Arsenal ‘has to step up,’ Arteta says after not pulling into the woods

Arsenal chief Mikel Arteta told his players to “reinforce” after they bypassed 13 points behind the Premier League League Liverpool with a draw 0-0 to Nottingham Forest.

Arteta said before the beginning that his side would receive the title “Over my Dead Body”, but saw that they were not succeeding for the second time in four days.

Gunders without teeth, playing without a recognized striker, succeeded only one goal on the goal on the city ground, and Riccardo Calafiori also hit the post in the first half.

Arteta said, “We are very disappointed that we are not winning it. Today, the standards were very different from the previous game. Energy, willingness to happen. We certainly tried many different ways.

“It’s about what we can do. It was so a week before, two weeks ago, three months ago. It’s the same.

Arsenal falling points 👎
Liverpool Use completely 💪

The gap between the pair was extended to 13 points ↔️ pic.twitter.com/nibscfzrp2

– Premier League (@premierleague) 26. February 2025

“This is the only thing we can control. We will have the right opportunity to do anything. Today we have dropped two points, which is very painful again and we have to step up.

“We have a Champions League, we have a wonderful competition in front of us and we have to be ready for Tuesday.”

Arsenal plays PSV Eindhoven in the last 16 Champions Leagues and will again be without the buchai Saka striker, Gabriel Jesus, Gabriel Martinelli and Kai Havertz.

“We are trying to adapt to the qualities they have, how we can help the team to create different things, to threaten different qualities,” Arteta said.

“It’s a lot to play and we have to find a solution to unlock it.”

Forest Boss Nuno Espirito Santo said the result means “they are found again as a team.”

“The most important thing was to understand how we do things, how we play our strength. It was there today, “he said.

“We were compact and did not allow Arsenal too much. Arsenal had a chance, of course, because they were a very good team. But at the same time we were compact, solid and aggressive.

“We may be able to find a better transitional point, but it’s always difficult. It’s a positive clean sheet and, more than anything, we find ourselves again as a team with the way we work.

“In the last moments of the game, the team was given to you set-in and a dangerous momentum. That’s positive.”