Sports
N Forest 0 – 0 Arsenal
Arsenal missed the chance to open up 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 were seeking to take advantage of second-placed City’s defeat in the Manchester derby but could only add one point to their lead against their well-organised hosts.
Gabriel Martinelli missed their best chance of the first half when he fired wastefully wide from a few yards out and Forest needed Matz Sels to make an outstanding save from substitute Bukayo Saka’s header to keep the Gunners out in the second period.
Arsenal’s frustrations were compounded when an apparent handball in the Forest box by Ola Aina, as he attempted to prevent a corner in the 80th minute, was cleared after a VAR check.
According to the Premier League Match Centre, the officials “deemed the ball was played off Aina’s shoulder first, while his arm was also in a natural position”. Mikel Arteta felt it was a “clear penalty” while Sean Dyche took a different view. “You might as well cancel football if you give that one,” he said.
Dyche’s side did not muster a shot on target during the game but they defended doggedly, helped by the outstanding Elliot Anderson, who marshalled the midfield impressively as the hosts withstood long periods of Arsenal pressure.
It was another frustrating outing for Arsenal following their goalless stalemate against Liverpool at the Emirates Stadium, when they also failed to fully capitalise on a Manchester City slip-up.
It is the first time that Arsenal have had 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 put Arsenal in front
Arteta’s side still have a healthy seven-point cushion on Pep Guardiola’s side, but will feel the margin should be greater. Forest, meanwhile, can celebrate a hard-earned point which keeps them five points clear of the relegation zone.
Dyche bullish on Arsenal penalty shout
Nottingham Forest boss Sean Dyche to TNT Sports:
“If these start getting given, we have to leave it. You never know, but I think that’s ridiculous. We have to be careful with these. You might as well cancel football if you give that one.”
On Forest’s penalty appeal against Jurrien Timber: “What about our one? It was right on the line of the box. They’re saying it’s outside but he’s in full flight, going into the box. He’s going to get there.”
On Forest’s performance: “You have to do the basics right, the shape has to be good, energy has to be good. Commitment to the cause, and it’s not easy. They’re a threat and can open you up in different ways.
“The players have delivered a very good performance against the top side.”
Arteta: It was a clear penalty
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta to TNT Sports:
“We came here to win the game. At the end we haven’t managed to do that. Credit to them and the manager, they are organised with the game they want to provoke constantly.
“We knew that, but when you have four big chances with Martinelli with open goal, Declan Rice, Mikel Merino, Bukayo Saka, at the end you have to find the margin to win the game, as again we haven’t conceded 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. That is a clear penalty in the box that’s not been given. Those are the margins.
“I saw it live, I saw it here. I saw it now again. It’s very unnecessary but he brings the ball in with his hand.
“We have to learn and improve. The league shows how difficult it is. Nobody is winning, winning, winning. It’s so tough, especially in the situation we had today. We have to put them away.”
Analysis: Draw puts Arteta’s Saka call under scrutiny
Arteta has talked up the importance of rotation as Arsenal compete in four different competitions. They are on a gruelling run of four consecutive away games. But it still seemed strange that his most influential attacker was named on the bench.
There seemed no obvious need for it given Saka had started only two of Arsenal’s last four fixtures. Especially given the size of the opportunity presented by Manchester City’s slip-up. What followed at the City Ground put the decision under even greater scrutiny.
Arsenal laboured until Arteta’s triple change early in the second half, after which Saka, on for Noni Madueke, looked by far the most likely player to make the breakthrough. He very nearly did, denied by Sels at full-stretch when his header was bound for the corner.
The draw is far from disastrous. Arsenal have added to their lead at the top of the table. But Arsenal supporters are entitled to wonder whether the outcome would have been different had Saka started the game rather than come into it late.
Stingy Arsenal – Opta stats
- Arsenal didn’t face a single shot on target in a match for the fifth time in the Premier League this season, their most on record in a single campaign (since 2003/04) and the most by any side 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 side.
- Despite being substituted off at half-time, Arsenal’s Gabriel Martinelli had the most shots (four) and second most touches in the opposition box (six) of any player in this match.
