Paul Merson Makes Arsenal Title Claim After Wolves Slip-Up

Paul Merson delivers a brutal verdict on Arsenal title chances after their late collapse at Wolves reignites pressure in the Premier League race

ArsenalTalks Title Race Report | February 19, 2026

Paul Merson has issued a blunt warning over Arsenal Premier League title hopes following their damaging 2–2 draw against Wolverhampton Wanderers, claiming the mounting pressure from the result may have handed control of the title race to Manchester City.

Arsenal threw away a commanding two-goal lead at Molineux, conceding twice late on in a collapse that has reignited pressure in the title run-in. With City holding a game in hand, the momentum of the race has shifted sharply, and Merson believes the psychological balance is now changing.

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Arsenal had looked in complete control after goals from Bukayo Saka and Piero Hincapié put them two goals clear. However, a stunning strike from Hugo Bueno and a late equaliser involving Tom Edozie and Riccardo Calafiori turned a routine win into a damaging draw.

The result denied Arsenal the chance to move seven points clear at the top and instead reopened the door for City to close the gap to just two points with victory in their game in hand.

Speaking on Sky Sports, Merson made it clear that Arsenal can no longer afford any margin for error in the title race.

“If Man City win all their games from now on, they win the league,” Merson said. “You can’t play in second gear. When Wolves made it 2–2, there was urgency. They didn’t have that before. You can’t play like that.”

He described Arsenal’s performance as passive and lacking intensity, suggesting the team failed to impose themselves when they had the chance to kill the game.

“If Arsenal play at high tempo, Wolves can’t live with them,” he added. “But if they play the way they played tonight — slow and lazy — then Wolves are always going to be in the game. That could come back to bite them.”

Pressure Building inside the Squad

Merson also warned that the narrative surrounding Arsenal is now changing as the pressure of the run-in intensifies.

“It’s full-on now — the bottle jobs, the melting,” he said. “Drawing away at Brentford, then being two goals up against the worst team in the league and not winning — this is where the pressure really starts.”

The former midfielder admitted he had previously believed the title was already heading to the Emirates but now feels the situation has shifted.

“I was very bullish about Arsenal winning the league, but that’s half-scared me tonight,” he said. “I’m starting to think it’s now or never.”

Merson drew comparisons to Arsenal’s title-winning sides of the past, suggesting the current team sometimes plays with too much comfort once they take the lead.

“It feels like ‘we’ll get a goal and we’re alright now’,” he said. “But it doesn’t happen like that anymore. You have to keep pushing. You have to keep hurting teams.”

For Mikel Arteta’s side, the challenge is no longer tactical or technical — it is psychological. The squad has the quality to win the league, but the run-in will be decided by mentality, intensity, and game management.

ArsenalTalks Analysis

This was more than two dropped points. It was a momentum swing.

Arsenal remain top of the table, but the sense of control has weakened. Late collapses, rising pressure, and tightening margins are now defining the title race. As Manchester City close in, the psychological weight on Arsenal is growing with every fixture.

Paul Merson’s message is clear: the title is no longer in Arsenal’s hands alone. From this point forward, anything less than full intensity, full focus, and ruthless control could prove decisive.

The Wolves draw may not decide the title — but it has changed the direction of the race.

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