Three things we learned from Arsenal FC draw as Mikel Arteta let down by players

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Three things we learned from Arsenal draw as Mikel Arteta let down by players

There were several poor performances on a disappointing night for the league leaders

Frustrated: Mikel Arteta

Action Images via Reuters

Arthur Ferridge

2 minutes ago

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Arsenal were brought back down to Earth with a bump on Saturday evening as they were held to a goalless draw by Nottingham Forest.

Flying high after beating Chelsea in the Carabao Cup in midweek, the Gunners were off the boil in the Midlands and were outplayed in the first-half.

They were improved after Mikel Arteta made four substitutions before the hour mark, but they could not break down the stubborn Forest defence.

It is a hugely frustrating result for Arsenal, who again spurned the chance to put further daylight between themselves and Manchester City in the title race.

Gunners fail to capitalise on Man City falter

City do not lose often, and Arteta had a rare opportunity this evening to open up some breathing space in the title race.

Defeat in the Manchester derby meant the Gunners could have extended their advantage over the Pep Guardiola’s side from six points to nine.

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Facing Forest, 17th in the Premier League table and who had been knocked out of the FA Cup by a Championship side last weekend, it seemed a presentable chance to do exactly that.

The north Londoners fell short, though, as they went frustrated at the City Ground. The usual suspects of David Raya, William Saliba, and Declan Rice all put in strong performances, but were let down by anonymous showings from Martin Odegaard and Martin Zubimendi, among others.

Disappointed: Declan Rice

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Aston Villa now have the chance to cut their advantage to just four points when they host Everton on Sunday.

Arsenal have now been held goalless in consecutive Premier League matches for the first time since 2012, and they have twice missed opportunities to punish City for dropping points.

It is not yet crisis mode for the Gunners, but they must soon take the chances handed to them if they are to break their Premier League title drought this campaign. As it stands, they have been far too forgiving.

Another false dawn for Gyokeres

Facing Chelsea in midweek, Viktor Gyokeres produced arguably his best performance yet in an Arsenal shirt, picking up a goal and an assist in a crucial 3-2 win.

He, his team-mates, and the Arsenal faithful were all hoping that he might finally kick on and find the form promised when he arrived from Sporting CP for £63.5m last summer.

At the City Ground, though, he proved that performance was simply another false dawn.

A player known more for his physicality than his pace, Gyokeres was routinely outmuscled and outclassed by Nikola Milenkovic and flouted a breakaway one-on-one after being caught by Murillo.

Well marshalled: Viktor Gyokeres

Mike Egerton/PA Wire

Gabriel Jesus was not a massive improvement, it must be said, but he found himself in some dangerous positions and seemed to enjoy a more natural connection with the midfielders behind him.

Gyokeres’ goalscoring record - five in 20 Premier League appearances - grows more disappointing by the week, and with Jesus and Kai Havertz back fit, he is running out of time to prove he deserves his place.

Arteta’s proactive subs lack impact

Plenty in the away end would have been pleased to see the fourth official come to the touchline with board in hand before the second half. After all, there were plenty of candidates for to be hooked early.

Gabriel Martinelli was the sacrificial lamb on this occasion, replaced by Leandro Trossard, but Noni Madueke, Gyokeres and Odegaard soon followed him to the bench.

It was something of a statement of intent from Arteta. With Arsenal being either matched or outplayed across the park, it seemed reasonable to make four changes before the hour mark.

Bukayo Saka was the figurehead of those changes, but the often-reliable super-subs Mikel Merino and Gabriel Jesus should also have had impact.

While momentum swung following their introduction, the Gunners could not make the most of their numerous chances, mustering just seven shots and three on target in the second period.

Arsenal’s depth has been touted as one of their greatest strengths this season, and that should have shown through here, but Arteta’s silver bullet missed the mark.

It is another point of concern for the Spaniard on what was already a deeply frustrating evening.

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