word jar will be used quite a bit over the next few days.
“Man City will feel they can feel our breath on their shoulders and with their experience and Guardiola’s experience, they will really like it now.
“Obviously it’s a big game against Newcastle at the weekend but you can almost feel the tension in the Arsenal team watching the game tonight.”
Who is Tom Edozie?
The Wolves youngster, who changed the complexion of the title race with his right-foot swing, is not well known even to his own supporters. Even his manager is finding out about him. “We’re still learning about it,” said Edozie’s Edwards.
The 19-year-old attacking midfielder signed a professional contract in 2024 and had featured as an unused substitute prior to this game, but didn’t even have his own Wikipedia page when his effort found its way into Arsenal’s net.
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Rob Edwards says he wants more support from Wolves fans against Arsenal.
“He impressed us with some really great moments. He’s a technically gifted player but we’re still learning about him. We’re just getting a feel for it,” Edwards added.
“I think JJ (Bellegarde) did a great job in the game. Obviously he’s been away for a while. Sometimes you get a feeling and it proves to be right. When he came over, I put my arm around him and said, this could be your moment. Go and get it.
“I think the first few touches were difficult. Declan Rice was breathing down his neck. It was a bit of a new thing for him, but afterwards I thought he scored a great goal. It was a lovely moment for him.”
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Check out the remaining Premier League matches between Arsenal and Manchester City
