'Second again, ole, ole': Is Arsenal's worst nightmare in danger of coming true?

Molineux, Wednesday night, 94th minute: a 19-year-old without a Wikipedia page, Tom Edozie, rifled in the equaliser that detonated Wolves’ celebrations and left Arsenal’s players staring into the sleet as though they had seen a ghost. The chant that has stalked Mikel Arteta’s side all season rang out again, louder than ever: “Second again, ole, ole.” It is fast becoming the Premier League’s most gleeful taunt and, on this evidence, an increasingly plausible prophecy.

Arsenal had led 2-0 through Bukayo Saka and Piero Hincapie, appeared to be cruising, and still surrendered two points to the team propping up the table on nine points before kick-off. The draw means the Gunners have taken maximum points only twice in their last seven league outings and, with Manchester City holding a game in hand and a meeting at the Etihad looming in April, a five-point cushion suddenly feels flimsy.

History offers little comfort. Arsenal have finished second in three of the past four campaigns, most memorably coughing up an eight-point advantage with nine matches remaining in 2022-23. On each occasion City hunted them down, a pattern rival supporters have turned into soundtrack material. The song has been heard at Brentford, Leeds, Nottingham Forest and, last weekend, from travelling Wigan Athletic fans during an FA Cup tie. Wolverhampton merely added fresh verses.

Arteta, usually measured, delivered his sternest public reprimand of the season. “I’m extremely disappointed,” he said. “In the second half we didn’t show anything close to the standards required to win this league. We were careless, we rushed, and we kept giving Wolves oxygen.”

The Spaniard was particularly aggrieved by the manner of the concessions: Hugo Bueno’s curled finish after 63 minutes and the stoppage-time chaos in which David Raya and Gabriel collided, allowing Edozie to slam home his first senior goal. “One moment after another, after another,” Arteta lamented. “We never got control. That’s a basic thing we got really wrong.”

Television cameras caught Gabriel Jesus confronting Yerson Mosquera at full-time, shoving the defender to the turf before teammates intervened, an image that underlined Arsenal’s frayed composure. Earlier, Gabriel and Raya were seen arguing as the final whistle confirmed the 2-2 scoreline. In the away section, a supporter in a white coat stood motionless, hands behind his head, a tableau of disbelief.

Wolves manager Rob Edwards, whose side had mustered just 11 goals in 20 league matches before kick-off, claimed his players were “the better side in the second half,” a verdict that will sting Arsenal’s dressing-room. Complacency may have crept in at 2-0; what followed was a microcosm of the mental frailty critics insist separates Arteta’s squad from bona-fide champions.

Asked whether his team can handle the pressure of a title race, Arteta replied: “Any bullet, any opinion, we have to take it on the chin today.” The reference was pointed; last May City midfielder Rodri, trophy in hand, suggested Arsenal’s problem was “in here,” tapping his temple. The words have resurfaced repeatedly on social media since Wednesday night.

Sunday’s north-London derby at Tottenham now assumes colossal proportions. Spurs supporters will doubtless add their voices to the chorus, testing Arsenal’s resolve once more. Arteta’s challenge is to transform mockery into fuel, to ensure the refrain does not accompany a fourth consecutive silver-medal finish. For the moment, though, the song endures, and the nightmare inches closer to reality.

Arsenal, second again? On nights like this, it feels less a cruel joke than a self-fulfilling prophecy.