Nottingham Forest 0-0 Arsenal - Premier League result as Mikel Arteta's side miss huge opportunity to go nine points clear

Arsenal missed a golden opportunity to go nine points clear of Manchester City at the top of the Premier League, as they were held to a drab 0-0 draw by Nottingham Forest who picked up a valuable point of their own in the relegation scrap.

After City were well beaten by Manchester United, The Gunners put in a lifeless performance against Forest who had their own motivation following West Ham United’s last-gasp victory over Tottenham Hotspur and Leeds United picking up three points.

Unfortunately on a thrilling day of Premier League action, this contest failed to live up to its billing as the sides combined for just three shots on target.

Gabriel Martinelli missed the best chance of the game in the first half as he somehow missed a gaping goal from just a few yards out, with Sels marooned on the other post, while Nicolas Dominguez saw a dangerous shot blocked by Declan Rice.

With England’s two premier central midfielders facing off, Rice and Anderson were their teams’ best outfield players but a lack of cutting edge in the penalty area hurt both sides as Arsenal often resorted to firing balls across the face of goal hoping someone could deflect them in.

But with Forest organised from set-pieces, Arsenal never looked like breaking the deadlock after Martinelli’s chance went begging.

Indeed, their best hope in the second half came from an Ola Aina brain fade as he attempted to control a bouncing ball with his arm on the dead ball line, but VAR judged it a natural movement and position.

So it finished 0-0, meaning attention now shifts to Aston Villa’s clash with Everton tomorrow, where victory would see them close to four points behind Arsenal.

At the other end of the Premier League table, Forest stay at arm’s reach from West Ham, five points above the drop zone and three behind 16th-placed Leeds.

It wasn't the most exciting game but sides had opportunities to win.

The Player of the Match was pleased with the point against the league leaders but said Arsenal must kick on now.

"It's a difficult game against Arsenal as they're top of the league. I think we gave 100 per cent for a good result," Sels told TNT Sports.

"Everybody did everything and so we're really happy, of course. It's only one point but it gives a lot of confidence for the next games.

"I knew about it [the West Ham result]. I'm not sure if all the other players did, as this is football and we only should focus on ourselves. Last week, we won there [at West Ham], so we need to keep going. We gained confidence from today, but next week there will be another difficult game so we keep going and hopefully we can beat Brentford."

Advantage Aston Villa? Writes TNT Sports reporter Aramide Oladipo. Unai Emery’s men have been the big winners from Saturday’s action with Manchester City losing at Old Trafford while Arsenal have just drawn at Nottingham Forest in a tense affair at the City Ground. The Gunners had a great chance to put clear delight between themselves and Pep Guardiola’s men but delivered a lacklustre display tonight.

After West Ham beat Tottenham earlier today, that's a vital point for Dyche's Garibaldis

"It's a huge result for Nottingham Forest. Sean Dyche will be delighted with how his players, to a man, all over the pitch they out so much work in and they battled.

"They deserved to take something from the game as Arsenal were wasteful in the first half and then couldn't find that killer instinct. Who knows if this point may be very important for Arsenal. Dyche will use this defensive performance as a base to kick on."

Martin Keown must've been reading this blog! If Villa win tomorrow they'll have gained two points on Arsenal and three against City,

They're at home to Everton who are no pushovers and were eighth in the Premier League away table entering the weekend, but Emery must now be licking his lips at such a good opportunity.

"Well, it's been a good day for Aston Villa," TNT Sports' Martin Keown said. "It's a point more than Man City, it's twice now that Arsenal have had opportunities - the draw at home to Liverpool being another one of those - to really stretch their lead at the top, but they won't panic as Forest are fighting for their lives.

"This is more like the Forest team that we saw last season, so we have to respect them. Definitely, there were plenty of opportunities today for Arsenal to win this game."

This game could've ended very differently after this incident.

TNT Sports is available across all major TV platforms, offering a line-up of up to four TV channels (TNT Sports 1, TNT Sports 2, TNT Sports 3, TNT Sports 4), and up to six digital or red-button channels (TNT Sports 5 to 10), and TNT Sports Ultimate plus TNT Sports Box Office HD.

You can subscribe to TNT Sports through discovery+, BT, EE, Sky, and Virgin Media.

To find out where your local establishments showing TNT Sports are, use our Pub Finder.

For the latest information on which football matches are on TNT Sports, click here.

Here is the TNT Sports schedule and TV guide. And for the full Premier League schedule, click here.

The following games will be shown live on TNT Sports:

For the latest information on which football matches are on TNT Sports, click here.

And we finish goalless! Ndoye had the best chance in added time but couldn't rise high enough to control his header, and Arsenal will feel like that's two crucial points dropped with Aston Villa hosting Everton tomorrow.

Saka curls another cross into the box but Trossard gets the last touch as it bounces out. Lucy Ward has awarded Matz Sels the Player of the Match award, so if Arsenal do grab a later winner you know who to blame, Forest fans!

"It's been a gruelling run of fixtures for Arsenal, particularly the last few games away from home every three days," Ward says. "It's very difficult to maintain that high level, but they need to make sure they keep a clean sheet and come away with a point if they can't find that winner."

Given the way the last 10 have gone, it'd be surprising if we even get a shot on target in that spell. Arsenal have faltered somewhat and Forest don't have the quality at the top of the pitch.

A Gibbs-White shot flies wide, and it's looking more and more like this game is destined to end goalless. Hutchinson is preparing to come on for the hosts.

Aina's a very lucky boy there. VAR Darren England judges it was a natural position and movement by the full-back - it was certainly a pretty brainless move.

"I think they'll give it," TNT Sports' Lucy Ward had said. "He moves his arm to keep the ball in. I don't know what Aina's doing. He acts instinctively in an attempt to keep the ball in."

Meanwhile Arteta has made an attacking switch with his final substitute: Eberechi Eze for Zubimendi.

Out of a nothing ball that Jesus couldn't control, Aina's arm touched the ball while he tried to keep it in play! This could be a heartbreaker for Forest.

Winger Dan Ndoye is on for striker Jesus, so it'll be telling to see who leads the line for Forest now. It looks like Dyche is happy to take the point at this stage.

As Dyche prepares to make his first change, it's an Arsenal substitute who's lighting up the pitch right now.

Those changes from Mikel Arteta have made a massive difference and Buyako Saka is showing why he has to start every match if the Gunners want to end their Premier League title drought, writes TNT Sports' Aramide Oladipo.

In virtually a carbon copy opportunity, this time it's Merino getting on the end of a Rice cross at close range but he can't deflect the ball inside the post. It's beginning to feel like one of those games for Arsenal...

Arsenal have been spamming balls across the face of goal they just haven't had anyone get on the end of one yet. And that continues here when a Trossard cross is headed for the corner as Jesus closed in, yet Sels is equal to it.

TNT Sports' Lucy Ward seems to think so.

"Forest have wrestled their way into the game," she says. "Arsenal need to get a grip again as they've allowed that control to slip away. They've lost that ability to get in behind Forest and that's why the likes of Trossard and Jesus are on. You imagine it won't be long before Havertz is on, as well."

None of Arteta's four introductions have so far changed the game, though Saka is felled on halfway as he looks to break upfield so that could spark an opportunity.