Mikel Arteta was left “extremely disappointed” after failing to keep hold of a two-goal lead against Wolves, who sit rock bottom of the Premier League table.
Arsenal failed to go seven points clear of Manchester City after Wolves scored a late equaliser, courtesy of a Tom Edozie strike in stoppage time that took a deflection off Riccardo Calafiori.
The Gunners went a goal up very early with Bukayo Saka making the difference in an attacking midfield role, assisted by a pacey whipped cross from Declan Rice.
In the second half, Columbian Piero Hincapié doubled their lead with a composed finish as Gabriel Magalhaes found the left back between the lines.
But a fantastic curling shot from Hugo Bueno and Edozie’s late strike were a fatal blow to Arsenal, who dropped crucial points with Manchester City now only five points behind them with a game in hand.
Speaking post-match, Mikel Arteta said he was “extremely disappointed, obviously, with the way the result ended.
“But we have to blame ourselves. I think the performances in the second half didn’t show anything close to the standards that are required in this league to win.”
The league leaders had an opportunity to alleviate the pressure they’re facing from Manchester City, with Wednesday’s fixture against Wolves having been brought forward due to a clash with the Carabao Cup final.
Morale may be low after a tough result, but Arteta’s side will not have any time to dwell, as they now must look forward to a significant fixture against North London rivals Tottenham on the weekend.
Many of the players were frustrated as Arteta explained that they must “go through the pain.
“I think we need to go through the pain, and you need to go through that, looking in the mirror and understanding what the game requires now, and the next action is on Sunday.
“That’s it. Anything that we say from here to there is fine, but we need to keep all that in our tummies to show it on Sunday. That’s what we have to do.”