Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta expressed his disappointment following his team’s second consecutive goalless draw in the Premier League, as they were held to a 0-0 draw by Nottingham Forest on Saturday. The result marked the first time since the 2012-13 season that the Gunners have failed to score in back-to-back league matches.
Arteta highlighted that despite creating numerous scoring opportunities, Arsenal were unable to convert them, leaving the manager frustrated with his side’s inability to capitalize. “We came here to win the game, that’s clear, and we needed the opportunities that we had,” Arteta said after the match. “We haven’t managed that, so the word is disappointment. We haven’t conceded anything, any single shot again and generated four massive chances—Martinelli with an open goal, Declan Rice, Merino, and then Bukayo Saka’s header with an unbelievable save. On top of that, there was a very clear penalty that was not given.”
Penalties and Missed Chances
The penalty appeal Arteta referred to came in the latter stages of the match, when a handball by Forest’s Ola Aina was reviewed by VAR but ultimately not awarded. Despite the contentious call, the Arsenal manager’s primary frustration was with the missed chances throughout the game.
“You need to take chances, especially to open them up, especially the way that they played,” Arteta explained. “We tried in many ways, we made changes, we tried to have more people in the last line, to have very creative players in and around the box. When you get into those moments, you have to make it happen if you want to win, and we didn’t manage to get it done.”
The match came during a challenging stretch for Arsenal, who are currently in the midst of a demanding run of four away games in just 10 days. This included the Carabao Cup semi-final first leg against Chelsea last Wednesday and the upcoming Champions League clash with Inter Milan on Tuesday.
Despite the result, Arteta remained focused on the bigger picture. “At the end, it’s another little step and the schedule is very, very demanding,” he remarked. “We came two and a half days ago to play against Chelsea in the semi-final, they both made a huge effort. We have a game in three days against Inter Milan, then Man United, so yeah, reflect today and tomorrow we go again.”
