Nottingham Forest held Arsenal to a goalless draw at the City Ground in the Premier League, producing a strong defensive display against the league leaders.
The visitors carried the greater threat, with Gabriel Martinelli coming closest in the first half, before the sides went into the break level.
Arsenal pushed for a winner after the interval, but Forest stood firm to secure a vital point.
As it happened
A strong start saw both sides settle into the contest, with the league leaders dominating possession while the home side posed a threat on the counterattack.
As the game progressed, the visitors began to take control and found themselves in promising positions, but were unable to capitalise.
The first clear opportunity arrived in the 28th minute when Ben White’s teasing delivery into the box was almost turned home by Viktor Gyökeres and Declan Rice.
From the resulting corner, Forest initially cleared their lines before Noni Madueke drilled a cross back into the area. Martinelli met it at the far post and looked certain to score, but his effort agonisingly drifted just wide of the right-hand upright.
Forest began to build momentum towards the end of the first half, yet it was Gyökeres who came closest to breaking the deadlock.
A mistake from Murillo allowed the Swedish international a clear run at goal, but the Brazilian defender recovered superbly to produce a vital block.
Despite the visitors’ late resurgence, the referee brought an entertaining first half to a close.
Leandro Trossard replaced Gabriel Martinelli at half-time, marking his 150th appearance for the Gunners.
A tentative start to the second half saw the North London side struggle to play through Forest’s defensive lines.
A flurry of Arsenal changes just before the hour mark almost made an immediate impact. Bukayo Saka drove down the right before delivering a cross to Declan Rice, whose effort was well parried by Matz Sels.
The Forest goalkeeper was called into action again moments later, producing another excellent save to keep out Saka’s looping effort as Arsenal increased the pressure on the home defence.
Arteta’s side continued to push for an opener but were unable to break down Sean Dyche’s well-organised Forest, as the contest ended goalless.
The point extended Arsenal’s lead at the top of the table to seven points, while Forest claimed a vital result in their fight against relegation.
The lineups:
NFC: Sels; Aina, Milenkovic, Murillo, Williams; Sangare, Dominguez; Gibbs-White, Anderson, Hudson-Odoi; Jesus
ARS: Raya; Timber, Gabriel, Saliba, White; Zubimendi, Ødegaard, Rice; Martinelli, Madueke, Gyökeres