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arsenal Missed a golden opportunity to take a decisive step towards winning the first victory Premier League After struggling with a 0-0 draw, they won the championship after 22 years. nottingham forest.
The Gunners enjoyed perfect pre-match entertainment by watching their opponents play Manchester City Derby defeat to Manchester United gives them a nine-point lead at the top of the table.
But nine days after another defeat at Manchester City and a 0-0 draw with Liverpool, Mikel Arteta’s side were unable to take advantage after failing to get past Forest.
They had the opportunity to play Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka Both were close, but they drew a blank.
The draw did allow Arsenal to extend their lead to seven points, which could be reduced to four points on Sunday if Aston Villa beat Everton and they remain clear favorites to lift the Premier League trophy for the first time since 2004.
But the missed opportunity may cause some doubts in the Gunners camp as they have lost leads at the top of the table in the past, notably being eight points ahead of Manchester City in April 2023 only to fall behind.
Forest were dogged and determined and deserved a point, a timely boost as West Ham’s victory over Tottenham Hotspur put them back in relegation trouble.
Indeed, Sean Dyche’s side, five points ahead of the bottom three, were in contention from the start, with Nicolas Dominguez’s shot on target being blocked by Declan Rice and Callum Hudson-Odoi unable to collect Murillo’s through-ball during a strong pass in the opening 20 minutes.
The Gunners took control and posed a threat just before half an hour.
The second ball from the corner fell to Noni Maduk and the England international’s volley found Martinelli at the far post but he somehow managed to get the ball out from inside the six-yard box.
Forest defender Murillo had to make up for his mistake when he blocked Victor Chokeres’ goal in the 40th minute.
The Brazilian mishandled the ball in the center circle, allowing the forward to charge into the goal, but Murillo recovered and made a crucial block.
Arteta was unhappy as he hooked Martinelli on half-time before hurling at Saka, Gabriel Jesus and Mikel Merino before the end of the game.
Saka immediately intervened, crossing from the right to Rice, whose volley was easily saved by Mats Sayers, although it was indeed the first shot on target of the game in the 59th minute.
The roles were reversed as Rice crossed to Saka from the left and his header seemed destined to fly into the top corner until Selz swooped in and curled the ball around the post.
More trickery from Saka down the right created another chance, with Merino’s header almost allowing Jesus to score, but Forest kept it at bay.
The attack was in full swing and Merino again headed wide, while the penalty was reviewed by VAR after Ola Aina looked to have handled the ball.
But Forest eventually turned the tide and retained points, affecting both ends of the table.