‘That’s It’—Mikel Arteta Reveals Arsenal Players’ Response to Wolves Collapse

The Gunners still have a five-point advantage but that could be whittled down by Manchester City.

Arsenal imploded at Molineux. | Catherine Ivill/AMA/Getty Images

Mikel Arteta insists he’s seen a “tremendous reaction” from his players following Arsenal’s late collapse in Wednesday’s 2–2 draw at Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Arsenal had been leading the Premier League’s bottom side by two goals but surrendered their advantage in chaotic circumstances, Tom Edozie’s stoppage-time strike seeing them miss the chance to move seven points clear in first place.

“What I’ve seen is a tremendous reaction again, and I’m not surprised at all,” Arteta enthused to reporters on Friday. “I mean, when you lose points in the last kick of the game again, in a very unpredictable manner, I would say, because to predict somebody with a 0.02 expected goal shot to concede an equaliser in the manner that we did it, nobody can really understand that. But this is football, that’s the beauty of it.

“And that was a chapter. So, we have a long season, Chapter 27 says, ‘OK, we go, and we go in this manner’. What I’m very interested in is the next one, what we are made of, what we love about this and how we write our own destiny from here going forward.

“And that’s it. And you have to react to that because life moves on, the result has to stay unfortunate as it was. There is nothing we can do, what we can do is adapt to what’s going to happen next.”

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Arsenal’s Worrying Downturn

Arsenal are being hunted at the summit. | Simon Stacpoole/Offside/Offside/Getty Images

Arsenal’s implosion at Molineux was certainly the worst of their recent slip-ups, but based on their form since the turn of the year, it’s perhaps not as surprising as it may seem on paper.

The Gunners have managed just three victories from their eight Premier League matches in 2026, with dropped points to an injury-hit Liverpool followed by further stumbles at the hands of Nottingham Forest, Manchester United, Brentford and now Wolves.

40% of the goals they have conceded in the league this season have come this calendar year and their underwhelming attacking performances from open play have further hindered their push for a first title since 2003–04.

They are showing more than a few signs of cracking under the pressure, as they have done in the past three campaigns, and Arteta knows his side could be just two points ahead of chasers Manchester City come the north London derby on Sunday.

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Perfect Opportunity to Silence Critics

Arsenal travel to Spurs this weekend. | Yu Chun Christopher Wong/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images

While the always unpredictable north London derby with Tottenham Hotspur may appear the worst possible fixture to follow frustration at Wolves, it’s actually the perfect opportunity for the Gunners to re-energise themselves.

Highly motivated to secure three crucial points and bragging rights, Arteta’s men have no time for self-pity or to dwell on the disappointment, instead being forced to pick themselves up for a gargantuan encounter.

Arsenal will be the opponents for Igor Tudor’s debut in the Tottenham dugout, hoping to capitalise on any uncertainty and punish a Spurs squad depleted by a staggering number of injuries.

The good news is that Arsenal have won their last three trips to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium—and boy how they would celebrate a fourth successive triumph.

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