Arsenal Must Seize Wolves Setback as Wake-Up Call, Keown Warns—Havertz Absence Keenly Felt

Arsenal legend Martin Keown has sounded the alarm following the Gunners' frustrating 2-2 stalemate at Wolves, insisting they must treat the dropped points as fuel rather than the start of a collapse in their title race.

Mikel Arteta's side looked to be cruising when Bukayo Saka and Piero Hincapie put them two goals clear against the Championship-bound hosts. But Wolves mounted an unlikely comeback, with Hugo Bueno curling home a superb first Premier League goal before a defensive muddle involving David Raya and Gabriel Magalhaes gifted Tom Edozie a deflected opportunity to level.

The result hands second-placed Manchester City a golden chance to trim the gap at the summit to just two points when they play on Saturday—a prospect that has clearly rattled Keown's cage.

Speaking on Premier League Productions, the former Gunners defender pulled no punches about what unfolded at Molineux. "I can't say I didn't see it coming because Arsenal never looked settled," he reflected. "It felt like we were hoping to get over the line rather than imposing ourselves and killing the game off. That's a harsh lesson for this group."

Keown stressed the importance of Arsenal's response going forward. "This mustn't mark the beginning of the end for their championship ambitions—they need to use it as oxygen," he said. "They had the platform to extend their lead but lacked the ruthlessness required to finish it. Yes, it's been a difficult evening, but there's plenty of season remaining. You get knocked down, you dust yourself off and get back up. That's what professionals do."

He added: "The real test now is how they react. They can't afford to keep surrendering leads like this."

One notable absence from Arsenal's ranks is Kai Havertz, who has been sidelined by injury again after returning to action with two goals and two assists across his first six matches back. Keown believes the German's presence could prove decisive in the weeks ahead.

"I'd love to see Kai Havertz back in the fold," Keown explained. "He's become perhaps too crucial because he keeps picking up injuries, though that's hardly his doing. These setbacks hurt the collective. You need that player who wins matches, who instils confidence and puts contests beyond reach."

Arteta, meanwhile, cut a frustrated figure in his post-match assessment. "We're bitterly disappointed with how this ended, but we have to point the finger at ourselves," the Arsenal boss said. "Our second-half showing simply didn't meet the standard required to win in the Premier League the way we should have done, particularly given how well we started."

He continued: "This one stings because it's on us. Right now there's too much anger and frustration in the room to say anything constructive. The pitch will be where we find our answers. It's not about commitment or desire—plenty went awry in that second period that cost us control, even after we'd made it 2-0. We never quite felt we had our grip on proceedings."