Arsenal squandered the chance to move nine points clear at the top of the Premier League as they were held to a goalless draw by Nottingham Forest at the City Ground.
Mikel Arteta’s side were handed a further advantage in the title race after Manchester City faltered once more, losing 2-0 at Old Trafford in the Manchester derby earlier on Saturday.
It meant that the Gunners arrived Trentside with a chance to really put some daylight between themselves and their fellow contenders, but a dogged Forest dug in to ground out a vital point in their own fight against relegation.
Sean Dyche’s hosts needed a response after West Ham’s shock, last-minute victory at Tottenham earlier in the day, and they showed character to hold the visitors who had the lionshare of possession.
In a game of few gilt-edged, golden opportunities, it was Arsenal who spurned three huge ones, with Gabriel Martinelli, Viktor Gyokeres and Bukayo Saka all going close.
Martinelli missed a huge chance from close range on 31 minutes, before Gyokeres was sent clean through after a lapse in concentration by Murillo, who recovered well to snaffle the Swede as he prepared to strike.
Saka, curiously benched by Arteta from the off, was brought on just shy of the hour with the Gunners looking for that elusive opener.
Their talisman, sporting the captain’s armband after Martin Odegaard’s withdrawal, almost made an instant impact, first crossing for Declan Rice to force a smart stop from Matz Sels, before the home goalkeeper was at full stretch to deny the winger’s looping header as Rice turned provider soon after.
Forest struggled to trouble the scoreboard themselves with striker Igor Jesus cutting an isolated figure throughout, but they remained resolute in defence to earn a huge point in the fight against the dreaded drop.
