Arsenal held 2-2 by Wolves after blowing two-goal lead; Man City close gap in title race

London: Arsenal’s Premier League title charge suffered a major setback after the leaders squandered a two-goal advantage to draw 2-2 with bottom-placed Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux, handing a significant boost to Manchester City in the race for the crown.

Mikel Arteta’s side appeared to be cruising after Bukayo Saka headed them in front in the fifth minute and Piero Hincapie doubled the lead in the 56th. However, a dramatic Wolves fightback saw Hugo Bueno curl home in the 61st before Tom Edozie struck in the fourth minute of stoppage time to rescue a point for the hosts.

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“There was a big difference in how we played in the first half and the second half. We dropped our standards, and we got punished for it,” Saka told the BBC.

The result means Arsenal have now dropped points in successive matches and sit five points clear of second-placed Manchester City, having played a game more. With a decisive meeting between the two still to come at the Etihad Stadium, the title race has been thrown wide open.

“(It's) time to focus on ourselves, improve our standards and improve our performances, and it is in our control,” Saka added.

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Arsenal, who have led the table for most of the season and once held a nine-point cushion, have now won just two of their last seven league outings. The latest slip follows last week’s dropped points against Brentford and underscores mounting pressure on a side that has finished runner-up in each of the past three campaigns.

While the draw did little to aid Wolves, who earned only their 10th point of a season that appears destined to end in relegation, it could prove decisive in shaping the outcome of the title race at the top.