Dejected Arteta Admits Arsenal Lost Control in Wolves Collapse

Mikel Arteta delivers a brutally honest verdict after Arsenal late collapse at Wolves exposes control issues in the Premier League title race.

ArsenalTalks Title Race Report | February 19, 2026

Mikel Arteta delivered one of his most brutally honest assessments of the season after Arsenal damaging 2–2 draw at Wolves Wanderers, admitting his side completely lost control of the match in a collapse that has intensified pressure in the Premier League title race.

Standing in the rain at Molineux after the final whistle, Arteta cut a dejected figure as two precious points slipped away against the league’s bottom side. Arsenal had arrived with a two-goal lead and the chance to stretch their advantage at the top of the table. They left having surrendered momentum, control, and authority.

Buy Arsenal's 2025–26 Home Kit through the ArsenalTalks Shop

Click this link to buy the new 2025–26 Arsenal home kit through our ArsenalTalks Shop.

“It’s very tough to accept it,” Arteta said. “The second half we didn’t perform at any level, in any aspect of the game at the standards that are required to win a game in the Premier League. Too many things went wrong, one after the other, and we didn’t get any dominance or control of the game.”

Arsenal dominated the first half in every metric. Possession, territory, and chances all belonged to Arteta’s side.

Bukayo Saka gave the Gunners the perfect start, heading home Declan Rice’s cross in the fifth minute for his first league goal in months. The control continued into the second half, and when Piero Hincapié doubled the lead with a composed finish after the hour mark, the contest appeared settled.

At 2–0 against the league’s bottom club, the match should have been managed. Instead, it unravelled.

Momentum Shifted in Minutes

Five minutes after Hincapié’s goal, Hugo Bueno struck a stunning long-range effort to pull Wolves back into the game. From that moment, Arsenal lost structure, rhythm, and composure.

Passes became rushed. Duels were lost. Defensive distances stretched. Control disappeared.

In stoppage time, chaos replaced composure. A long delivery into the box led to confusion between David Raya and Gabriel. The loose ball fell to Tom Edozie, whose shot deflected off Riccardo Calafiori and crossed the line for a 94th-minute equaliser.

What had looked like a routine win became a psychological blow.

Arteta’s Brutal Honesty

Arteta refused to hide from the reality of the performance.

“When you don’t perform at this level, with the expectations where they are, you have to take the hit,” he said. “Because today we deserve it.”

He rejected any suggestion of a lack of effort, but pointed directly to fundamentals.

“We didn’t show anything in the second half,” Arteta added. “The margins at the top are tiny. You have to dominate every aspect.”

The message was clear: this wasn’t about quality. It was about control, intensity, and game management.

The draw leaves Arsenal five points clear at the top, but with Manchester City holding games in hand and momentum shifting.

Two wins in seven league matches is not title-winning form. Confidence, not quality, is becoming the defining issue.

Injuries added further concern. Saka limped off with a knee knock, while Gabriel required treatment after a clash of heads. With a north London derby looming and the title race tightening, the timing could not be worse.

Despite the disappointment, Arteta’s focus quickly turned to response.

“Now you have to stand up,” he said. “When you feel frustrated, you have the perfect game — Spurs away — to go and show how much you want it and how good you are. That’s what we have to do. Talk on the pitch.”

The message was direct: leadership, control, and mentality must now replace emotion.

ArsenalTalks Analysis

This wasn’t a tactical failure. It wasn’t a technical failure. It was a control failure.

Title races are decided not by brilliance, but by management of moments. Arsenal didn’t manage the moment. They lost emotional control, structural control, and psychological control in a game that should have been closed out with authority.

Arteta’s words weren’t dramatic — they were diagnostic.

Control wins titles.
Chaos loses them.

At Molineux, Arsenal had one — and then none.

Want more Arsenal updates? Visit our homepage.