Mikel Arteta admitted Arsenal “lacked that spark” in their goalless draw against Nottingham Forest, a result that leaves them 13 points behind Liverpool with 11 games remaining. Despite controlling possession and attempting different attacking routes, Arsenal struggled to break down a disciplined Forest side in the absence of key attackers Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, Gabriel Jesus, and Kai Havertz.
Arteta acknowledged the team’s effort but emphasized the need to create more chances. “We showed unquestionable character, how much we wanted it and tried. We dominated the game. We tried in many different ways. We persisted but lacked that spark, that final pass to unlock a well-organized team. We have to generate more shots on target.”
Following their 2-0 home defeat to West Ham on Saturday, Arsenal find themselves in a difficult position despite having a game in hand over Liverpool. The league leaders have been in strong form, recently securing wins over Manchester City and Newcastle United.
Reflecting on his team’s performance, Arteta highlighted the contrast from their previous outing. “It was a very different standard to the West Ham defeat. We defended with energy, purpose, fight, and willingness to make things happen. It wasn’t because we lacked effort. We tried until the end but weren’t able to do it.”
Injury concerns continue to plague Arsenal, with Arteta set to meet his medical staff to assess the recoveries of Saka and Martinelli. Neither is expected to return before April, with Martinelli having a slightly better chance of an earlier comeback. “Let’s see how they evolve in the next few weeks. They’ve been out for a long time, so we’ll have to integrate them gradually. Gab has probably a chance before Baya to come in, but how soon that is, we will have to see.”
Despite the growing gap to Liverpool, Arteta stressed that motivation would not be an issue for his players. “It was the same a week ago, two weeks ago, three months ago. The only thing we can do is win our matches and see how many points we get.”
Although disappointed with the dropped points, Arteta quickly turned his focus to the upcoming Champions League clash against PSV Eindhoven in the last 16. “Today we dropped two points which is very painful. We have the Champions League, a beautiful competition, in front of us. I want us to be ready for Tuesday.”
On the other side, Nottingham Forest manager Nuno Espírito Santo was pleased with his team’s response following their 4-3 defeat to Newcastle, where they had trailed 4-1 at halftime. “We responded well at half-time at St James’ Park. The team realized how bad it was and tried to revert. I think it was good that we started the same way, with the same idea.”
Forest executed their defensive game plan effectively, frustrating Arsenal and securing a valuable point in their battle to remain in the Premier League.
