Arsenal suffer from familiar failure as Mikel Arteta's men miss another opportunity

Arsenal failed to take advantage of Manchester City's slip-up and had to settle for a draw at Nottingham Forest, but still extended their lead at the top of the table to seven points

Arsenal could not take advantage of Manchester City’s derby defeat as they failed to take their chances at Nottingham Forest.

For the second time in the space of a fortnight Mikel Arteta watched on as his side faltered in their attempt to extend their lead at the top of the table, failing to score at the City Ground just as they had in the stalemate with Liverpool.

Two big opportunities missed that would've made The Gunners position so much more commanding as they hunt to end their 22-year wait for the title. Instead, Arsenal’s lead at the top of the table could be cut when Aston Villa face Everton on Sunday.

Arteta made the call to start with Noni Madueke instead of Bukayo Saka in the same rotated front three which began the win at Bournemouth earlier this month. Yet, unlike on the south coast, Arsenal looked far from the outfit that claimed three points on that occasion, and it was perhaps little surprise that changes were sooner rather than later.

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Declan Rice made the vital block inside his own box early on when Nicolas Dominguez was found free just behind the penalty spot to prevent the first real chance of the affair.

Gabriel Martinelli saw his close-range shot from the Gunners’ second corner of the game blocked, the ball pin-balling off two red shirts. Ben White then had an attempt on his left foot, inside the box, fly over Matz Sels’ goal, a waste of a good counter-attack.

David Raya’s first call to action came at the midpoint of the first half. Doing brilliantly to anticipate the run of Callum Hudson-Odoi and clear his lines far from his box. Ola Aina did well not to put the ball into his own net from a Ben White cross, and Declan Rice also came very close to finding the vital touch just before. Martinelli should have then scored from the resulting corner, managing, with his left boot from a tight angle, to skew the ball across the goal line and harmlessly out of play.

Jurrien Timber came close to giving away a penalty, pulling down Callum Hudson-Odoi on the edge of the box, which required a VAR check to confirm Michael Oliver’s decision of a free-kick. Murillo, making up for a misjudgement of the ball, prevented Viktor Gyokeres from testing Sels, sliding in with a great block.

Clearly unhappy at the break, Leandro Trossard was brought on by Arteta for the second half in place of the misfiring Martinelli.

With little change to the game’s momentum, Mikel Merino, Gabriel Jesus and Bukayo Saka came on to showcase the depth in this title-challenging team. In seconds, Saka had stolen the ball off Neco Williams to force a cross, then minutes later, he forced Sels into the save of the game with a headed effort.

Merino then managed to get the ball across the Forest goal, where Jesus was agonisingly close to getting the key touch. The Spanish midfielder’s headed attempt from a Rice free-kick was too soft, the ball dropping just wide of Sels’ left post.

A potential handball check by VAR where Ola Aina’s right arm made contact with the ball inside the box was waved after a lengthy check, and rightly so.

Despite a flurry of opportunities, Dyche’s red wall stayed firm and left Arsenal rueing what could have been yet again.