Arsenal squandered a two-goal lead to blow the title race wide open as Wolves snatched a 2-2 draw in stoppage-time at Molineux.
Tom Edozie, 19, came off the bench to score the equaliser on his Premier League debut after a mix-up between Gabriel and David Raya amid extraordinary scenes as Mikel Arteta watched on in disbelief at how the Gunners lost control against the bottom club.
Bukayo Saka’s early goal had looked set to make it a straightforward evening for the Premier League leaders with Arsenal utterly dominant in the first half. When Piero Hincapie scored his first goal for the club early in the second that should have been that.
But Hugo Bueno’s stunning curled strike into the top corner altered the mood and Arsenal sat back, trying to hold on to their advantage. It was undone by Edozie’s crisp strike that Riccardo Calafiori could not keep out to spark bedlam inside Molineux.
Arsenal extend their lead at the top to five points but Manchester City now have a game in hand and with Arteta’s team still to travel to the Etihad Stadium this season, this could yet be seen as a major turning point in the Premier League title race.
Arsenal have now won only three of their last eight Premier League matches.
Arteta said his team have to accept every criticism that comes their way and need to bounce back against Tottenham on Sunday.
He added: “That’s credit obviously to Wolves, they can’t be underestimated. It’s very basic things and simple things that today we did really wrong and that’s why we had the feeling without conceding much, when the game is open that kind of thing can happen.
“Any question, criticism, opinion, you have to take it on the chin today. That’s it. Any bullet, take it because we didn’t perform at the level required, Anything anybody says can be right because we didn’t do what we had to do. The way to do it is on the pitch on Sunday in another great opportunity we have.
“We have always done it but if you are strong you need to show it next time. To say it here is simple but we have to show it on the pitch.”
Wolves boss Rob Edwards saw his side pick up a second successive draw and was proud of the belief his side showed to gain an unlikely point.
“It’s nice to get a late equaliser and especially when you’re 2-0 down against a team like that. We’re up against Arsenal, everyone needs to have a bit of perspective. In the first 20-30 mins it was everything we expected the game to be like.
“We stayed in the game and that was important. We showed belief and played with a bit more emotion. To show that character and quality and all of that. It might be easier for the lads to lose belief but that’s not the case.”
