Arsenal's Frustration Grows After Goalless Draw Against Nottingham Forest
Arsenal extended their lead at the top of the Premier League to seven points on Saturday, but a goalless draw against Nottingham Forest left many Gunners fans contemplating yet another missed opportunity.
Manchester City's 2-0 defeat at Old Trafford provided Arsenal with a chance to move nine points clear, but Mikel Arteta's side struggled for the second consecutive league match.
Following a 0-0 draw against Liverpool last week, this marks the first time Arsenal has recorded back-to-back stalemates in the top flight in 14 years, dating back to the opening two games of the 2012-13 season against Sunderland and Stoke City.
While Arteta highlighted that his team created "four big chances" without allowing a single shot on target from Forest, winger Noni Madueke acknowledged it felt like "a missed opportunity."
Arteta's primary frustration stemmed from a second-half penalty appeal for a handball by Forest defender Ola Aina. He remarked, "I’ve just seen the replays - I think it’s a clear intention to clear the ball inside and it’s a clear penalty, so I don’t understand why it’s not been given."
'A clear penalty' or a 'ridiculous' claim?
The incident involving Aina occurred with about ten minutes left in the match. The Forest right-back attempted to control a bouncing ball in his own penalty area while being challenged by Gabriel Jesus and colliding with his teammate Elliot Anderson. The ball hit Aina's shoulder before making contact with his arm as he attempted to turn, prompting Arteta and Arsenal to strongly appeal for a penalty, but to no avail.
The Premier League Match Centre on X confirmed that the referee's decision not to award a penalty was checked and validated by VAR, which determined that the ball had first been played off Aina's shoulder and that his arm was in a natural position.
While Arteta was adamant that his team had been denied a "clear penalty," Forest boss Sean Dyche had a differing perspective. He stated, "If these start to get given, we’ve all got to leave it. I think that’s ridiculous. We’ve got to be careful with those. You may as well cancel football if you’re going to give that [as handball]. The rules have to be careful. You know what they should be looking at? People feigning injury. That’s the new diving."
Retired Premier League assistant referee Darren Cann told BBC Sport he believed the officials made the correct decision, noting, "The arm is close to the body and is in a justifiable position." The decision sparked debate among pundits, with former Chelsea winger Pat Nevin suggesting that Aina's arm "moved towards the ball," while former Liverpool midfielder Steven Gerrard argued that awarding a penalty for the incident would have been "soft."
'Very unlikely to be seen as an error' - analysis
Last season, only nine penalties were awarded for handball in the Premier League, a stark contrast to other European leagues, where 34 were awarded in Serie A and 37 in Ligue 1. This season has seen some correction, but the English top flight still records the lowest number of handball penalties among the top five leagues, with just 15 awarded at a rate of one every 15.13 games.
Six of these penalties were given via VAR, and in each case, the arm was either well away from the body or there was a clear and deliberate movement towards the ball. Arsenal's claim against Aina hinges on whether his action was deemed deliberate handball.
The ball struck Aina's shoulder before hitting his arm, which was in a reasonable position for his movement. It is difficult to classify the incident as a handball offence simply because the ball made contact with his arm.
Referee Michael Oliver had no clear view of the incident as it unfolded behind bodies on the goal line, leaving VAR official Darren England to determine whether not awarding a penalty constituted a serious error. The involvement of Anderson is crucial; one must consider if Aina made a conscious, deliberate movement to handle the ball or if it was an unintentional result of his teammate's collision.
Arguments can be made on both sides, but similar considerations are typically applied to defenders challenged by attackers, suggesting that the same should apply to situations involving teammates. Given that Anderson collided with Aina prior to the arm's movement towards the ball, it is reasonable to conclude that the subsequent movement was a consequence of that interaction rather than a deliberate act. Consequently, it is unlikely that the VAR's failure to intervene will be viewed as an error.
'To be champions, you have to do something special'
As the Gunners sit seven points ahead of both Manchester City and Aston Villa, with Unai Emery's side set to host Everton on Sunday, Arteta's team must elevate their performance to secure their first title in two decades, according to former Arsenal defender Martin Keown.
Keown stated, "You have to find that extra from somewhere, that inspirational moment. If you want to be champions, you have to do something special. If Arsenal were more clinical in front of goal, there are three points there... That’s where they will look to improve, because they are creating the opportunities, that’s not in doubt."
Questions have arisen regarding Arsenal's lack of a consistent goalscorer, with joint-top scorers Viktor Gyokeres and Leandro Trossard having only netted five times each in the league. Arteta acknowledged, "We could’ve been better, but this is happening all around the league for every single team. We have to improve and be better, especially when we create four big chances - you have to put them away."