Arteta accepts Arsenal ‘have to blame ourselves’ after blowing lead at Wolves

Mikel Arteta admitted Arsenal “have to blame ourselves” after surrendering a two-goal lead to draw at Wolves. A 94th-minute equaliser cost the Premier League leaders two points, having allowed their rock-bottom opponents back into the game, as their title credentials were further questioned.

A debut goal from 19-year-old Tom Edozie earned Wolves a point against Arsenal, who are five points clear of Manchester City at the top of the table, but have played a game more. The Gunners looked on their way to victory after goals from Bukayo Saka and Piero Hincapié, only to be pegged back by Hugo Bueno and Edozie.

“Extremely disappointed, obviously, with the result, with the way the game ended, but we have to blame ourselves,” Arteta said. “I think the performance in the second half didn’t show anything close to the standards that are required in this league to win, and with the margins that I think should have existed today, especially in the manner that we played the first half. Any hit, any bullet, take it, because we didn’t perform at the level that is required.”

Arsenal will be looking to recover on Sunday in the north London derby away at Tottenham, after a4 run of two wins in seven Premier League matches. “I think we need to go through the pain and you need to go through that looking in the mirror and understanding what the game requires now and the next action is on Sunday,” Arteta said.

Academy graduate Edozie had only been training with the Wolves first team for a few weeks under Rob Edwards but has proved himself worthy of being part of the matchday squad. He scored the equaliser less than 10 minutes into his Premier League debut.

“We’re still learning about him as well. He’s been training with us over this last week or two,” Edwards said. “We just had a feeling. Sometimes you have a feeling and then that gut has proved right. As he was coming on, I just put my arm round him and said: ‘This could be your moment, go and take it.’ His family will remember that for a long, long time.”