Arsenal's pursuit of their first Premier League title in over two decades suffered a significant blow as they squandered a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 against bottom-of-the-table Wolverhampton Wanderers. This disappointing result, following a prior draw against Brentford, has reignited accusations of the Gunners being "bottle jobs," a sentiment echoed by former Arsenal midfielder Paul Merson and legend Martin Keown.

The match at Molineux initially appeared to be a routine victory for Mikel Arteta's side. Bukayo Saka, celebrating a new five-year deal and ending an 11-match goal drought, headed Arsenal into the lead after just five minutes. The advantage was doubled shortly after the break when defender Piero Hincapié scored his first goal for the club, seemingly putting Arsenal in complete control. However, Wolves refused to capitulate, staging a remarkable comeback that defied their league position.

The turning point came in the 61st minute when Hugo Bueno curled a superb strike into the top corner, injecting belief into the home side and igniting the crowd. As pressure mounted, Arsenal retreated, and their caution proved costly. In stoppage time, 19-year-old debutant Tom Edozie, who had come off the bench, capitalized on a catastrophic breakdown in communication between defender Gabriel Magalhães and goalkeeper David Raya. His deflected effort squeezed past Riccardo Calafiori and over the line, securing a dramatic 2-2 draw for Wolves.

Edozie's goal was initially subject to controversy, with some reports crediting it as a Riccardo Calafiori own goal. However, a formal post-match review officially confirmed Edozie as the scorer, marking a historic Premier League debut. He became only the seventh player in Premier League history to score on debut against the side occupying the top spot on that matchday, and the first since Antony for Manchester United in September 2022. For Wolves, who started the day bottom, this comeback was historically significant, as they became the first side in Premier League history to avoid defeat against the league leaders after trailing by two goals.

The fallout for Arsenal has been severe. Paul Merson expressed shock at Arteta's post-match comments, where the manager stated Arsenal "deserved" to drop points. Merson interpreted this as Arteta's own worries about the team. Martin Keown launched a stinging critique, calling the result "massively disappointing" and pointing to a psychological issue where players were "hoping" to win rather than "taking" the win. Keown highlighted a recurring pattern of Arsenal surrendering leads and urged the team to use the "hurt as oxygen" for the remaining fixtures.

Mikel Arteta, visibly frustrated, admitted it was "very tough to accept" the outcome and emphasized the need for the team to stick together. He stated, "Where it could've gone wrong today, it went wrong. If you are at the top you have to win and win, that's nothing new." Saka, despite his goal, echoed the disappointment, acknowledging the team "dropped the level" in the second half but insisted that their destiny is still "in our control."

The draw has tightened the Premier League title race considerably. Arsenal's lead over defending champions Manchester City has been reduced to just five points, with City holding a game in hand and a crucial head-to-head fixture at the Etihad Stadium still to come in April. This situation draws parallels to Arsenal's past title challenges, notably in 2022-23 and 2023-24, where they were eventually reeled in by City in the latter stages of the season. History shows City has consistently mustered stronger finishes in recent seasons, putting immense pressure on Arteta's side to buck this trend.

With a crucial North London derby against rivals Tottenham looming on Sunday, Arsenal must quickly convert their frustration into renewed focus. For Wolves, however, the point felt like a victory, with striker Adam Armstrong praising his team's character and belief. Tom Edozie's dramatic debut goal has not only invigorated Wolves' fight for survival but has also blown the Premier League title race wide open, adding another layer of unpredictability to an already enthralling campaign.