“Is it happening again?”
That must have been the thought of many Arsenal fans after the game at Molineux against Wolverhampton Wanderers, where Mikel Arteta’s men let a 2-0 lead slip away and had to settle for a 2-2 draw.
And this was not the wolf side of the past, featuring Raul Jimenez, Adama Traore or Ruben Neves. This is a team that some have described as one of the worst to play in a Premier League season since its inception in 1992.
Still, the pattern felt all too familiar.
Arsenal legend Thierry Henry seemed to sense it before the final whistle. While fellow pundits Jamie Carragher and Micah Richards reacted to Wolves’ stoppage-time equaliser, Henry claimed he saw it.
“It can only be one thing.
“When we beat them at the Emirates it was two own goals. It’s going to be tough for us today. That’s exactly what I was saying. The only one calling it was me.
I told you this game was always going to be tough, always.”
Many fans found the result predictable given how the Gunners have slipped in recent weeks. The stalemate at Wolves followed another draw against Brentford. In the context of the title race, these results carry serious weight.
Arsenal have registered just two wins in their last seven Premier League games. According to ESPN, only West Ham United and Crystal Palace (8) have dropped more points than Arsenal (7) this term.
Paul Merson was blunt in his assessment of Sky Sports.
“It’s disappointing,” Merson said on Sky Sports. “You can’t play in second gear. When Wolves went 2-2 there was an urgency. They didn’t have that before. You can’t play like that. Every game is until the end of the cup final.”
Now it’s going full blast, like working with bottles, melting. It’s really kicked off now – we pulled away at Brentford and then went two goals up against the worst team in the league.”
Arsenal had the chance to extend their lead over Manchester City to seven points and gain a psychological edge over Pep Guardiola’s side. Instead, the gap is now five points and City are in the game.
There are 12 games left and if Guardiola’s side win them all – including the home game against Arsenal at the Etihad Stadium – they will be crowned champions.
The same scenario technically applies to Arsenal. But recent history does not favor the North London club.
HISTORICAL PERFORMANCE
Over the past three seasons, Arsenal have been in control of their own destiny only to see City produce stronger results and lead them to the title.
While there is still football to be played in 2025-26, Arsenal have collected fewer points than City in each of the last four seasons since that stage.
At this point in the 2022–23 season, Arsenal were five points ahead of City having played the same number of games. They remained top until matchweek 33, when a 4-1 defeat at City shifted the momentum. Guardiola’s men ended up winning the title by five points.
The following season, Liverpool joined the race and it looked like Arsenal’s best chance to finally reclaim the crown. In the end it came down to a single point and City walked away with the title again.
The 2024-25 campaign saw City boil over, leaving Arsenal and Liverpool to battle it out. Still, there were moments when Arsenal held on to top spot only for the title to slip away once again.
The pattern now looks similar. At crucial moments, Arsenal seem to lack the ruthlessness typically associated with the champions.
ARE ARSENAL BECOME TOO PREDICTABLE?
If you want to stop Arsenal, defend the set pieces well.
The Gunners have scored 16 goals from set pieces this season and their approach is becoming increasingly predictable. Much of their creative burden fell on Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard.
Saka appeared in 18 games, scoring five goals and providing three assists. Meanwhile, Odegaard has struggled for form, managing just one goal and four assists in 13 games.
Although the goals are spread across the team, Arsenal’s top scorer this season is Viktor Gyokeres with eight goals – leading to another major concern.
LARGE SIGNATURES WILL NOT BE DELIVERED
Last summer was widely seen as Arsenal’s transfer window. The club posted a net spend of £250.1m and signed eight players, with Viktor Gyokeres seen as the solution to their goalscoring woes.
Eberechi Eze was reportedly poached from Tottenham Hotspur while Noni Madueke arrived from Chelsea.
Gyokeres has scored eight goals but the numbers reveal concerns: the Swedish forward has had zero shots on target in 60 percent of the games he has played this season. Gyokeres struggled to impress after joining Arsenal (courtesy: AP)
Meanwhile, Manchester City’s Erling Haaland has scored 22 goals in 26 games and remains City’s driving force in the title race.
Eze was expected to rotate with Odegaard in the No.10 role. However, his form dipped after the hat-trick against Spurs. He scored four goals and two assists in 12 starts.
The signs look ominous for the Gunners. City are breathing down their necks again and the pressure is building. They will face Tottenham Hotspur in the North London derby on Sunday February 22 and despite Spurs’ ruckus, it will be Arteta’s men who face the heat.
Another late collapse would cement the narrative – Arsenal as perpetual bridesmaids rather than champions.
And this is the question that haunts the fans again:
Is this happening again?
– The end
Published on:
February 21, 2026