League leaders Arsenal blew up a two-goal lead to record a disappointing 2-2 draw against the Premier League’s bottom-placed Wolverhampton Wanderers at the Molineux on Wednesday night.
Early strikes on either side of the interval from Bukayo Saka and Piero Hincapie handed Arsenal a firm grip on the contest, yet Wolves responded with real determination. Hugo Bueno reduced the deficit shortly after the second goal, and a defensive misunderstanding between Gabriel Magalhaes and David Raya allowed 19-year-old Tom Edozie to fire in from close range.
The stalemate once again exposed Arsenal’s issues when ahead. In the Premier League this calendar year, only Crystal Palace and West Ham United have. (both eight) have surrendered more points from winning positions than the Gunners (seven). They have also been unable to convert a lead into victory in three of their past five league outings.
The outcome is a major setback for the Gunners in the title race, with the Londoners now settling for draws in back-to-back league matches.
It also marked an unprecedented moment in Premier League history: never before had the team beginning the day at the bottom of the table avoided defeat against the leaders after falling two or more goals behind.
Furthermore, Arsenal let slip an away victory despite holding a two-goal cushion for the first time since April 2023, when West Ham came back to draw the game. That result brings to an end an 18-match away winning streak in league fixtures when leading by two.
Disappointing result, outstanding performance
For Saka, it was his first goal in all competitions since December against Brentford, ending a 15-match drought.
Despite the disappointing result, it was an outstanding display for Saka, who did everything right individually before coming off in the second half.
He completed five dribbles and consistently applied pressure to Wolves during the press, winning 11 duels and recovering possession nine times.
He became the first Arsenal player to record such feats in a single Premier League game since Santi Cazorla against Manchester City in January 2015.
The Englishman, who recently signed a bumper new contract, also created four chances for his teammates while making three tackles and interceptions in what was an all-round performance.
After the draw with Wolves, City now sit five points behind Arsenal with a game in hand.
Meanwhile, Arsenal face a demanding fixture with consecutive London derbies against Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea, matches that could significantly shape the title race.
