Analysis: Poor performance to give title rivals Man City hope

[Getty Images] Arsenal's lacklusture performance against bottom of the table Wolves has given rivals Manchester City hope in the title race and increased the nerves of supporters hoping to see them end their drought. What should have been a seven-point lead was reduced to five points after Riccardo Calafiori's own goal, and City also have a game in hand on the leaders.

The Gunners' attack was not fluid throughout the game, despite taking the lead through Bukayo Saka's early close-range header. Mikel Arteta had again picked Saka in the number 10 role after an impressive performance against Wigan in the FA Cup and it looked as though that decision had the desired effect as Arsenal's manager looks to get his frontline firing.

However, despite getting a second through Piero Hincapie, Arsenal did not do enough to confidently see out the game and Saka was taken off after receiving treatment which will add to Arteta's worries.

This was meant to be a routine win against bottom-of-the-table Wolves, but with matches against rivals Tottenham up next and Chelsea to follow, the Gunners find themselves deep in a title race, with an away match against Manchester City still to come.

The questions will now come on whether, after three successive second-placed finishes, the Arsenal squad can deal with the pressure that comes with trying to go one better. Arsenal's lacklusture performance against bottom of the table Wolves has given rivals Manchester City hope in the title race and increased the nerves of supporters hoping to see them end their drought.

What should have been a seven-point lead was reduced to five points after Riccardo Calafiori's own goal, and City also have a game in hand on the leaders. The Gunners' attack was not fluid throughout the game, despite taking the lead through Bukayo Saka's early close-range header.

Arsenal's lacklusture performance against bottom of the table Wolves has given rivals Manchester City hope in the title race and increased the nerves of supporters hoping to see them end their drought. What should have been a seven-point lead was reduced to five points after Riccardo Calafiori's own goal, and City also have a game in hand on the leaders.

The Gunners' attack was not fluid throughout the game, despite taking the lead through Bukayo Saka's early close-range header.