Piers Morgan sends clear Tottenham message to Arsenal who must try to win at all cost
Arsenal F.C. appeared to be cruising towards a potentially decisive three points in their Premier League title charge when they travelled to Molineux in midweek. With the pressure mounting at the summit, Mikel Arteta’s side started brightly and looked determined to tighten their grip on top spot.
Bukayo Saka set the tone early, firing the visitors into the lead with a composed finish that underlined his importance to the Gunners’ attacking thrust. Arsenal were in control for long spells, moving the ball sharply and dictating the tempo. Shortly after the restart, Piero Hincapie doubled their advantage, striking 10 minutes into the second half to put clear daylight between the two sides.
At that stage, it seemed Arsenal were on course to collect a routine win against the division’s bottom club. But the Premier League rarely follows a straightforward script. Hugo Bueno pulled one back on the hour mark, injecting belief into the home side and shifting the momentum. The atmosphere inside Molineux changed instantly as the Midlands outfit sensed vulnerability in the league leaders.
As Arsenal tried to steady themselves, tension began to creep into their play. That anxiety proved costly deep into stoppage time when Tom Edozie struck a dramatic equaliser, forcing the Gunners to settle for a point in a match they once seemed certain to win. It was a damaging blow in the context of the title race, trimming their lead at the top to just five points.
Tempers flared after the final whistle, with players from both sides involved in heated exchanges. Arsenal’s inability to manage their emotions mirrored their failure to close out the game — a combination that could prove expensive in the weeks ahead.
Meanwhile, reigning champions Manchester City F.C. remain firmly in pursuit. With a fixture against Newcastle United F.C. on Saturday night and a game in hand over Arteta’s men, City are well placed to ramp up the pressure.
‘Bottle jobs’ and brutal honesty
Arsenal supporter and TV personality Piers Morgan did not hold back when discussing the result on talkSPORT Breakfast. Known for his outspoken takes, Morgan admitted the late collapse was hard to stomach.
He joked that when he received an invitation to speak — particularly with former striker Gabriel Agbonlahor keen to hear his thoughts — every part of him wanted to avoid the conversation. But he ultimately decided it was time to confront the disappointment head-on, insisting Arsenal must show resilience rather than retreat when the pressure intensifies.
Morgan criticised the team’s inability to stand firm when it mattered most, suggesting that their mental fragility was evident in the dying stages at Molineux.
A ‘Top Gun’ solution?
Searching for answers, Morgan even proposed an unconventional remedy. Referencing the iconic beach volleyball scene from Top Gun — starring Tom Cruise and Val Kilmer — he suggested Arteta should temporarily remove football from the equation.
According to Morgan, the squad look mentally drained and physically fatigued. His tongue-in-cheek advice? Take the players somewhere warm, let them unwind, play beach volleyball, and rediscover their camaraderie away from the relentless spotlight. In his view, the team resemble “a coiled spring of tension” — talented but wound too tight.
North London Derby pressure
There will be little time for rest, however. Arsenal’s next assignment is the North London Derby against fierce rivals Tottenham Hotspur F.C. on Sunday.
Spurs have endured a miserable campaign and sit just five points above the relegation zone. A dismal run of two wins in 17 league matches cost Thomas Frank his job, with Igor Tudor stepping in to steady the ship.
Despite Tottenham’s struggles and managerial upheaval, derbies are rarely predictable. Still, Morgan remains confident. He believes there could be no better opportunity for Arsenal to respond than by defeating their rivals on their own turf. Victory, he argued, would not only restore belief but heap further misery on Spurs, potentially dragging them closer to the relegation scrap.
March prediction backfires
Morgan was also reminded of his earlier bold claim that Arsenal would wrap up the Premier League title by March. Speaking earlier in the season after a win over Newcastle, he had confidently predicted a swift coronation.
Now, he concedes that such optimism has evaporated. While technically standing by some of his broader sentiments, he admitted that any hopes of securing the title by mid-March have “receded to zero.” Instead, he anticipates a nerve-shredding run-in, with Manchester City poised to apply relentless pressure.
Morgan even suggested that results could still swing dramatically — Newcastle might upset City, and Arsenal could triumph in the derby — but acknowledged that nothing will come easily from here.
For Arsenal, the equation is simple: rediscover composure, channel their frustration into focus, and prove they have the steel required of champions. With a North London Derby followed by another London showdown against Chelsea F.C., the coming weeks will define whether their title ambitions remain alive — or unravel under the weight of expectation.