By MATT BARLOW, FOOTBALL WRITER
Published: 15:06 EST, 17 January 2026 | Updated: 15:06 EST, 17 January 2026
Teatime in Nottingham with an opportunity not to be missed rolling in from the Trent.
It belonged to Arsenal in the shape of a chance to ease nine points clear at the top of the Premier League, tighten their grip on this title race and crush the spirit of those in pursuit.
But its presence was fleeting before it slipped away into the night. Opportunity lost in the muscular grind of a stalemate with Nottingham Forest, for whom the signs of West Ham coming to life earlier in the day had retrained focus on their own peril.
Forest celebrated their hard-fought point, and satisfied home fans taunted the visitors with a chorus of ‘Champions of Europe’.
Arsenal were never at their sharpest. They can bemoan Sean Dyche’s efficient plan to frustrate and a decision that did not go their way when Ola Aina appeared to handle inside the penalty area during a fraught closing phase.
And yet they are seven points clear. It is not sweet like nine points, but Mikel Arteta and his team remain in control. Aston Villa will close in if they beat Everton but Villa have no pedigree over this course and distance.
Arsenal missed a chance to go nine points clear at the top of the Premier League on Saturday night
The Gunners drew 0-0 at Nottingham Forest in what was a hard-fought clash after Man City stumbled earlier in the day
City are the team who will prey on Arsenal’s nerves as they spend heavily in the transfer market to add to their immense depth and this, ultimately, is another point gained by Arteta on Pep Guardiola.
It will feel like two points dropped but could yet prove to be a point gained in the third of four away games in 10 days.
The City Ground is not the fortress it was last season but Forest in this mood will make life difficult for other visitors. They had the power and presence of Ibrahim Sangare back in central midfield after missing six games – only one of which they won - while on international duty for Ivory Coast at the Africa Cup of Nations and came out in determined mood.
With him restored, they were solid and superbly organised at the back. Sangare shielded his back four and Nicolas Dominguez, preferred on the left by Sean Dyche, worked back to protect against Arsenal’s right flank of Noni Madueke, Martin Odegaard and Ben White.
There was little rhythm, however, during an opening littered with disruptions. Arsenal dominated the ball, but the home team resisted as Dyche barked orders through cupped hands and encouraged from the touchline.
Long patterns of play involved Arsenal squeezing Forest back towards the Trent End, trying to zip the ball in triangles to create wide overloads and forcing the home team to defend against crosses and corners, which came with the usual menace.
Arsenal’s best chance of the first half fell to Martinelli via a deep swerving corner by Declan Rice, headed back square by Viktor Gyokeres and away by Sangare but only as far as Madueke.
From the edge of the box, his volley pinballed through a crowd deflected and spun towards Martinelli, but it all unfolded at such speed he could not react to find the target. His side footer from a tight angle slid across the goal and wide at the far post.
Matz Sels made a stellar save with his finger-tips to deny Bukayo Saka's header
Viktor Gyokeres broke in behind after a Murillo mistake but the Brazilian made amends for his error
Arsenal are seven points clear at the top and Mikel Arteta remains in control
A slip by Murillo set Gyokeres clear from halfway but he lacked the acceleration to pull away, and Forest’s Brazilian centre half chased him all the way back and smothered his attempted to shoot from the edge of the penalty area.
There were enough occasional flickers from Forest to engage the home crowd. Dominguez had an effort blocked by Rice and David Raya came careering from his goal to cut out dangerous counterattacks and by the end of the first half it was a much more even contest, although neither team had managed a shot on target at the interval.
Arteta sent on Leandro Trossard to replace Martinelli at half time and, when the nature of contest refused to chance, made three more changes before an hour had passed.
On came Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Jesus and Mikel Merino, the tempo quickened, Forest became immediately less comfortable.
Matz Sels was required to make his first save, diving left to push wide a volley by Rice from a Saka cross. Then a second as Rice picked out Saka at the back post and his header was touched around a post with fingertips by Sels.
Merino headed wide from Saka, then again from a Rice free kick. It would be their best spell before Dyche reshuffled and nullified the threat.
Arteta danced around nervously taking sharp intakes of breath as the Forest’s clean sheet survived and Dyche’s assistant Ian Woan collected a yellow card as Forest complained about the decisions going against them.
Nerves frayed and it was Arsenal’s turn to grumble at the officials when they refused to look more closely at the appeal for handball against Aina who, with Elliot Anderson close to him, seemed to hook an arm around the ball.
MATCH FACTS
Forest (4-2-3-1): Sels 7; Aina 7, Milenkovic 7, Murillo 7, Williams 7; Anderson 7.5, Sangare 8; Hudson-Odoi 7, Gibbs-White 6, Dominguez 6.5 (Hutchinson 89); I.Jesus 6 (Ndoye 75).
Subs: Gunn, Morato, Awoniyi, Luiz, Yates, McAtee, Savona
Bookings: Aina
Manager: Sean Dyche 7
Arsenal (4-3-3: Raya 6; White 6, Saliba 6, Gabriel 6.5, Timber 6.5; Odegaard 5 (Merino 57, 7), Zubimendi 6.5 (Eze 79), Rice 7.5; Madueke 6.5 (Saka 57, 7), Gyokeres 5 (G.Jesus 57, 6), Martinelli 6 (Trossard 46, 5.5).
Subs: Kepa, Mosquera, Havertz, Lewis-Skelly
Bookings: Timber
Manager: Mikel Arteta 6
Ref: Michael Oliver 6
Att: 30,729