Arsenal’s Premier League title ambitions have been thrown into sharp focus after surrendering a two-goal lead to draw with bottom club Wolves, raising fresh questions about their mentality in the decisive run-in.

For much of the season, Mikel Arteta’s side appeared in control of their destiny. Now, after successive draws against Brentford and Wolves, the balance of power in the title race has subtly shifted.

With Manchester City five points back in second and boasting a wealth of experience in closing out campaigns, the pressure is intensifying. For the first time in months, the Gunners are glancing over their shoulders.

The mathematics are straightforward but unforgiving.

If Manchester City win their remaining 12 matches, including the pivotal April meeting with Arsenal at the Etihad Stadium, they will be champions. Equally, if the Gunners win their final 11 games and take three points in Manchester, the title will head to north London.

On paper, nothing has changed dramatically. In reality, everything feels different.

Dropping four points in successive matches has opened the psychological door. After three consecutive runners-up finishes, including two behind Pep Guardiola’s relentless City machine, doubts inevitably creep in.

Former striker Alan Smith admitted that the word “bottle” would inevitably surface in the aftermath of the Wolves draw. That is the nature of title races at this stage.

For 55 minutes, this looked routine.

Bukayo Saka, deployed again in a central role, opened the scoring inside five minutes to end his long wait for a goal. When Piero Hincapie added a second shortly after the interval, Arsenal appeared in complete command.

Yet the ruthlessness required of champions was absent.

Wolves, who had lost their previous nine meetings with Arsenal and remain rooted to the foot of the table, refused to fold. A superb 20-yard strike from Hugo Bueno reignited belief inside Molineux.

Then came the moment that may linger in the memory. In the fourth minute of added time, teenage substitute Tom Edozie, making his senior debut, capitalised on hesitation between David Raya and Gabriel. His effort, deflecting off Riccardo Calafiori, squirmed over the line for a dramatic equaliser.

It was a collapse that spoke not of tactical confusion, but of standards slipping at the worst possible moment.

After the final whistle, Mikel Arteta did not hide.

“Any opinion, you have to take it on the chin. Any bullet, take it, because we didn’t perform at the level required.”

He added: “When you are at this level and at the top you need to take the hit, today we deserved the hit.”

There was no deflection, no talk of refereeing decisions or fatigue. Instead, Arteta acknowledged that in the second half his side fell well below the standards demanded of title contenders.

Wolves manager Rob Edwards suggested his side sensed the tension. “We knew there is a massive pressure on Arsenal at the minute,” he said, and his players clearly fed off it.

Since the start of 2026, Arsenal have won only two of their past seven league fixtures. Momentum has stalled at precisely the stage when it is most vital.

The statistics reinforce the narrative.

Only Crystal Palace and West Ham have dropped more points from winning positions in 2026 than Arsenal. The Gunners have now failed to win three of their past five league matches in which they led.

Perhaps most damningly, this was the first time in Premier League history that a side starting the day bottom avoided defeat against the leaders after trailing by two or more goals.

Title-winning sides do not allow such records to be written against them.

For Bukayo Saka, the evening was deeply frustrating.

After signing a new five-year contract and scoring his first goal since December, he was withdrawn in the 73rd minute and could only watch as Wolves staged their comeback.

“Disappointed, not much else to say. We dropped our standards big time and we got punished for it.”

He continued: “It’s time for us to reflect on the last few performances and fix the issues immediately, so we can get back to winning games and build momentum because we’ve lost that a bit right now.”

The challenge could not be clearer. Arsenal must rediscover their edge, and quickly.

Next come London derbies against Tottenham and Chelsea, fixtures that carry both emotional intensity and significant consequences in the title race.

Arteta knows words alone will not suffice.

“We need to go through the pain, looking in the mirror and understand what the game requires now on Sunday.”

This draw does not end Arsenal’s title hopes. They remain firmly in the hunt, still capable of dictating their own destiny.

Yet something intangible has shifted.

The aura of control has been replaced by vulnerability. The ghosts of previous near-misses hover once more. With Manchester City renowned for relentless winning runs under Pep Guardiola, the psychological pressure now sits squarely on Arsenal’s shoulders.

Championships are not won solely through flair and attacking patterns. They are secured through resilience, control and an unwavering ability to manage moments.

Against Wolves, Arsenal lost control of the most crucial moment of all.

The response at Tottenham will reveal whether this was merely a stumble or the beginning of another painful chapter in their long wait to lift the Premier League trophy.

For a club seeking to end a 22-year drought, the margin for error has all but vanished.