Arsenal increased their lead at the top of the Premier League table after a scoreless draw with Nottingham Forest on Saturday, but it was a bittersweet result for manager Mikel Arteta.
Manchester City had earlier slumped to a 2-0 defeat to Manchester United, allowing Arsenal to open up a nine-point gap, but they could not find the back of the net against Forest.
“We came here to win the game, and again, we haven’t managed to do that, and credit to them, the manner that they are organised,” Arteta told broadcaster TNT.
“When you have the four big chances that we have with [Gabriel] Martinelli, an open goal, Declan Rice, Mikel Merino, Bukayo Saka, at the end, you have to find the margin to win the game, because again, we haven’t considered a single shot on target.”
Arsenal lead the standings on 50 points, seven ahead of Manchester City and third-placed Aston Villa, who play Everton on Sunday.
Arteta’s side were also denied a late penalty when the ball struck the arm of Forest defender Ola Aina, but a VAR review found that no infringement had taken place.
“You have to produce that moment. We’ve created certain moments, but credit to them as well because they are very well-organised and they disrupt your momentum in clever ways as well all the time,” Arteta said.
Forest manager Sean Dyche was very happy with his side’s performance against the league leaders.
“I would be very, very disappointed if that penalty was given, and I would be unbelievably delighted if that was given for us,” he told the BBC.
Forest are 17th on 22 points, five points clear of the relegation zone.
“We’ve got to be realistic about where we are now. There’s a lot of good work done now, and a lot of good work out there today, but there is more to come,” Dyche said.
• Liverpool manager Arne Slot said he and his players shared the fans’ frustration after they responded with resounding boos as their team played out a fourth straight league draw in Saturday’s 1-1 stalemate at home to relegation-threatened Burnley.
Champions Liverpool are now seven points below the top three as victory eluded them yet again even though they had 11 shots on target while Burnley had only one.
“In my head it wasn’t a boo, but in my head it was frustration as well,” Slot told reporters.
“We’re Liverpool, and we played against Burnley, and we have to give them credit for how they defended, cleared balls off the line, all the things you want to see if you are a Burnley manager.
“But if we, as Liverpool, are not disappointed anymore by having a draw at home against Burnley, then something is completely wrong.
“I completely understand the frustration. I can tell you I have the same and the players definitely have the same frustration as the fans have.”
The manager said Liverpool controlled the game well as they took the lead through Florian Wirtz before the break, but rued the slack defending that led to Marcus Edwards equalising for 19th-placed Burnley in the second half.
“I think there was one big warning sign when we almost scored an own goal and that chance, and the goal we conceded, came from similar situations,” Slot said.
“It’s also hard for the players to feel that we are improving, to feel that they are improving, if results are not as we want them to be... our standards are higher than not losing. Our standards are winning every game.” — Reuters
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