Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta expressed disappointment after watching his team relinquish a two-goal advantage, settling for a 2-2 draw against the last-placed Wolves at Molineux. He acknowledged that the criticism aimed at his side is warranted following their collapse.
With the Gunners now just five points clear of Manchester City, despite having played one more match, they have managed to win only two of their last seven outings in the league.
Arteta emphasized the need for his team to embrace all criticism and to rebound strongly in their upcoming match against Tottenham on Sunday.
“Credit to Wolves—they shouldn’t be underestimated,” Arteta remarked regarding the Premier League’s bottom team. “We committed basic errors today that cost us, and that’s why we felt exposed even when we hadn’t conceded much. When the game remains open, anything can happen.”
“We must accept any criticism today. We fell short of the required performance level. Whatever anyone has to say is valid because we didn’t execute what we needed to do. The response must come on the pitch this Sunday, which is another great opportunity for us.”
“We’ve delivered in such situations before, but real strength must be demonstrated next time. It’s easy to talk about it here; showing it on the pitch is what matters.”
Bukayo Saka opened the scoring with his fifth goal of the season, quickly followed by Piero Hincapie, who netted his first goal for Arsenal to double their lead within 11 minutes of the second half.
However, a stunning strike from Hugo Bueno reduced the deficit just after the hour, and Tom Edozie, on his debut, secured a late equalizer, raising doubts about Arsenal’s Premier League title aspirations.
Arteta noted that his team failed to meet their usual standards and must take responsibility for dropping crucial points once again.
“I’m extremely disappointed with the result and the way the game concluded; we have to hold ourselves accountable,” Arteta said. “Our second-half performance was nowhere near the standards required in this league. While it’s important to express our feelings, now is not the time for that.”
“When you find yourself in a top position, you must withstand setbacks, and today we deserved what we got. We face a significant match this Sunday.”
“It was a series of moments where we lost control. Even after scoring the second goal, we didn’t assert our dominance, which is the reality.”}
Arsenal has previously held leads in each of the past three title races but finished second each time, and Wednesday’s draw may evoke fears of repeating that history.
Wolves manager Rob Edwards celebrated the character shown by his side in securing a valuable point with a late equalizer, emphasizing their belief against a formidable opponent.
“It’s great to snatch a late equalizer, especially after being 2-0 down,” Edwards stated. “Going up against Arsenal requires some perspective. In the opening 20-30 minutes, we faced the game as expected. Staying in the match was crucial, and we showed belief and emotion. The character and quality we displayed made a significant difference, proving that losing faith was not an option for us.”
Information from PA was used in this report.