Arsenal Stalled: Gunners Frustrated by Forest in Disappointing City Ground Stalemate

NOTTINGHAM — A day that promised to be a turning point in the title race ended in frustration for Mikel Arteta’s men.

Despite Manchester City’s shock 2-0 defeat in the Manchester Derby earlier in the day, Arsenal failed to capitalize, grinding out a second consecutive goalless draw in the Premier League. The 0-0 stalemate at the City Ground keeps the Gunners top of the table, but the missed opportunity to move nine points clear has left the door ajar for the chasing pack.

A Sitter and a Save

The narrative of the night was one of wasted chances. In the first half, Gabriel Martinelli was the culprit of the season’s most glaring miss, somehow stabbing the ball wide from six yards with the goal at his mercy following a deflected cross.

As the game wore on, Arsenal’s desperation grew. Arteta turned to his bench, introducing Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Jesus, but they found a wall in the form of Forest goalkeeper Matz Sels. Sels produced the save of the match in the 65th minute, clawing away a looping Saka header that looked destined for the top corner.

VAR Controversy Returns

The closing stages were marred by a heated penalty appeal. In the 79th minute, a cross appeared to strike the arm of Forest defender Ola Aina. Despite a lengthy VAR review, the “on-field” decision of no penalty stood—a call that left Mikel Arteta visibly fuming on the touchline.

“It is a very clear penalty. He moves his arm toward the ball,” Arteta said post-match. “But we cannot only blame that. We had four massive chances to win this game and we didn’t take them. When you have the chance to pull away, you have to be ruthless.”