Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta advised his gamers to “step up” after they fell 13 factors behind Premier League leaders Liverpool with a 0-0 draw at Nottingham Forest.
Arteta mentioned forward of kick off that his aspect would concede the title “over my lifeless physique” however noticed them fail to attain for the second time in 4 days.
The toothless Gunners, enjoying with out a recognised striker, managed only one shot on the right track on the Metropolis Floor, with Riccardo Calafiori additionally hitting the publish within the first half.
Arteta mentioned: “We’re very disenchanted to not win it. As we speak the requirements had been very completely different to the earlier recreation. The power, the willingness to make issues occur. We actually tried many various methods.
“It’s about what we will do. It was like this per week earlier than, two weeks earlier than, three months in the past. It’s the identical.
Arsenal drop factors 👎
Liverpool take full benefit 💪
The hole between the pair is prolonged to 13 factors ↔️ pic.twitter.com/nIBscFZRP2
— Premier League (@premierleague) February 26, 2025
“That’s the one factor we will management. We’re going to have an actual likelihood to do something. As we speak we dropped two factors which could be very painful once more and now we have to step up.
“We’ve got the Champions League, now we have a lovely competitors in entrance of us and we must be prepared for Tuesday.”
Arsenal play PSV Eindhoven within the final 16 of the Champions League and can once more be with out forwards Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Jesus, Gabriel Martinelli and Kai Havertz.
“We try to adapt to the qualities they’ve, how we may also help the crew to create various things, to have threats from completely different qualities,” Arteta mentioned.
“It’s loads to play for and we have to discover a answer to unlock it.”
Forest boss Nuno Espirito Santo mentioned the consequence meant they had been “discovering themselves as a crew once more.”
“An important factor was to understand how we do issues, how we play and our strengths. As we speak it was there,” he mentioned.
“We had been compact and didn’t permit Arsenal an excessive amount of. Arsenal had possibilities, after all, as a result of they’re an excellent crew. However on the similar time, we had been compact, strong and aggressive.
“Perhaps we may have discovered higher transition factors however it’s all the time tough. The constructive is the clear sheet and, greater than something, discovering ourselves as a crew once more with the best way we do issues.
“Within the final moments of the sport, we had been the crew getting the set-pieces and the harmful momentum. That may be a constructive, additionally.”