Mikel Arteta has insisted Arsenal remain firmly in the Premier League title race after they missed the chance to move nine points clear of Manchester City. The Gunners were held to a goalless draw at Nottingham Forest on Sunday, a result that extended their lead over City to seven points after Pep Guardiola's side had earlier been beaten 2-0 by Manchester United.
It proved a frustrating afternoon at the City Ground, where Arsenal dominated possession and created a number of clear opportunities. But Arteta, while acknowledging the setback, preferred to focus on the wider picture of the campaign, describing the point as a step forward.
“Every week is an opportunity,” said the Arsenal manager. “We want to win every game, and if we would have done that we would have been in a different position. We made a smaller one than the one we wanted, but it is a step.”
Arteta was particularly aggrieved by a first-half penalty appeal when Ola Aina handled the ball in the area, but referee Anthony Taylor deemed it accidental. The Spaniard also praised Forest’s defensive organisation, while pointing to four clear chances his own side had created.
“We came here to win the game, and we haven’t managed that for different reasons,” he said. “Credit to them because they are really well organised and they are really good at breaking momentum when you have dominance in the game. The reality is we created four massive chances. On top of that, a very clear penalty in the box that has not been given. Without conceding a shot on target again, the fact we cannot win the game with that is disappointing.”
