Steve McManaman says Arsenal must show they can handle title pressure as two-goal surrender at Wolves gives Manchester City a boost

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Arsenal surrendered a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 with Wolves at Molineux as Tom Edozie's 94th-minute equaliser meant an unwanted statistic for Mikel Arteta. The Gunners became the first team leading the Premier League to fail to win from holding a two-goal advantage against a side starting the day in the relegation zone. It is now two wins in the last seven Premier League games for Arsenal.

McManaman: City will 'ramp up pressure' in title race after Arsenal drop points

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Manchester City are smelling blood in the Premier League title race, and questions over whether Arsenal can handle the pressure will only increase following Wednesday's 2-2 draw at Wolves, according to Steve McManaman.

The Gunners were in a position of comfort after Piero Hincapie scored his first goal for the club early in the second half, to add to Bukayo Saka's close-range opener from Declan Rice's cross.

It looked like being a straightforward evening for Mikel Arteta's side as they aimed to establish a seven-point cushion over City in the title race, but Hugo Bueno's curled strike into the top corner shifted the mood.

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Then, deep into stoppage time, 19-year-old Tom Edozie came off the bench to equalise on his Premier League debut after a mix-up between Gabriel and David Raya.

It means the title is back in City's hands, and should they win all their remaining games - including their meeting with Arsenal in April - they will be crowned champions.

McManaman told TNT Sports: "Arsenal have got Spurs at the weekend. Tottenham with a new manager [Igor Tudor], so that'll be a difficult game in itself.

David Raya suffered as Arsenal could only draw at Wolves

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"But it's up to Manchester City to really ramp up the pressure. It's now five points, which could go to two if City win their game in hand. They have to play each other in April at the Etihad.

"So it just gets a little bit more feisty and a little bit more watchable, doesn't it? For the neutral, it's fantastic. It's about psychology. City have been there before, they've done it.

"Not all the players have been there, but until this Arsenal team do it and get their hands on the trophy, we're still going to question them all the way home.

"That's the one big question, isn't it? Can they handle it? That's all anybody keeps saying, and until they lift it, that question will persist."

Arteta: Now is the time to stand up as players

Arteta has called on his players to "stand up" after setting an unwanted record on Wednesday night.

Arsenal became the first team in Premier League history to start the day top of the table and fail to beat the side starting the day bottom despite leading by two or more goals.

Declan Rice trudges off at the final whistle

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Arteta's side were cruising after an hour, but their casual approach to the final 30 minutes handed City a boost in the title race.

Arteta told Sky Sports: "It’s difficult to accept it, in the second half how we didn't perform at any level in any aspect of the game, at the standards that are required to win a game in the Premier League and we paid the price.

"Too many things that went wrong was one after the other. It's best not to judge it. We are all too emotional about it and it's not the moment to do it.

"It's a moment when you don't perform, and you are at this level, and expectations are where they are. You have to take the hit, because as well, we deserve it.

"Against Leeds, it didn't happen [losing a lead]. Today we need to accept it. We need to be critical of ourselves because it was not good enough. In the league, it is the reality that we have not been consistent over the last few months. You have to stand up.

"When you have a moment of difficulty, we have to show how much we want it and how good we are. We have to stand up.

"There's a reality that we haven't been as consistent as we've been in the first few months. When you don't perform at the level that is required, you have to accept it.

"Now you have to stand up when you have a moment of difficulty. We have the perfect game against Spurs away, to go and show how much we want it and how good we are. That's what we have to do, talk on the pitch."

Saka: We need to get back to our level

The 1-1 draw at Brentford last week was somewhat creditable due to the manner in which Keith Andrews has equipped his side this season.

But against Wolves, some 48 points behind Arsenal in the table and fighting to avoid becoming the lowest point-scorers in Premier League history, this was an almighty blow for Arteta and his hopes of a first league title.

Sunday's North London derby, and the prospect of facing Spurs' new interim head coach Igor Tudor, offers Arsenal the perfect opportunity to get their pursuit of a first domestic crown since 2004 back on track, having won just two of their last seven league matches.

But speaking immediately in the aftermath of Wednesday's late surrender, Saka told Sky Sports: "[The dressing-room] is very flat. 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.

"It's time for us to reflect on the 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."

"We just need to just get back to our level, just do the basics right. And we’ve got more than enough quality in this team to win games, especially the games where we've been dropping points recently.

"We just need to fix that and that's all our focus is right now."

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