Latest Nottingham Forest verdict as Sean Dyche's Reds draw 0-0 with Arsenal in Premier League clash at the City Ground
19:32, 17 Jan 2026Updated 19:41, 17 Jan 2026
Nottingham Forest goalkeeper Matz Sels (centre) makes a save during the Premier League match against Arsenal at the City Ground
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Nottingham Forest goalkeeper Matz Sels (centre) makes a save during the Premier League match against Arsenal at the City Ground(Image: )
A spirited display saw Nottingham Forest claim a big point as they held title-chasing Arsenal to a 0-0 draw at the City Ground.
After their FA Cup humbling at the hands of Wrexham, it was a return to Premier League action for the Reds. They went into the game knowing relegation rivals West Ham United had closed the gap on them to four points with victory over Tottenham Hotspur earlier in the day.
That result cranked up the pressure ahead of kick-off on the banks of the Trent. But some positive moments early on for the hosts saw the crowd raise the volume level as they got behind Sean Dyche’s men.
Nicolas Dominguez saw a shot deflected behind in the opening 15 minutes and Callum Hudson-Odoi almost connected with a fine long pass from Murillo as Forest built up some momentum. Arsenal had plenty of possession but Matz Sels was rarely troubled at the other end of the pitch, although there was a sharp intake of breath from the stands when Gabriel Martinelli rolled an effort just wide on the half-hour mark.
It took until almost an hour gone for Sels to be called into action for the first time but he then made two good saves in the space of barely five minutes. First, a Declan Rice attempt was pushed away and then the Reds stopper did superbly to keep out a Bukayo Saka header.
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Arsenal continued to push for a breakthrough and Sels came to his team’s rescue again with 20 minutes to go, keeping out Gabriel Jesus from close range. Forest survived a penalty scare late on when VAR checked for a handball against Ola Aina before giving the all-clear, but they held on to bank what could be a valuable point in their battle for survival. Here’s how Reds reporter Sarah Clapson rated the Forest players against the Gunners.
Matz Sels: Had been a relatively quiet evening for the Belgian up until the hour mark. Pulled out a hat-trick of solid saves to keep the Gunners at bay. Should be really pleased with a well-earned clean-sheet. Rating: 8.5/10
Ola Aina: Looking sharper by the week as his match fitness builds up. Linked up well with Hudson-Odoi down the right-hand side, but might have been a little concerned when VAR checked for a handball against him in the final minutes. Rating: 8/10
Nikola Milenkovic: Solid. Helped limit Arsenal to few clearcut chances. Forest should take a lot of confidence from that as they look to use this as a springboard for some big games coming up. Rating: 8/10
Murillo: Did really well to recover from a slip and thwart Viktor Gyokeres as half-time neared. Earned the defender a chorus of ‘You’ll never beat Murillo’. Battled throughout, along with the rest of his teammates. Rating: 8/10
Neco Williams: Not the easiest of evenings for the Welshman. Had his work cut out when Arsenal turned up the pressure in the second half but continued to put a shift in and stuck to his task. Rating: 8/10
Ibrahim Sangare: Straight back in the thick of it for the midfielder after returning from the Africa Cup of Nations. He has been missed in recent weeks and showed why as he made a difference against the Gunners. Rating: 8.5/10
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Elliot Anderson: Back to his best for this one after a dip in standards in previous weeks. Partnership with Sangare picked up from where it had left off and will be crucial for the remainder of the season. Rating: 9/10
Callum Hudson-Odoi: Caused Arsenal more than a few problems and got into some promising positions. The Reds were just missing that final ball to unlock the title chasers. Much better, though. Rating: 7.5/10
Morgan Gibbs-White: Should have pulled the trigger when the ball came to him in a good position early in the second half. Fairly bright, although Arsenal were generally able to keep a lid on him. Rating: 7/10
Nicolas Dominguez: In such good form lately even a change in role didn’t impact his performance level. Positive from the off and set the tone with an early deflected shot. Deserved his standing ovation when he went off. Rating: 8.5/10
Igor Jesus: Can’t fault the effort but Forest need to find a way of helping the Brazilian out more. Needs better support and also some competition as he’s not getting much of a rest at present. Rating: 6/10
Subs
Dan Ndoye (for Jesus, 76mins): A good contribution in the closing minutes. Seemed eager to do his bit and chip in as the Reds fought for a big point. Rating: 7/10
Omari Hutchinson (for Dominguez, 89mins): Might have been brought on earlier to really stretch the visitors - although perhaps that would have been tempting fate. Rating: 7/10
Subs not used: Gunn, Morato, Awoniyi, Luiz, Yates, McAtee, Savona.
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