Key events<\/p>\n
Show key events only<\/p>\n
Please turn on JavaScript to use this feature<\/p>\n
Match report: Nottingham Forest 0-0 Arsenal<\/p>\n
Premier League: A point extended Arsenal\u2019s overnight lead at the top of the table to seven points but Mikel Arteta was left in funk when his side were denied what he felt was \u201ca clear penalty\u201d for an Ola Aina handball. Read Peter Lansley\u2019s match report from the City Ground \u2026<\/p>\n
Share<\/a>Sean Dyche: “To get a clean sheet is amazing”<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not easy playing these sides, the commitment is different,\u201d says the Forest boss. \u201cThere\u2019s the commitment to score a goal of course, but what about the commitment to the shape, the basics, the hard yards of the game? And I thought we did that fantastically well as a group.<\/p>\n \u201cThey still had a couple of chances but listen they\u2019re a top side and they\u2019re flying. But to get a clean sheet against them is amazing. We had a couple of chances ourselves but it\u2019s hard to open them up, as they\u2019ve shown all season.\u201d<\/p>\n On Matz Sels\u2019 super save from Saka: \u201cI\u2019m pleased for him. There\u2019s a lot of noise on their set-pieces and I thought he did well and that as well. The whole group did. But that\u2019s a great save, I think it comes over Merino\u2019s head, he sees it late. That was a good spring and he gets his fingertips to it. That was a big moment of course, but we had a big moment ourselves.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Mikel Arteta: “It is a clear penalty”<\/p>\n \u201cObviously disappointed because we want the points,\u201d says Arsenal\u2019s head coach. \u201cWe haven\u2019t conceded a single shot, we created four big chances. On top of that, there is a clear penalty that has not been given. No, it is true he [Aina] plays it with his shoulder, but then he brings the arm in to keep the ball inside the pitch, so it is a clear penalty.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n That Arsenal<\/a> non-penalty: It would be fair to say Mikel Arteta is not happy about Arsenal not being awarded a \u201cclear penalty\u201d for an Ola Aina handball (more of which anon) and I can understand where the Arsenal head coach is coming from. I have no dog in this particular fight and while I have no problem with the decision, I\u2019ve seen handball penalties given for far less when it comes to handball.<\/p>\n The Forest full-back appeared to control the ball with his arm as he tried to stop it going out of play for a corner but our old friends at the Premier League<\/a> Match Centre have said \u201cThe referee\u2019s call of no penalty to Arsenal was checked and confirmed by VAR \u2013 with it deemed that the ball was played off Aina\u2019s shoulder first, while his arm was also in a natural decision.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Full time: Nottingham Forest 0-0 Arsenal<\/p>\n As scoreless draws go, this was a good one. Arsenal<\/a> had chances to win the game but failed to convert them, while the players of Forest put in a great shift and deserve their point. Gabriel Martinelli missed the pick of the chances for Arsenal, while Matz Sels denied Saka with a ridiculously good save. Mikel Merino will also feel he should have done better when failing to make proper contact with a pinpoint Declan Rice cross. It\u2019s finished all sqaure at the City Ground but Forest will be the happier of the two teams.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 90+5 min: Saka sends a cross into the Forest box but the ball drops for Hutchinson, who whacks it clear as hard and far as he can. It\u2019s all over at the City Ground, where Arsenal<\/a> have passed up the opportunity to go nine points clear at the top of the table but have still extended their lead over Manchester City to seven. Villa play tomorrow and could reduce the deficit to them and Arsenal to four points. For Forest, a point against the league leaders has pulled them five points clear of the Thick Black Line.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 90+4 min: Omari Hutchinson picks up the ball at the byline and stands it up for Ndoye, six yards out. It\u2019s a mite too high.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 90+2 min: Arsenal<\/a> keep plugging away, clearly tempering their desire for a winner with their dread of going down to a late gut-punch.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 90+1 min: The board goes up \u2013 just the five minutes of extras.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 88 min: Forest change: Omari Hutchinson on for Nico Dominguez, who\u2019s worked incredibly hard for Forest tonight. He walks off the pitch, drenched in sweat and breathing out of his nether regions.