Arsenal could only manage a 0-0 draw away to relegation-threatened Nottingham Forest, failing to capitalise on Manchester City dropping points on Saturday lunchtime.
Mikel Arteta’s side are now seven points clear at the top of the Premier League, further extending their lead, though by two points fewer than they’d have wanted.
The first half was dominated by the Gunners, who had a brilliant opportunity to take the lead via Gabriel Martinelli.
The ball fell to the Brazilian in the six-yard box, but his effort was flashed across the face of goal and just wide of the post. That was one of eight first-half shots for Arteta’s side.
The second 45 minutes, like the first, saw the North Londoners have the majority of the ball. They could only manage six shots at goal, with Bukayo Saka coming so close to a winner.
His leaping header was destined for the top corner, but Matz Sels pulled off an excellent save to deny the Englishman.
It certainly looked like an overarching feeling of frustration for the Premier League leaders, who could have gone nine points clear with a win.
After dominating proceedings and having an expected goals tally of 2.07xG, they might feel disappointed to only get a point in Nottingham.
It was a tough day at the office for Arteta’s side, with Viktor Gyokeres once again struggling.
Gyokeres’ stats vs. Forest
It has been a poor start to life at Arsenal for marquee summer signing Gyokeres. The Swede failed to add to his five Premier League goals at the City Ground and has now gone five games without finding the back of the net in the top flight.
He had a huge opportunity of his own in the first half. The former Sporting striker found himself with the ball at his feet and no Forest defender in their half. Yet, he failed to capitalise, with Murillo catching up to him and blocking his shot.
The striker’s stats from the game show just how disappointing an evening he had. The 27-year-old could only manage ten touches of the ball, losing possession four times. He failed to win any of the seven duels he contested and only had one shot.
Indeed, Goal journalist Richie Mills was critical of the striker. He gave him a 4/10 rating at full-time, reflecting his poor showing, and said it was a ‘frustrating outing’ for the Gunners’ number 14.
However, he was not the only player who disappointed against Forest.
The Arsenal player who struggled at the City Ground
Saturday evening’s clash saw club captain Martin Odegaard put in a disappointing performance, having struggled to have any sort of impact on the game, which often passed him by in midfield.
This was certainly spotted by Mills. The journalist gave Arsenal’s number eight a 5/10 for his evening’s work in the East Midlands. He said it was simply ‘not his day’ in the middle of the park for the Gunners.
Indeed, the Norway international’s stats do not make for great reading, either. He could only manage 27 touches of the ball and only created one chance. Worryingly for Arsenal fans, Odegaard failed to have a shot, complete a dribble or attempt a tackle.
Odegaard vs Forest
Stat
Number
Touches
23
Opposition half passes completed
12/15
Number of times ball lost
7
Ground duels won
1/2
Dribbles completed
0/1
Shots
0
Tackles
0
Stats from Sofascore
It is certainly concerning to see Odegaard struggling in a game of this importance. As you would expect, the Arsenal dominated the game, but for their skipper to struggle as much as he did when you need your big players to stand up and grab the game by the scruff of the neck is far from ideal.
Subscribe to the newsletter for deeper Arsenal insight Craving deeper match context? Subscribe to the newsletter for in-depth Arsenal coverage — tactical breakdowns, player-form analysis, lineup insights and clear match takeaways that explain what the result didn’t show.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Gyokeres’ form is a worry, but Arsenal are so dominant that they are able to pick up regular wins without relying on his goals.
But for Odegaard to only create one chance and touch the ball 11 times less than David Raya is a problem.
Arteta has options, too. Eberechi Eze is waiting in the wings to come into midfield, as is Mikel Merino or youngster Ethan Nwaneri.
This is certainly an issue for the Gunners, who will be hoping their captain returns to his best in midweek for a Champions League clash with Inter.
"Arsenal's version of Foden" could finish Eze's Emirates career
Arsenal’s rise to the top of the European pyramid under Mikel Arteta’s management has been relentless.
1 ByAngus Sinclair