Former Arsenal playmaker Paul Merson has admitted to feeling unsettled by Mikel Arteta’s uncharacteristically somber post-match assessment following the Gunners’ 2-2 stalemate with Wolverhampton Wanderers on Wednesday. The Premier League leaders appeared to have the match under control at Molineux after Bukayo Saka and Piero Hincapie established a two-goal cushion. However, a spirited comeback from the hosts, capped by a dramatic 94th-minute Tom Edozie equalizer that deflected in off Riccardo Calafiori, forced Arsenal to settle for a single point and left the manager visibly frustrated.
Arteta conceded in his media duties that his squad failed to maintain the necessary standards during the second half, a blunt admission that stood in stark contrast to his usual defiant optimism. The Spaniard’s refusal to focus on the positives or the team’s five-point lead at the top of the table caught the attention of Merson, who believes the manager’s shift in tone might signal underlying pressure as the title race intensifies. The draw means Manchester City can now close the gap to just two points if they win their game in hand.
“I was quite shocked by Mikel Arteta’s post-match interview then. It is the first time, really, that I have seen him not majorly positive,” Merson said on Sky Sports. “Usually, he comes out, “We have done this, we have done that”, and he will be saying, “Oh, we deserved it here, they deserved it here”. Instead of coming out saying, “We are five points clear, as long as we don’t get beaten by Manchester City, we win the league”, but it was not like that, though. I was a bit worried about that interview. You can only do so much for the team, and when you are watching that, something is missing. I can’t put my finger on it, but something is missing.”
The result marked a significant psychological blow for Arsenal, who became the first team in Premier League history to lead by two or more goals against a bottom-of-the-table side and fail to win. Defensive lapses between David Raya and Gabriel Magalhães allowed Wolves to snatch a point, further fueling Merson’s concern that “something is missing” in the Gunners’ recent performances. While Arsenal remains five points clear of Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City, their recent run of just two wins in seven league matches has invited fresh scrutiny from pundits and rivals alike.
As the North Londoners prepare for a high-stakes derby against Tottenham Hotspur this weekend, the pressure continues to mount on Arteta to restore the squad’s confidence. Merson’s observations highlight a potential turning point in the title charge, where the manager’s public demeanor often reflects the internal state of the locker room. The footballing world now watches closely to see if the Gunners can reclaim their dominance or if this rare glimpse of managerial doubt signals a deeper crack in their championship aspirations.