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 86 min: Morgan Gibbs-White sends a daisy-cutter fizzing wide after running on to a Callum Hudon-Odoi pull-back from the byline. He didn\u2019t connect with the ball quite as well as he\u2019d have liked, possibly put off by Timber, who was in the vicinity.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 85 min: Neco WIlliams almost plays Murillo into trouble with a rogue pass from the halway line but the Brazilian does well to ping the ball back to his goalkeeper despite being under pressure with a minimum of fuss. He\u2019s such a good player, Murillo.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 79 min: Eze is straight into the thick of the action and Arsenal<\/a> win a corner. There\u2019s a VAR check for a possible penalty for a handball by Ola Aina, who appeared to use his arm to try to keep the ball in play as it went out of play. Computer says \u201cno\u201d and I\u2019ll be honest \u2013 I think Forest have dodged a big bullet there. Penalties are regularly given for far less \u201chandbally\u201d handballs. Nothing comes of the corner.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a014.14 EST<\/p>\n 78 min: Arsenal<\/a> are in danger of letting this game get away from them, a state of affairs that owuld be a slightly frustrating end to an otherwise great day. for them Arteta rolls the dice again: Eberechi Eze comes on for Martin Zubimendi.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 76 min: Forest substitution: Dan Ndoye on for Igor Jesus. A winger by trade, it seems he\u2019ll be playing through the middle.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 74 min: An Elliot Anderson free-kick into the Arsenal<\/a> penalty area is headed away by Declan Rice. Forest recycle the ball and Rice is again on hand to put a stop to a Nico Dominguez gallop towards the Arsenal goal after the Forest winger was sent on his way by Hudson-Odoi.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 73 min: On the touchline, Forest assistant coach Ian Woan gets booked for something or other. Woany!<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 70 min: Sangare fouls Merino and Arsenal<\/a> have a fre-kick in a decent position out wide. Declan Rice curls the ball acrossd the edge of the six-yard box, it\u2019s on a plate crying out to be nodded home by the unmarked Merino but the Spaniard only makes the faintest contact with the ball and a wonderful chance goes to waste. He should have scored!!!<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 68 min: The clock ticks on and Arsenal<\/a> still haven\u2019t scored despite their dominance. There\u2019s a long way to go but if this match does end all square, will the league leaders view tonight\u2019s result as one point gained and their lead at the top of the table extended, or two points dropped and a chance to really pile the pressure on their nearest title rivals wasted? Both, probably.<\/p>\n Mikel Merino and Gabriel try to force the issue. Photograph: Shaun Botterill\/Getty ImagesShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a014.11 EST<\/p>\n 65 min: Matz Sels pulls off a stunning save, seeing the ball late but flinging himself to his right to claw away a Saka header with his fingertips after the substitute had made firm contact with a good Rice cross from the byline. That is outstanding goalkeeping.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 64 min: Merino tries to help a Trossard (on for Martinelli at half-time, sorry) cross from the left towards the near post on it\u2019s journey towards goal but is unable to make the crucial contact.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 61 min: Dominguez is penalised for fouling Saka near the halfway lines, not too far from the managerial technical areas. I actually thought Saka had clipped the heels of Williams in the build-up and needless to say, Sean Dyche shared my view.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 59 min: Matz Sels springs into action to save a Declan Rice volley from 18 yards that bounced into the ground and up towards the diving keeper. I think that might have been Arsenal\u2019s first shot on target and he ball goes out for a corner. Nothing comes of the set-piece.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 58 min: That\u2019s not bad strength in depth, is it? Arteta was clearly displeased with the way his side started this second half and he had every reason to be.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 55 min: On the Arsenal<\/a> bench, Arteta has his big metaphorical bell out and is preparing to ring the changes. Mikel Merino, Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Jesus are readying themselves for action and come on for Odegaard, Madueke and Gyokeres.