The warning signs of an Arsenal collapse have been there for weeks – this is the proof, and the forgotten man who can reignite their Premier League title charge, reveals JAMES SHARPE

As with any race to the top, whether it’s becoming Premier League champions or premierships, gaining control of center field is always vital.

Arsenal fan Sir Keir Starmer knows this all too well. And now, as the title race heads towards its thrilling final countdown, Mikel Arteta’s side have also relinquished their grip on them.

Arsenal’s lack of command and creativity in the middle is proving one of the main reasons why their quest for a first league title in more than two decades threatens to be derailed, with two fierce London derbies against Tottenham on Sunday and Chelsea a week later.

With two wins in their last seven Premier League matches, Arsenal are faltering again: will they fail in a fourth consecutive title race?

In recent weeks, warning signs have been appearing: this is not the team that won 10 consecutive victories in the fall, while keeping eight consecutive clean sheets. While they remain imperious in Europe, the Gunners have stood out in the league, recording four draws and a home defeat against Manchester United since the start of the year.

So what happened? Why did they collapse again? And will this end their chances of finally winning the Premier League? Here, JAMES SHARPE reveals what’s really going on – and it’s a clearly “core” issue.

Since New Year’s Day, Arsenal players have not provided a single assist from outside the box in the width of the six-yard box and have created just five chances. Three of them came via Declan Rice.

Through the first 19 games of the season, seven assists have come from this area of ​​the pitch via countless chances created all the way into their own half.

It was after Arsenal’s FA Cup win over Wigan that Arteta admitted he was concerned his midfielder’s injuries could impact the run.

Without the know-how of captain Martin Odegaard to pick locks in deep defenses, nor the intelligent movement and work rate of Kai Havertz or Mikel Merino, Arteta was proven right.

This is why he has been forced to use Bukayo Saka in a central role over the last two games, a new position for him but one in which he has already proven he can thrive.

It didn’t take him long against Wolves to time a run into the box to head Arsenal in front, then play the type of assist that the team is so lacking in and led to a great chance for Gabriel Martinelli.

After Saka limped off with 15 minutes remaining and Arsenal clinging to a one-goal lead – a common state of play for them in recent months – they created just one chance.

Even for the second goal just after the hour, it was central defender Gabriel who played the kind of pass that their current midfielders rarely attempt themselves.

Left-back Piero Hincapie pretty much stayed on and scored his first Arsenal goal. That seemed enough at this stage to take a seven-point lead over Manchester City.

Opponents work hard to block Arsenal’s passing lanes and force them into wide areas, but they need to be much braver with the ball. Take this example from the first half against Brentford.

Arsenal make a breakthrough through Declan Rice and although Brentford fill the center of the park, Viktor Gyokeres and Noni Madueke make runs in behind.

Instead of trying to pass either, Rice brings the ball out, Arsenal kicks the ball into the box and Brentford heads it clear.

Eberechi Eze, starting number 10 in this match, did not make any passes in the area to a teammate. It was no wonder Arteta brought him off at half-time for Odegaard, who was brighter and injected energy but couldn’t inspire victory.

This has become a common theme. The number of times Arsenal string more than 10 passes together and finish them with a shot or touch in the box has almost halved.

Passes played into the box by Arsenal midfielders have decreased significantly since the start of the year.

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Arsenal are averaging three fewer shots per game in 2026 compared to the first half of the season and are 10th in the division for goal attempts, and the expected goals (xG) figures the Gunners are accumulating have fallen from 1.87 per game to 1.36, 10th worst in the division in that time, only slightly higher than Fulham and Leeds.

A drop of 0.51 per game may not seem like much, but over a season, that’s 20 fewer goals. And when throughout the history of the Premier League, every goal equates, more or less, to a point, it can make a huge difference in a title race decided by the slimmest of margins.

Everything about their capitulation to Wolves on Wednesday, when they became the first leaders in Premier League history to squander a two-goal lead against a team in the relegation zone, spoke of a team going into their shell just when the champions needed to be standing tall.

Goalkeeper David Raya went from behind in the first half to a long strike in the second. Arsenal’s possession went from 58% in the first half to having less possession than one of the worst teams in Premier League history.

They sent the ball into the Wolves penalty area 20 times in the first half and four in the second. Their success rate dropped from 86 percent to 76 percent, and from 82 to 70 in the final third.

They have now lost leads against Manchester United, Brentford and Wolves in their last five games. Only Crystal Palace and West Ham have dropped more points in 2026 than Arsenal’s seven.

Arteta is a risk-averse manager obsessed with percentages, and Arsenal are paying the price for staying on their tracks and not going for the kill.

That character will be tested again this weekend against a Tottenham side led by new boss Igor Tudor whose teams are renowned for intense press. He also asks his players to alternate and swap positions, which can, in a team still mastering its style, lead to gaps to exploit.

Arteta just needs someone to find them. This is where Christian Norgaard, less spotted, could provide the answer.

The midfielder has only played 32 league minutes this season – as things stand, his four appearances wouldn’t automatically qualify him for a winners’ medal even if Arsenal held on – but against Wigan he showed how progressive he can be with the ball (even against a struggling League One side). He played a sensational pass over the top for Gabriel Jesus to score Arsenal’s fourth goal.

Against Wolves, on the other hand, a tired Martin Zubimendi – who played 2,270 league minutes, 71 times more than former Brentford captain Norgaard – continually went wide every time he won the ball.

Is it any wonder that Zubimendi, who played such a key role in Arsenal’s title fight, looked tired considering how hard he was asked to play?

Likewise, fullback Jurrien Timber, who was on fire in the first half of the campaign but recently went down and struggled against Wolves, has logged 2,182 minutes while his replacement, Ben White, has played just 411.

Now begins the biggest three months of Arteta’s tenure. If Arsenal want to keep their composure, they must choose the players who can regain control.