SOCCER: Sloppy Arsenal implode in 2-2 draw at bottom side Wolves

WOLVERHAMPTON, England – Teenager Tom Edozie scored a dramatic 94th-minute equalizer on his debut as Arsenal squandered a two-goal lead in a 2-2 draw against bottom side Wolverhampton Wanderers on Wednesday, missing a big chance to extend their lead in the Premier League title race.

Arsenal sit on 58 points from 27 matches, five ahead of second-placed Manchester City, who have played a game fewer. Wolves remain in the relegation zone with 10 points from 27 games, just one shy of Derby County’s record low of 11.

Bukayo Saka marked his new five-year contract with his first goal in 16 games on a bitterly cold night in the West Midlands. Piero Hincapie then doubled Arsenal’s lead 10 minutes into the second half.

It looked like Arsenal were cruising, but Wolves fought back. Hugo Bueno scored a superb curling goal to pull one back, before Edozie’s late strike, which deflected off Calafiori and the post, sealed the draw.

“Extremely disappointed, obviously, with the result and with the way the game ended, but we have to blame ourselves,” Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said. “The performance in the second half didn’t meet the standards required in this league to win. Even after the second goal, we never dominated the game. That’s the reality.”

Arsenal have won only three of their last eight Premier League matches.

“Disappointed. Not much else to say,” Saka told BBC. “There was a big difference between the first and second half. We dropped our standards and got punished. Now it’s time to focus on ourselves, improve our standards, and improve our performances. That’s in our control.”

The match was moved forward a month due to Arsenal’s League Cup final against Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City on March 21.

Arsenal opened the scoring in just four minutes. Declan Rice delivered a brilliant lofted pass into the six-yard box, allowing Saka to stoop and head into the net, ending his longest goal drought for the club.

The visitors extended their lead in the 55th minute when Hincapie ran onto Gabriel’s pass and calmly lifted the ball over goalkeeper Jose Sa.

Wolves Fight Back

Wolves stayed in the game when Bueno found space on the edge of the box and curled a shot into the top corner for his first Premier League goal. Then 19-year-old Edozie rifled a low shot after David Raya failed to collect a cross, with the ball squeezing in off Calafiori and the frame of the goal. The strike was initially recorded as an own goal.

“The ball dropped to me, and I tried to keep it as low as possible and strike it as hard as I could. They couldn’t stop it, so it’s my goal,” Edozie said.

-Reporting by Nick Said; Editing by Ed Osmond and Peter Rutherford/Reuters