Roy Keane slams 'pub team' Arsenal during FA Cup shock at Nottingham Forest

Lewis Grabban’s 83rd-minute strike shamed Mikel Arteta’s Premier League side, who failed to produce an effort on target all game against Championship opposition

Nottingham Forest's Lewis Grabban scores their side's winner during the Emirates FA Cup third round match at City Ground, Nottingham. Picture: Tim Goode/PA

Nottingham Forest 1 Arsenal 0 

Veteran striker Lewis Grabban continued the list of FA Cup third-round upsets when his goal for Nottingham Forest knocked out 14-times winners Arsenal.

Grabban’s 83rd-minute strike shamed Mikel Arteta’s Premier League side, who failed to produce an effort on target all game against Championship opposition.

Victory for Forest secured an all-Midlands home tie against holders Leicester City in the fourth round.

And it was deserved too as Arsenal’s attitude was summed up by left back Nuno Tavares, who was substituted after just 34 minutes and hurled his gloves towards the dugout.

Arsenal, whose manager Arteta returned to the dugout following Covid-19, wore an all-white kit to highlight the club’s No More Red campaign aiming to put a stop to knife crime against youngsters in London.

But the Londoners were left with red faces after a no show at the City Ground.

The Gunners, who made seven changes, were without the injured Emile Smith Rowe and Takehiro Tomiyasu, while Granit Xhaka and Folarin Balogun have Covid – almost certainly delaying a loan move to Middlesbrough for the latter – and several players are at Afcon.

Forest’s new arrivals Steve Cook and Keinan Davis made their debuts, after their transfers from Bournemouth and on loan from Aston Villa respectively.

The Premier League side looked more threatening with their only real effort as Eddie Nketiah flashed a low drive wide after cutting in from the right.

Arteta showed he’s not a shirker when he gave left back Tavares the hook 11 minutes before half-time.

The Portuguese 21-year-old, who was replaced by Kieran Tierney, had struggled early on against Djed Spence and Brennan Johnson and produced an awful back pass to Bernd Leno that forced the goalkeeper to concede a corner.

Tavares made his displeasure at the decision known by impetuously hurling one of his black gloves to the ground in frustration.

Ireland legend Roy Keane, summarising for ITV, slammed Arsenal’s first-half performance as a ‘pub team’.

“Arsenal, for all of their quality, they look like Real Madrid but they are playing like a pub team, it’s been so poor,” said Keane. “The pace of pass, decision-making, passing it behind people, it’s been really rubbish.” 

Forest broke to produce the first attack of the second half, forcing the first on-target effort in the 53rd minute.

Brennan Johnson surged down the right and crossed to Philip Zinckernagel, whose volley was turned around the post by Leno.

Leno was in action again soon afterwards as he leapt to his right to palm away a curling free-kick from James Garner.

Forest’s winner came when Ryan Yates won possession and fed Johnson before returning it to Yates, whose cross picked out Grabban to stab home with the outside of his right foot for his 11th goal of the season.

Nottingham Forest (3-4-3): Samba 8; Worrall 8, Cook 9, Yates 9; Spence 9, Garner 8, McKenna 6, Colback 8; Johnson 9, Zinckernagel 7, Davis 7 (Grabban 68, 6).

Arsenal (4-2-3-1): Leno 6; Cedric 5, White 5, Holding 5, Tavares 3 (Tierney 34, 6); Lokonga 4, Patino 5 (Lacazette 69, 4); Saka 6, Odegaard 4, Martinelli 5; Nketiah 6.

Referee: Craig Pawson.