Wolverhampton, England, 19 February (H.S.): Arsenal's Premier League title aspirations suffered a dramatic setback on Wednesday evening, February 18, 2026, as they squandered a commanding 2-0 lead to draw 2-2 with bottom-of-the-table Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux Stadium.

Bukayo Saka ignited Arsenal's strong start by heading in the opener in the fifth minute, silencing the home crowd early on.Piero Hincapie extended the lead in the 56th minute, latching onto a precise pass from Gabriel and lofting the ball over goalkeeper Jose Sa to seemingly secure victory for the league leaders.

However, Wolves mounted a remarkable comeback in the second half; Hugo Bueno curled a stunning strike into the top corner from the edge of the box in the 61st minute, reigniting the contest.

The turning point arrived deep into stoppage time when 19-year-old debutant Tom Edozie, introduced as a substitute in the 84th minute, unleashed a shot from outside the area that deflected off Arsenal's Riccardo Calafiori and trickled past goalkeeper David Raya in the fourth minute of added time, salvaging a precious point for the hosts.

This resilient fightback marked Wolves' first point in recent weeks against a faltering Arsenal side that has now dropped points in consecutive matches.

Arsenal forward Bukayo Saka lamented the stark contrast in performances, stating, 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. Manager Mikel Arteta echoed the disappointment, admitting his team failed to maintain expected levels after the break and bore full responsibility for the implosion.

The result narrows Arsenal's lead at the summit to just five points over second-placed Manchester City, despite having played one more game.

With the top-two clash still looming at the Etihad Stadium, the race remains intensely competitive; City could further close the gap if they defeat Newcastle on Saturday, while Arsenal face Tottenham on Sunday. This slip-up underscores mounting pressure on the Gunners, who have won only two of their last seven league outings.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar