Nottingham Forest 0-0 Arsenal: Gunners misfire to leave 2 points behind

Match report – Participant scores – Arteta response – Quotes round-up

Let me preface this weblog by acknowledging that we prolonged our lead over Man Metropolis on the high of the Premier League yesterday, and that’s a very good factor. The problem, after all, is that we didn’t lengthen it as a lot as we might have, and that’s each irritating and does nothing to assuage the low-level nervousness we’re all dwelling with this season.

I can solely communicate for myself, however each single factor that doesn’t go completely racks up the worry that it’s going to come again to hang-out us in the long run. So, gaining a degree on Metropolis isn’t a foul factor, how can it’s? However leaving these two factors behind at Nottingham Forest performs into an concept that regardless of our lead on the high, we’re not behaving or performing like champions elect. Extra on that anon.

Mikel Arteta made three modifications to the staff that beat Chelsea, with David Raya returning in aim and Noni Madueke and Gabriel Martinelli within the large positions both facet of Viktor Gyokeres. I believed James made a very good level in his on the whistle video about attacking mixtures, and whereas there was a suggestion post-game that Bukayo Saka missed out due to a bit niggle, there wasn’t actually any proof that our beginning entrance trio have been able to connecting the way in which you want them to, particularly away from dwelling.

That stated, this was a recreation we should always have been main by half-time. Martinelli missed an enormous likelihood on the again submit to make 1-0 simply earlier than the half-hour mark, and a few minutes later, having been performed via by Madueke, Martin Zubimendi selected to cross it reasonably than shoot once I suppose we all know he has the sort of ending capability which made that first possibility the fallacious one.

Then not lengthy earlier than the break, we had the sort of second for Gyokeres that he thrived upon at Sporting. He had your entire Forest half to run into after a mistake from Murillo, however he by no means appeared snug, couldn’t do sufficient to carry off and get away from the defenders, and his shot was blocked. The defender did effectively, however very like every little thing else within the 57 minutes he performed earlier than being changed, the Swede didn’t do effectively sufficient.

After Martinelli was hooked on the break, he did get quarter-hour or so within the second half to play with Leandro Trossard, the one participant we’ve satisfied ourselves he works greatest with, however there was no enchancment. He stays, for me anyway, a substantial disappointment and finally a little bit of an issue. I do know Gabriel Jesus hardly pulled up any timber when he got here on, however the conditions are completely different. With him we’re attempting to squeeze the final drops out of a participant who has been injured and diminished for a very long time, with Gyokeres we’re seeing an enormous cash summer season signing, supposedly ‘the reply’ to our striker points, under-perform and underwhelm to an enormous extent. It’s so much to ask of Kai Havertz to return again in and simply play each recreation now, however I’m on the level the place, in a recreation like this, I’d choose to see Mikel Merino up entrance than Gyokeres as a result of I believe his technical stage is so superior.

I’d additionally wish to see extra from the supervisor after we, as Premier League leaders, go to the staff in seventeenth. You understand I by no means take something without any consideration with any staff, and in my preview yesterday I stated this might be tough as a result of Forest underneath Sean Dyche will all the time offer you a troublesome recreation. However I can’t consider we’re in mid-January and we’ve barely seen Eberechi Eze and Martin Odegaard on the pitch on the identical time. There have been a couple of minutes earlier within the season when Arteta tried it in a house recreation, however the captain picked up that shoulder drawback and needed to go off. I simply suppose in video games like this, we might lean into that technical high quality extra, and nearly as good as Declan Rice and Zubimendi are, there are different methods to assemble a midfield.

There have been a few second half moments, a Saka header that was effectively saved however I don’t suppose it’s one that ought to ever beat a Premier League keeper, and a Merino header that flicked simply large. Once more although, if it was on course, I believe Matz Sels had it coated. Past that, we huffed and we puffed and we couldn’t discover a breakthrough. Arteta spoke of Declan Rice lacking a tap-in, an incident I don’t keep in mind in any respect, and there was a prolonged VAR verify for a penalty which the supervisor was insistent ought to have been given however that felt a bit determined to me. If that had been given in opposition to us I might have gone mad, however the concentrate on that’s finally a distraction from the truth that, as a staff, we fell quick in a recreation I believe we’re able to successful.

Requested afterwards in regards to the missed alternative to create some daylight between us and Metropolis, Arteta stated afterwards:

Each week is a chance. We wish to win each recreation and if we might have accomplished that, we might have been in a distinct place. However we made a step, a smaller one than the one we needed, but it surely’s a step.

And that’s true. We’re higher off on the finish of this weekend than the place we started it in relation to Man Metropolis. Clearly, there’s an opportunity for Aston Villa to go second in the event that they win at present, however most individuals view Pep Guardiola’s staff because the measuring stick for our title possibilities. Maybe that’s doing Villa a disservice, however current historical past has taught us how harmful Metropolis are in a title race so the main target is on them.

So we come again to this sense that regardless of gaining a degree, we’ve accomplished ourselves some injury within the course of. Perhaps that doesn’t make sense, however as an Arsenal fan proper now, I can’t escape this sense that every little thing that doesn’t go in addition to it may well will undermine us in the long run. In fact there’s a world the place we glance again at this draw in opposition to Forest and consider it as a strong level earned away from dwelling on our solution to the title. Equally although, there’s one the place these two factors we left behind, whether or not it was right down to that Martinelli miskick on the again submit or Gyokeres fluffing his strains and many others, are the distinction between first and second.

Mikel Arteta frequently talks in regards to the ‘margins’, and we all know how tremendous they are often. Yesterday, I believe we fell quick. It’s not a catastrophe by any means, and we stay in nice form on the high, however this isn’t the primary time this season we’ve had the prospect to essentially be ruthless in our pursuit of the title. The psychological scars that come from three consecutive second place finishes are simple to select at, and I don’t suppose something goes to vary in that sense till we go the space. Then we will loosen up. Not a second earlier than. We frequently joke about Arsenal by no means doing it the straightforward manner, our dedication to that bit this season is sort of spectacular.

It appears like being in a automobile pushed by a lunatic who offers you 1,000,000 kilos once you get to your vacation spot. He’s swapping lanes, driving on the fallacious facet of the street, swerving into site visitors, dashing round mountain passes with a sheer drop on one facet, whereas swigging from a bottle of vodka and infrequently taking his palms off the steering wheel all the way in which. In case you get there in the long run that cash might be great, however goddammit it’s terrifying when you’re white-knuckling the trip within the passenger seat with no management.

I believe I higher go away it there for now. Have an awesome Sunday people, again right here tomorrow with extra and an Arsecast Additional. Till then.