Mikel Arteta admitted Arsenal “paid the price” and “deserved” to drop points at Wolves, while Bukayo Saka described the dressing room as “very flat” after the 2–2 draw at Molineux.
Arsenal’s reaction to the 2–2 draw at Wolves was as stark as the scoreline. Having led 2–0 against the Premier League’s bottom club, Mikel Arteta and Bukayo Saka offered little in the way of excuses and instead focused on a performance they felt fell well below the required level.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Arteta called it “very tough to accept” and said his team “did not perform in the way we should and the way we require to win a Premier League match” in the second half. He pointed to a lack of control and a succession of basic errors as Wolves fought back from two goals down to take a point in stoppage time.
Arteta was clear that Arsenal could have few complaints about the outcome. “You have to take the hit because we deserve it,” he said, adding that the side must be “very critical” of themselves after another league game slipped from a winning position. He also acknowledged that Arsenal “have not been as consistent in the league” as earlier in the season and challenged the squad to “stand up” during what he described as a moment of difficulty.
Saka, who opened the scoring with a fifth-minute header, gave a similar assessment when asked about the mood in the dressing room. “Yeah, it’s very flat,” he told Sky Sports. “Very disappointed with the result and especially with the way we played in the second half. Far from the standards we’ve set this season.”
The winger spoke of the need for a reset rather than for words in public. “It’s time for us to reflect on the last few performances and fix the issues immediately, so we can get back to winning games, go on a run and build momentum,” he said, stressing that Arsenal have “more than enough quality” but must “get back to our level” and “do the basics right” if they are to stop dropping points.
The draw means Arsenal have now won only two of their last seven league matches, and the manner of the collapse at Molineux has sharpened scrutiny ahead of Sunday’s north London derby away to Tottenham. Arteta framed that fixture as “the perfect game” to show how much his players “want it” and how quickly they can respond to a setback he was not prepared to dress up.