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The stage was set to send out a statement, albeit against the worst team in the league. Mikel Arteta put forward a team full of superstars, with big money players and top class talents there to put the sword to a sorry Wolves side to remind the league why they are top, and why they’re competing across four different fronts.
Instead, despite a respectable first half showing that saw them go into the break a goal ahead thanks to captain Bukayo Saka, they were dominated in the second half by Rob Edwards’ team, losing a grip on the game after Piero Hincapié’s first Arsenal goal. Wolves were particularly aggressive, showing the league that anyone can get at this Arsenal side in this stage of the season, and above all, Arsenal don’t have the ability to cope with it.
It may well be Martin Ödegaard lifting the Premier League trophy in May. However, with performances faltering in December with the exemption of the emphatic 4-1 win against Aston Villa, and with four draws, two wins and a loss in their last seven, it wouldn’t be too far a stretch to suggest the wheels are falling off Arsenal’s bus here.
Their upcoming fixtures don’t get any easier, with two huge London derbies against bitter rivals Tottenham and Chelsea followed by a trip to Brighton, then Everton and Bournemouth. Sandwiched between these fixtures contains what should be a straightforward trip to Mansfield Town in the FA Cup, and a monumental league cup final against Manchester City.
After the League Cup final last season, the effect it had on eventual champions Liverpool was profound. The Reds were slightly fortunate that the gap was 12 points- though it was through a phenomenal season up to that point- as their performance levels severely dropped after a damning cup final loss, with four wins in their last eight (though they clinched the title with four games to spare, so could afford to go winless in their last four of the campaign).
With clear mentality problems at this stage in a title race, given City’s experience at Wembley and recent success in the Carabao Cup, Pep Guardiola’s side will likely go into the game as the favourites, and could send a message to Arsenal to remind them they won’t go away, and the League Cup won’t be the only piece of silverware they’d like to end the season with.
Despite this, Arteta has never lost a game at Wembley during his managerial career, beating Manchester City on his first outing in 2020 before beating Chelsea in the final during lockdown. He later returned to beat Liverpool in the Community Shield, as well as Manchester City again in August 2023, winning on penalties on both occasions. As a player, he never lost at Wembley either, so boasts a great record at the famous old stadium.
For now, Arsenal need to step up. Only taking a point against the 20th place side after being 2-0 up after 55 minutes of the game is a truly damning result. However, as many fans have pointed out, facing a Spurs team in turmoil is a great occasion to reassure the league that there’s a reason why they’re top. But the ghosts of the past will be haunting them, and they’ll need more than set-pieces to make them go away.
Cover Image Credit: Julian Osley
