Arsenal missed their chance to extend their lead at the top of the Premier League to nine points after being held to a goalless draw by Nottingham Forest at the City Ground.
Results earlier on Saturday had given both teams a boost, with Manchester City losing to Manchester United and West Ham beating Tottenham. Forest, who are fighting to get away from the bottom, were looking dangerous in the first half when Nicolás Domínguez almost scored following a pass from Neco Williams, but his shot took a deflection and went wide.
The leaders were letting one another down in the initial moments, but Gabriel Martinelli certainly should have scored as his shot from close range went just wide of the post. Arsenal slowly took charge of the game, with Martín Zubimendi and Noni Madueke doing very well down the right, but Fores,t very well organized in defense, did not allow clear chances until the break.
Poor first-half performance prompted Arteta to make three changes before the hour mark, including deciding to put on Bukayo Saka. The winger got very close to scoring, only to be denied by Matz Sels, while Declan Rice and Mikel Merino were also very dangerous as Arsenal was seeking a goal.
However, Forest, who have been stubborn all game, almost went home with three points when Morgan Gibbs-White narrowly missed a great chance. Arsenal went 7 points clear at the top of the league with the result extending their unbeaten streak to 11 games, while Forest are 5 points above the relegation places.
