Nottingham Forest 0-0 Arsenal: Gunners miss chance to go nine points clear at top as hosts hold out | Football News
Arsenal missed the chance to open a nine-point gap on Manchester City as they were held to a goalless draw against Nottingham Forest amid VAR controversy at the City Ground.
The Gunners looked to take advantage of second-placed City’s defeat in the Manchester derby but could only add a point to their lead against their well-organized hosts.
Gabriel Martinelli missed his best chance of the first half when he fired needlessly from a few yards out and Forest needed Matz Sels to make an exceptional save from substitute Bukayo Saka’s header to keep the Gunners away in the second half.
Arsenal’s frustrations were compounded when an apparent handball in the Forest box by Ola Aina, while attempting to prevent a corner in the 80th minute, was cleared after a VAR check.
Aina seemed to be handling the ball while trying not to concede a corner
According to the Premier League Match Centre, officials “considered that the ball was played first over Aina’s shoulder, while her arm was also in a natural position”. Mikel Arteta felt it was a “clear penalty” while Sean Dyche had a different opinion. “You might as well cancel football if you give that one away,” he said.
Dyche’s side failed to have a shot on target during the match, but they defended fiercely, aided by the excellent Elliot Anderson, who organized the midfield impressively as the hosts withstood long periods of pressure from Arsenal.
It was another frustrating outing for Arsenal after their goalless draw against Liverpool at the Emirates Stadium, where they also failed to take full advantage of a Manchester City error.
This is the first time Arsenal have recorded consecutive goalless draws in the Premier League since the opening two games of the 2012/13 season against Sunderland and Stoke City.
Gabriel Martinelli missed a chance to give Arsenal the lead
Arteta’s side still have a healthy seven-point lead over Pep Guardiola’s side, but will feel the margin should be greater. Forest, meanwhile, can celebrate a hard-earned point that keeps them five points clear of the relegation zone.
Dyche optimistic about Arsenal penalty
Patron of Nottingham Forest Sean Dyche has TNT Sports:
“If these start to be given away, we have to leave them. You never know, but I think it’s ridiculous. We have to be careful with those. You might as well cancel football if you give that one away.”
On Forest’s appeal against Jurrien Timber: “What about ours? He was right on the box line. They say he’s on the outside but he’s in mid-air, he’s going into the box. He’s going to make it.”
On Forest’s performance: “You have to do the basics right, the form has to be good, the energy has to be good. Commitment to the cause, and that’s not easy. They are a threat and can open you up in different ways.
“The players performed very well against the elite.”
Arteta: It was a clear penalty
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has TNT Sports:
“We came here to win the game. In the end we didn’t achieve it. Thanks to them and the coach, they are organized with the game they want to constantly provoke.
“We knew that, but when you have four big chances with Martinelli with an open goal, Declan Rice, Mikel Merino, Bukayo Saka, in the end you have to find the margin to win the match, because once again we didn’t concede a single shot on target.
Arsenal’s Gabriel Martinelli and Nottingham Forest’s Ola Aina battle for the ball
“The clear penalty, we cannot forget it. It is a clear penalty in the area which was not given. These are the margins.
“I saw it live, I saw it here. I saw it again now. It’s very unnecessary but he takes the ball in with his hand.
“We have to learn and improve. The league shows how difficult it is. Nobody wins, wins, wins. It’s so difficult, especially in the situation we had today. We have to put them away.”
Analysis: Draw puts Arteta’s Saka call under scrutiny
Arteta spoke about the importance of rotation as Arsenal compete in four different competitions. They are on a grueling run of four consecutive away games. But it still seemed strange that his most influential striker was named on the bench.
It didn’t seem necessary given Saka had only started two of Arsenal’s last four matches. Especially given the scale of the opportunity presented by Manchester City’s mistake. What followed at the City Ground subjected the decision to even greater scrutiny.
Arsenal worked until Arteta’s triple change early in the second half, after which Saka, replacing Noni Madueke, looked by far the player most likely to make the breakthrough. He almost did, denied by Selz flat out as his header headed towards the corner.
The draw is far from disastrous. Arsenal have increased their lead at the top of the table. But Arsenal fans are right to wonder whether the result would have been different if Saka had started the match rather than coming on late.
Stingy Arsenal Statistics – Opta
- Arsenal have not faced a single shot on target in a match for the fifth time in the Premier League this season, their most in a single campaign (since 2003/04) and the most of any team since Chelsea in 2020/21 (also five).
- Nottingham Forest have failed to score in 11 different Premier League games this season, more than any other team.
- Despite being substituted at half-time, Arsenal’s Gabriel Martinelli had the most shots (four) and the second-most touches in the opponent’s box (six) of any player in this match.