Feb 19, 2026, 12:39 PM
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Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta insists it is time for his camp to stick together after the Gunners hit another stumbling block in their bid to win the Premier League title by drawing 2-2 at Wolves.
It seemed like Arsenal were on their way to a routine victory after Bukayo Saka and Piero Hincapié gave the league leaders a two-goal lead but Wolves fought back through Hugo Bueno and Tom Edozie to send Arsenal home with new doubt.
It left Arsenal's title hopes hanging in the balance after they surrendered a lead for a second straight game -- following their draw with Brentford -- and they have now won just twice in their last seven league games.
Manchester City twice chased Arsenal down to win the title in both the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons, and history could repeat itself again this campaign as Pep Guardiola's side sit five points behind Arsenal with a game in hand, with a meeting between the two sides to take place in April.
Arteta said it is time for him to stick with his players.
Mikel Arteta insists Arsenal must stick together. Getty
He said: "I'm going to be the first one to be close with them [the players] because it has nothing to do with attitude or desire, it is completely the opposite.
"It's part of football. Where it could've gone wrong today, it went wrong. If you look at the way we conceded the two goals today without conceding any other situations, it is very rare but it happens. And it happened for a reason and we need to react.
"If you are at the top you have to win and win, that's nothing new."
Arsenal visit neighbours Tottenham on Sunday in their next Premier League outing.
Spurs will have new boss Igor Tudor in the dugout but Arteta says his team need to take the hurt from Molineux into the north London derby.
He added: "We need to go through the pain and go through it looking in the mirror and understand what the game requires now and the next action is Sunday. We need to keep all that in our tummies to show it on Sunday."
Saka celebrated a new five-year deal with his first league goal of 2026, and his first in 11 matches.
It was not enough to earn his side three points but he says the Gunners are still in control of their own destiny.
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He told Arsenal's website: "It's pretty flat. We're pretty disappointed with the result, it's the only way to describe it.
"I think it's a game of two halves. In the first half we started so well but in the second half we dropped the level and got punished for it."
"It was already a big game and now it's still a big game," Saka added about the upcoming derby clash. "We just know these last few games that we have left, we need to win.
"It's still in our control so we just need to focus on that, fix the issues we're having now and get back to winning ways."
Wolves: 'We felt like there was always a chance'
Tom Edozie of Wolverhampton Wanderers celebrates scoring his team's second goal Brett Patzke - WWFC/Wolves via Getty Images
Wolves striker Adam Armstrong said he knew there was a chance the Premier League basement side could nick something against league leaders Arsenal despite trailing by two goals.
Rob Edwards' side came from 2-0 down to pick up their 10th point of the season and a second successive draw in their unlikely hunt for survival.
And it made a huge impact at the other end of the table, as Arsenal missed the chance to go seven points clear with Manchester City breathing down their necks.
Armstrong hailed the character displayed against the top side in the division, and is enjoying his time at Wolves so far.
He told the club's website: "We know what sort of side they are. They're an amazing team, we know that. It was how we dug deep towards the end, and we felt like there was always a chance to get a goal.
"We have to keep believing, taking every game as it comes as cliched as it is, but we knew we could force them back and try to put them on the back foot, and to come back from 2-0 is amazing for where we are. Incredible.
"We have to do that every game. Since I've come in, the boys have made me feel at home straight away. We have to take every game as it comes.
"If we put in performances like that second half, we'll keep getting better and better, and we have to because we know the situation that we're in."