Arsenal held to draw by Wolverhampton in Premier League clash
Arsenal’s Premier League title aspirations suffered a devastating blow on Wednesday evening as the league leaders squandered a commanding two-goal advantage against rock-bottom Wolverhampton Wanderers, reports BritPanorama.
The match at Molineux concluded 2-2 after 19-year-old Tom Edozie struck in injury time on his senior debut, sending the home supporters into raptures. Mikel Arteta could only watch in astonishment as his side’s grip on the contest evaporated against the division’s basement club.
The Gunners had appeared utterly comfortable before chaos ensued in the dying moments, with a calamitous breakdown in communication between Gabriel and goalkeeper David Raya gifting Wolves an improbable point. Bukayo Saka required merely five minutes to open the scoring, timing his run perfectly to meet Declan Rice’s delivery with a glancing header.
The England international was celebrating a freshly signed five-year contract, and his goal celebration saw him mime putting pen to paper. Operating in an unfamiliar central number ten role, Saka demonstrated his tactical versatility whilst ending a barren run stretching back 15 matches. Arsenal’s dominance was absolute throughout the opening period, with Jose Sa forced into a sharp double save to deny Noni Madueke and Gabriel Martinelli.
Piero Hincapie then appeared to extinguish any lingering Wolves hopes ten minutes after the interval, racing onto Gabriel’s incisive through ball to register his maiden Arsenal goal. The linesman’s flag had initially ruled out Hincapie’s effort for offside, only for VAR to overturn the decision and allow the celebrations to resume.
Yet Wolves refused to capitulate, with Hugo Bueno producing a moment of brilliance just three minutes later. The Spanish defender collected possession on the right flank, cut inside onto his left foot, and unleashed a curling effort that nestled in the top corner beyond Raya’s despairing dive.
The goal transformed the atmosphere entirely, with Arsenal’s composure visibly draining away. Then came the decisive moment of calamity in the 94th minute, as Gabriel and Raya failed to communicate over a cross into the box, allowing Edozie to pounce and fire home via a deflection off Riccardo Calafiori. Arsenal now sit on 58 points from 27 matches, maintaining a five-point cushion over Manchester City in second place.
However, Pep Guardiola’s side possesses a game in hand and could reduce that deficit to just two points with victory over Newcastle on Saturday. The Gunners also must travel to the Etihad Stadium before the season concludes, adding intrigue to what has become a genuinely open title race.
More immediately, Arteta’s men face Tottenham in the North London derby on Sunday, with concerns mounting after Saka limped off in the closing stages. For Wolves, the point does little to alter their predicament, remaining on ten points and seemingly destined for Championship football.
As the season reaches its climax, this performance serves as a reminder of how even the strongest title contenders can falter; the tension mounts for Arsenal amidst a pivotal encounter with their fierce rivals just days away.
