Saka rejects talk of Arsenal wilting but scars of title near-misses run deep
Late Wolves leveller means seven dropped points from winning positions in 2026 – and Manchester City are lurking
It was left to Bukayo Saka to sum up the mood in Arsenal’s dressing room. “Very flat,” admitted the England forward after watching his side surrender a 2-0 lead at Wolves on Wednesday night.
A couple of hours earlier, Saka’s first goal in 15 games in all competitions – his longest drought since breaking into the first team as a fresh-faced teenager in 2018 – looked to have set up an easy victory against the Premier League’s bottom side to restore Arsenal’s seven-point cushion over Manchester City. Made captain for the night by Mikel Arteta in the continued absence of Martin Ødegaard, Saka celebrated his rare headed goal by mimicking signing the lucrative contract to 2030, worth more than £300,000 a week, that was announced by Arsenal on Thursday. But his broad smile had turned to a frown by the time he faced the television cameras in the tunnel at Molineux.
“I’m very disappointed with the result and especially how we played in the second half, it’s far from the level that we’ve set this season,” said Saka, who was substituted in the 73rd minute with Arsenal leading 2-1. “It’s time for us to reflect on the past few performances and just fix the issues immediately so we can get back to winning games and going on a run and build momentum because we’ve lost that a bit right now.”
Asked whether he and his teammates are “feeling the pressure” in the title race, he added: “No, I don’t think about all of that. We need to just get back to our level, just do the basics right. We’ve got more than enough quality in this team to win games, especially the games where we’ve been dropping points recently.”
Saka was right to recognise Arsenal’s growing tendency to squander leads. They have dropped seven points from winning positions since the turn of the year, compared with only two between August and December, and won only two of their past seven league games.
Bukayo Saka has said he wants to "win everything" with Arsenal after signing a new contract to 2030 and believes the club will make history in the coming years. The academy product's deal had been due to expire in 2027 and his improved terms are worth more than £300,000 a week.
"I feel immense joy to continue my journey at this club," Saka told Arsenal's media channels. "For me, it was an easy commitment and I just hope to win everything here. The journey that I've been on, from where I started to where I am now, and the journey the team's been on as well, is a special one. I believe the next few years are going to be the years that we get over the line, and we're able to win trophies and make history for this club. We're back where we belong, fighting for everything.”
Arsenal have been Premier League runners-up for the past three seasons and threw away a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 at Wolves on Wednesday. Saka said he was determined to reward the fans for their support.
"When I go out for dinner, when I go on holiday, no matter where I go, I feel that love, that energy. In my heart, I just want to repay that." Guardian sport
Yet even if Saka says he does not think about it, there is no ignoring the deep scars that three successive runners-up finishes have left in Arsenal’s squad. It was noticeable how panic spread throughout the team when Hugo Bueno pulled one back for Wolves with half an hour to play.
Of those who featured on Wednesday, only Saka, William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhães, Leandro Trossard, Gabriel Jesus and Gabriel Martinelli were around the last time Arsenal let slip a significant lead over City, back in 2023, after they had spent 248 days top of the table. But even Martín Zubimendi – who joined only last summer – Jurriën Timber and Declan Rice seemed to lose their composure as Wolves hunted an equaliser.
The mix-up between the usually reliable David Raya and Gabriel that finally led to the teenager Tom Edozie’s goal on his memorable debut was symptomatic of the doubts that have crept into Arsenal’s recent performances.
Arteta could not hide his anger afterwards but perhaps it is an indication of the delicate emotional line he is treading with his players that the Arsenal manager seemed wary of going too far. “It is very easy now, in the emotions, to start to say things that can damage the team,” he said. “That’s the worst decision that you can make, because everybody wants to do their best, nobody questions that. We were not at the level and the standards that are required. When you do that, and you want to be at this level, you have to take the hit.”
What will concern Arteta even more is that City will have the chance to exert extra psychological pressure if they can beat Newcastle on Saturday and cut the lead to two points before Arsenal travel to face Tottenham on Sunday in the north London derby. Despite Arsenal leading the Premier League table since 4 October – 138 days and counting – if Pep Guardiola’s side were to win all 12 of their remaining matches, including their showdown with Arsenal at the Etihad Stadium in April, then they would be crowned champions again.
That scenario does not bear thinking about for Arsenal’s supporters, although they will fear it is becoming increasingly more likely. City have shown remarkable consistency in the final third of the season that could prove decisive again. In 2023, they managed 31 points from 36 as Arsenal picked up only 21 to concede the title before holding off a strong challenge from Arteta’s side the following season by outscoring them 32 to 31.
Even last year, when they suffered a mid-season meltdown and lost nine games out of 12 in all competitions, City managed 27 points from their final 12 matches compared with Arsenal’s 21 and finished just three behind Arteta’s runners-up to Liverpool in the end.
Saka, who stated his desire to “win wearing this badge” last year having picked up only an FA Cup winner’s medal so far, must find a way to change the narrative.