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 53 min: Hudson-Odoi ambles down the right wing with the ball at his feet before playing it back inside. Forest are growing in confidence, decided that Arsenal<\/a> aren\u2019t all that after all and have started well in this second half. You fear for them.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 51 min: A long crossfield pass from Rice to Noni Madueke is headed out of play for a throw-in by Nico Dominguez, who is back helping out Neco Williams. Arsenal<\/a> are focussing most of their attacks down the right and the Welshman is being kept extremely busy in his role as Forest left-back.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 48 min: Neco Williams takes a throw-in near the halfway line, Forest send the ball towards the far touchline and before too long, it finds its way to Morgan Gibbs-White in a pocket of space just outside the Arsenal<\/a> penalty area. He\u2019s strangely hesitant to strike the ball first time, dawdles over his shot and sees it blocked. For a man of his talents in those kind of areas, that was a decent chance but it went to waste.<\/p>\n Morgan Gibbs-White under the watch of Martin Zubimendi. Photograph: Shaun Botterill\/Getty ImagesShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a013.43 EST<\/p>\n 46 min: Arsenal<\/a> attack down the right and Ben White whips a cross into the Forest penalty area. Not for the first, second or third time this evening, Murillo intercepts and clears.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Second half: Nottingham Forest 0-0 Arsenal<\/p>\n 46 min: Declan Rice does the honours to get us back under way, pinging the ball back to the feet of David Raya.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n An email: \u201cThe Finnish commentator just described this match as \u2018not a classic, yet\u2019,\u201d writes K\u00e1ri Tulinius. \u201cIt\u2019s that kind of optimism that makes a people the happiest nation on Earth.\u201d Finnish? He\u2019s only 28!<\/a><\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a013.29 EST<\/p>\n Half-time: Nottingham Forest 0-0 Arsenal<\/p>\n It\u2019s scoreless at half-time and Arsenal<\/a> missed the pick of the chances when Gabriel Martinelli missed a sitter you would expect any elite footballer who isn\u2019t Gabriel Martinelli to score in their sleep. If memory serves me correctly, he missed an identical chance against Portsmouth last weekend. Forest were seriously under the cosh for long periods of that first half but finished it extremely brightly.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 45+2 min: Ola Aina wins a corner for Forest off Martinelli. Anderson\u2019s delivery to the near post is flicked on by Dominguez and Arsenal<\/a> clear. It\u2019s half-time.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 44 min: A rush of blood to the head sends Raya sprinting out of his area to the touchline, where he completely misses the ball as he slides in to try to get to it before Igor Jesus. With Saliba on hand to help him, the goalkeeper gets back to his feet and boots the ball into the stand before Jesus can punish his error.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 43 min: Callum Hudson-Odoi curls a cross from the right into the Arsenal<\/a> penalty area, where David Raya leaps to claim it under no pressure whatsoever from anyone in a red shirt.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 40 min: From being unable to get the ball out of their own half for 20 minutes, Forest are piling on the pressure. Ola Aina takes a long throw deep in Arsenal<\/a> territory but Rice heads it clear. Arsenal break upfield and Gyokeres is played clean through on goal, albeit with a lot of work to do. His inability to bring the ball under control allows Murillo to sprint back and get the block in. It\u2019s another corner for Arsenal and not for the first time this evening, Forest scramble the inswinger clear.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 37 min: Crikey! Callum Hudson-Odoi sprints towards the edge of the Arsenal<\/a> penalty area and is brought down by Jurrien Timber right on the edge. Timber is booked and Forest win a free-kick right on the angle of the penalty area. That could not have been closer to being a penalty for Forest but the foul was perpetrated just outside the box. Nothing comes of Elliot Anderson\u2019s free-kick.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a013.09 EST<\/p>\n 36 min: Forest send a couple of crosses into the Arsenal<\/a> box, first from the left and then the right. Both are headed away.<\/p>\n