Did Arsenal just lose the title? Will Tudor’s Tottenham take advantage?

Summary of Did Arsenal just lose the title? Will Tudor’s Tottenham take advantage?

by The Athletic

1h 2m•February 19, 2026
Listen to Episode

Overview of Did Arsenal just lose the title? Will Tudor’s Tottenham take advantage?

Episode from The Athletic’s Totally Football Show (19 Feb). Hosts review midweek Premier League and Champions League drama, led by Arsenal’s late collapse at Wolverhampton and the incoming Igor Tudor era at Tottenham. They also cover Newcastle’s extraordinary European night (Anthony Gordon x4), Bodo/Glimt’s shock win over Inter, other CL shocks and the key Premier League fixtures coming up (notably Man City vs Newcastle and the North London derby).

Key segments & structure

  • Quick recap of midweek games across the Premier League and Champions League.
  • Deep dive: Arsenal 2–2 Wolves — what this means for the title race.
  • Tottenham under Igor Tudor — tactical expectations and what Tudor might bring.
  • Champions League roundup: Newcastle 6–1 Qarabağ (Baku), Bodo/Glimt 3–1 Inter, Club Brugge vs Atlético, Leverkusen vs Olympiacos and other results.
  • Preview of Premier League Matchday 27 and relegation/managerial angles (Forest, West Ham, Wolves).

Arsenal v Wolves (2–2) — what happened and why it matters

  • The headline: Wolves equalised in the 94th minute through U21 Tom Adozie after an Arsenal defensive mix-up (David Raya and Gabriel involved).
  • Performance takeaway: Arsenal looked flat and complacent for long spells despite facing bottom-of-the-table Wolves. Movement, tempo and risk-taking were criticised.
  • Recurring issues flagged:
    • Defensive errors (goalkeeper involvement, loose clearances).
    • Conceding quickly after scoring (seen previously vs Brentford).
    • A run of poor form: Arsenal have taken 10 points from the last 21 (roughly mid‑table form).
  • Context for the title race:
    • Man City are five points behind with a game in hand; historical late-season finishing suggests City have been stronger in last-12-game runs.
    • Stats cited (last-12 seasons finishing runs): City’s points from comparable runs in recent seasons: 30, 31, 32, 27. Arsenal: 18, 21, 31, 21 — City generally superior on late-season runs.
  • Psychological angle: The draw felt demoralising because it was dropped to bottom-placed opposition and mirrored recurring season-long small collapses and mistakes.

Tottenham under Igor Tudor — will he exploit Arsenal’s wobble?

  • Tudor’s characteristics:
    • Aggressive, high pressing, possession regained often in the attacking third.
    • Often deploys a back three and likes intense out-of-possession work.
    • Good immediate-bounce record when arriving at new clubs.
  • Spurs practical constraints:
    • Tudor inherits limited squad options immediately (Romero suspended; injuries).
    • New-manager bounce possible but setup/time to implement is short before the derby.
  • Tactical contest vs Arsenal:
    • If Tudor’s Spurs press high and execute, they could unsettle Arsenal.
    • If the press is naive/not yet drilled, Arsenal can exploit spaces (Arsenal perform well breaking opponents who press high if they execute).

Champions League roundup — biggest stories

  • Newcastle 6–1 Qarabağ (Azerbaijan/Baku)
    • Anthony Gordon scored four goals in the first half — one of only two players to score four in the first 45 minutes of a Champions League game.
    • Newcastle’s first-half xG was 4.5 — supposedly the highest opening-half xG ever in a CL match.
    • Qarabağ were outmuscled centrally and opened up repeatedly; goalkeeper Mateusz Kłakowski (sp?) made several saves and still conceded six.
  • Bodo/Glimt 3–1 Inter
    • Another major upset: Bodo (Norway) beat last season’s finalists Inter at home (Arctic Circle conditions).
    • Discussion points: pitch/artificial turf and long winter break may play into Bodo’s favor; team confidence and identity play big roles.
    • Bodo have beaten/manhandled multiple top European sides this campaign (Man City, Atlético, Inter among results).
  • Atlético Madrid 3–3 Club Brugge
    • A tight, roller-coaster second leg to decide later; Atletico inconsistent this season and the tie remains open.
  • Bayer Leverkusen 2–0 Olympiacos
    • Clinical Leverkusen performance with two quick finishes; Olympiacos had chances and notable saves but conceded to a quality finisher (Patrick Schick).
  • Other notes:
    • Galatasaray 5–2 Juventus (big result noted earlier).
    • Champions League shock week: several top clubs struggled.

Premier League Matchday 27 — fixtures to watch and narrative

  • Key fixtures:
    • Sat 8:00pm — Man City vs Newcastle (big title test; City rested players midweek).
    • Sun 4:30pm — Tottenham (Tudor debut) vs Arsenal (North London derby). Arsenal travel away; big psychological and tactical test.
    • Other notable: Palace vs Wolves; Sunderland vs Fulham; Forest (Vítor Pereira debut) vs Liverpool; West Ham vs Bournemouth (both in form).
  • Relegation/managerial watch:
    • Wolves remain in peril but showed spirit vs Arsenal; could match Derby’s historically low points.
    • Forest make another managerial change (Vítor Pereira), hoping for a lift.
    • West Ham and Bournemouth both have momentum; Bournemouth’s new young talent Rayan highlighted as a rising star.

Main takeaways & implications

  • Arsenal’s draw at Wolves raises real concerns: not just one-off complacency but a sustained dip (10 points from 21).
  • Man City remain favourites based on recent historical finishing runs and City’s squad depth; but this season is unpredictable.
  • Newcastle look dangerous in both Europe and domestic competitions when firing — City vs Newcastle is a potential title-defining clash.
  • Igor Tudor’s Spurs present an X-factor: aggressive pressing and a back-three could destabilise Arsenal if implemented well quickly.
  • Bodo/Glimt are the Champions League story of the moment — a small club with a distinct style causing major upsets; their form and unusual conditions/pitch are part of the narrative.

Notable stats & quotes highlighted

  • Anthony Gordon: four goals in one half — only the second player in CL history to do so.
  • Newcastle’s first-half xG vs Qarabağ: 4.5 (record for an opening 45 in CL).
  • Arsenal’s recent form: 10 pts from last 21 — worrying medium-term sample.
  • Historical last-12-game finishing points (used as context): City (30/31/32/27); Arsenal (18/21/31/21) — City generally finish stronger.

Action items / what to watch next

  • Immediate watchers:
    • Man City vs Newcastle (Sat night) — can Newcastle’s form travel and challenge City?
    • Tottenham vs Arsenal (Sun) — Tudor’s tactical debut and whether Arsenal respond.
  • For Arsenal fans: monitor defensive errors (Raya/Gabriel mix-ups), team tempo and mental resilience across the next few fixtures; Carabao Cup final vs City could be a turning point.
  • For neutral fans: keep an eye on Bodo/Glimt in the second leg at San Siro — genuine dark-horse storyline.
  • Mid-season signposts: results in the next 4–6 matches (particularly City/Newcastle/Arsenal head-to-head period in April) will clarify the title race trajectory.

If you want a one-sentence summary: Arsenal’s draw at Wolves was an alarming sign of slipping form and defensive fragility just as Tottenham get a potentially disruptive new manager in Igor Tudor, while Europe produced shocks (Glimt over Inter) and Newcastle announced themselves with a historic offensive display.