Saka Managed as Arsenal Held to Goalless Draw at Nottingham Forest
Arsenal missed the chance to tighten their grip on the Premier League title race as they were held to a 0-0 draw by Nottingham Forest at the City Ground, with Bukayo Saka starting on the bench amid fitness concerns.
Mikel Arteta opted to manage Saka’s minutes after the winger picked up a minor issue, introducing him shortly after the hour mark, but the England international could not provide the breakthrough as the Gunners failed to convert a dominant display into three points.
Arsenal created the clearer openings across the contest, with Gabriel Martinelli, Declan Rice, Mikel Merino and Saka all going close, while Forest goalkeeper Matz Sels produced a decisive performance to keep the hosts level.
The result leaves Arsenal frustrated after failing to fully capitalise on Manchester City’s earlier defeat, with their lead at the summit now vulnerable to being reduced depending on other results. It also underlined the fine margins in a title race where dropped points are magnified.
The City Ground provided a typically tense backdrop, with Forest compact and disciplined from the outset. Arsenal controlled possession and territory early on, moving the ball patiently through Rice and Martin Odegaard as they looked to stretch a well organised home defence.
Clear chances followed but without reward. Martinelli missed an open goal, Rice and Merino saw efforts blocked, and Arsenal’s appeals for a penalty were waved away, adding to the visitors’ growing sense of frustration as Forest remained largely unthreatening in attack.
Saka’s key moment arrived after his introduction when he met a delivery with a powerful header that seemed destined for the net, only for Sels to produce an outstanding fingertip save. It proved to be the defining moment of the match.
The second half saw Arteta roll the dice, introducing Gabriel Jesus, Leandro Trossard, Eberechi Eze and Merino in a bid to increase attacking threat. Arsenal pushed more bodies forward and sustained pressure, but Forest’s shape held firm and clear openings became harder to find.
Late on, the tension increased as Arsenal poured forward in search of a winner, yet composure deserted them in decisive moments and Forest held on to claim a valuable point.
After the match, Arteta confirmed Saka had been dealing with a minor issue and stressed the need to manage his squad during a congested period, particularly with several key players already sidelined.
The draw leaves Arsenal still in control at the top but with little margin for error. Attention now turns to a demanding run of domestic and European fixtures, where sharper finishing will be required if their title ambitions are to stay firmly on track.