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Sels frustrates Arsenal as leaders move seven points clear with draw at Nottingham Forest

This game was summed up neatly in the 82nd minute when two Nottingham Forest players hunted down Gabriel Jesus as the Arsenal substitute tried to see the ball out for a throw-in. Elliot Anderson was not settling for that, crashing into the tackle that actually won his team the restart. Sixty yards down the touchline, Sean Dyche’s hands went clapping above his head; Mikel Arteta reached his out to either side, palms raised to the skies in incredulity.

Yet such is the way of this season. Just as the opportunity knocked, with Manchester City losing to Manchester United earlier in the day, for Arsenal to stretch their lead at the top of the Premier League to nine points, with Nottingham Forest seemingly on the ropes with only one win in six previous games, up comes the underdog with a performance to sum up this manager.

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This is only the third time Arsenal have failed to score for two successive game since 2022/23 and, on each occasion, Forest have been the second opponents. The last time was here in February of last season when Forest were right in the hunt for Champions League qualification. Now they are relieved to move five points clear of the bottom three.

Who, 12 months ago, would have thought Arsenal would be seeking to stretch their lead at the top of the Premier League to nine points from this game, after both Liverpool and City faltered, or that Forest would be looking over their shoulder at the relegation places?

Then again, who would have thought Dyche would be lambasting Matz Sels after his goalkeeper ignored his plea to pass the ball short to his centre-half, going long instead? These are strange times at the City Ground.

Forest resume their bid to qualify for the Europa League’s knockout stages this Thursday, away to Braga, and yet started this match four points above the bottom three after West Ham’s late winner at Tottenham, and with an FA Cup third-round exit at Wrexham fresh in fans’ minds.

So the jury is still out on Dyche despite the positive start to his reign. Arsenal, in contrast, appeared well in control of their destiny and, able to rotate Noni Madueke and Gabriel Martinelli for Bukayo Saka and Leandro Trossard, tested Forest’s vulnerability from set-pieces with two superb corners in the early moments. Declan Rice almost netted with his stomach from another cross, from Ben White.

They really should have been ahead just before the half-hour mark. The video assistant referee would have found Martinelli onside as he stole behind Ola Aina on to Madueke’s mis-struck volley but the Brazilian winger side-footed his shot wide of the far post.

Madueke also offered a no-look pass to release Martín Zubimendi to angle his effort just wide as an Arsenal opener looked odds-on.

Forest, with only one change from the side that ended a four-game losing streak in the league with a win at West Ham 11 days ago, rallied. Michael Oliver, the referee, made an astute close call when awarding a free-kick just outside the area after Callum Hudson-Odoi was tripped by Jurriën Timber right on the edge.

Just as Forest threatened, however, Arsenal showed their penetration on the counterattack; told you this was a strange game. Murillo made amends for his initial error by chasing down Viktor Gyökeres, through on goal, to block the Swede’s shot.

When Forest continued in the ascendancy for the opening act of the second half, even after Trossard’s introduction, Arteta took decisive action. He corralled his next raft of substitutes, pulling Saka, Jesus and Mikel Merino together for an intense mini team-talk.

Saka immediately made a difference. His first involvement, after Neco Williams’s mistake, was to scamper down the right wing and pull his cross back for Rice, whose volley, tipped aside by Sels, was Arsenal’s first effort on target.

When Rice returned the favour from the other flank, Saka’s header back towards the near post was brilliantly turned aside by the Forest goalkeeper at full stretch. Then Saka crossed and Merino’s header needed brushing behind. Suddenly, it was all Arsenal.

Forest were on a good night, however. They tend to be when Ibrahim Sangaré plays. Dyche’s team have only lost twice in the 12 games when the Ivorian midfielder has featured, and missed him badly when he was away at the Africa Cup of Nations. He provided the glue in this gritty performance, holding in front of the defence, nicking 50/50s and with the corollary of allowing Anderson, Forest’s best player, more freedom to go foraging.

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