Mikel Arteta admitted Arsenal deserve criticism for the self-inflicted wounds that threaten to ruin their English Premier League title bid after the leaders blew a two-goal lead in a 2-2 draw at rock-bottom Wolves.
Bukayo Saka and Piero Hincapie fired Arsenal ahead, but Hugo Bueno’s superb strike reduced the deficit before teenage debutant Tom Edozie equalized deep into stoppage-time at snowy Molineux.
For a second successive league game, the Gunners had failed to hold onto a lead – they also drew 1-1 at Brentford last week. That left them just five points clear of second-placed City, who have a game in hand on their rivals, as well as a home game against the Gunners in April.
"Incredibly disappointed. We need to accept it. We need to be critical of ourselves because it was not good enough,” Arteta said. “We have not been consistent over the last few months.”
Having wasted commanding leads in two previous title fights with City, Arteta’s men are in danger of being haunted by the ghost of their past failures. Asked how he would stop his players from cracking as the pressure mounts, Arteta said he would remind them “how good they are.”
"You have to stand up,” he added. “When you have a moment of difficulty, we have to show how much we want it and how good we are.”
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
