Arsenal left to rue another one that got away at Forest

The title hopefuls were held to another scoreless draw on Saturday. 

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta and players applaud the fans.

Nottingham Forest 0 Arsenal 0

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta, in the moment, behaved as if this result could be rationalised away. A point on the road. A clean sheet. No fresh injuries in an already ravaged season. Another match added to an unbeaten run that now stretches to 11 games in all competitions. On paper, little damage done.

And yet, as the lights dimmed over the City Ground and Declan Rice walked off shaking his head, shouting in clear frustration, it was hard to escape the sense that this was another opportunity allowed to drift by. Like the underwhelming goalless draw with Liverpool before it, this was a night when Arsenal were presented with the chance to put clear daylight between themselves and their title rivals and failed to take it.

Manchester City’s defeat earlier in the day had handed Mikel Arteta’s side a golden opening to move nine points clear at the summit. Aston Villa, too, lurk close enough to apply pressure should Arsenal’s momentum stall. While it remains only January and much football lies ahead, these are precisely the moments champions tend to seize. Arsenal, for all their control, did not.

That is not to say the draw was without merit. Arsenal were unquestionably the better team, creating the only meaningful chances of the match and restricting Nottingham Forest to zero shots on target. They registered 15 attempts of their own, four of them classed as big chances. Gabriel Martinelli failed to convert in the first half, while second-half substitutes Mikel Merino and Bukayo Saka both went close, Saka forcing an excellent save from Matz Sels. Rice, too, was among those who could have made the difference.

But finishing, or the lack of it, has become an increasingly uncomfortable subplot. This was Arsenal’s second consecutive goalless draw in the league, following the flat stalemate against Liverpool at the Emirates. Dominance without goals is a dangerous habit to fall into, particularly with sterner tests on the horizon.

Noni Madueke, handed a rare start ahead of the rested Saka, endured a difficult evening and did not shy away from the disappointment afterwards. “It’s disappointing to draw for sure,” he said. “We wanted to win the game; we didn't achieve that. Disappointing in that sense, but it's a point we take on the road and we regroup.” 

Madueke acknowledged what Arsenal lacked. “We weren't clinical enough in front of goal. I think they didn't have a chance really at all, they didn't really do anything to our goal. We weren't clinical and we could have won the game, but like I said, we take a point and we move on.” They have netted only five fewer than leading scorers Manchester City’s 45, but goalscoring Instincts will have to kick in again with too many matches to allow significant work on the training ground. That ability to move on will be tested quickly. Tomorrow (Tuesday) night’s trip to Inter Milan is more of an inconvenience than cause for excitement and this visit of a refreshed Manchester United on Sunday more daunting than it might have been. An away day at the Etihad in April could yet be a decider. These are fixtures that tend to define seasons, and they will demand a sharper edge than Arsenal showed on the banks of the Trent.

Forest, meanwhile, once again proved awkward opponents at home. Though they have lost eight of their last ten Premier League meetings with Arsenal, both exceptions have come at the City Ground since their return to the top flight - a 1–0 win in May 2023 and now back-to-back goalless draws. On this occasion, they earned their precious point through sheer effort and resilience, qualities vital in their battle to avoid relegation.

Late controversy added to Arsenal’s frustration. With ten minutes remaining, Ola Aina appeared to deliberately handle the ball inside the Forest penalty area. Referee Michael Oliver, already under heavy scrutiny from the home crowd, was not asked to review the incident despite replays showing Aina moving his arm towards the ball. Former referee Keith Hackett later agreed with Arteta that a penalty should have been awarded, though Oliver’s decision split opinion.

The danger for Arsenal is not that this draw derails their title challenge outright, but that it adds to a pattern. Two goalless draws, both winnable, both opportunities to apply real pressure squandered. With City still capable of a surge and Villa refusing to fade, questions will inevitably be asked if Arsenal cannot turn control into conviction.

January allows for patience, but history does not. If Arsenal cannot beat Forest, however awkward the venue, doubts will linger and with them, pressure will grow.

Nottingham Forest: Sels 6, Aina 6, Milenkovic 6, Murillo 7, Williams 6, Sangare 6, Dominguez 7 (Hutchinson 89), Gibbs-White 6, Anderson 6, Hudson-Odoi 7, Igor Jesus 6 (Ndoye 76). Subs: Gunn, Morato, Awoniyi, Douglas Luiz, Yates, McAtee, Savona.

Arsenal: Raya 7, White 6, Saliba 6, Gabriel 6, Timber 6, Odegaard 5 (Merino 57), Zubimendi 6 (Eze 79), Rice 6, Madueke 6 (Saka 57), Gyokeres 5 (Jesus 57), Martinelli 6 (Trossard 46). Subs: Arrizabalaga, Mosquera, Havertz, Lewis-Skelly.

Ref: Michael Oliver 6 Att: 30,729