Nottingham Forest 1-2 Arsenal: Gunners narrow the gap on leaders Liverpool to two points after second-half strikes by Gabriel Jesus and Bukayo Saka secure victory despite late Taiwo Awoniyi consolation

This was a game that Arsenal really had to win. With Manchester City threatening to get busy in the second half of the season and Liverpool hoping to draw emotional energy from the final months of the Jurgen Klopp era, this would have been a truly terrible night to concede any advantage.

Liverpool, the leader, plays against Chelsea on Wednesday evening and visits the Emirates on Sunday. The wrong combination of results could have left Arsenal eleven points behind.

And at halftime, all that and more seemed possible. Arsenal had presented in the first 45 minutes that lame, tame version of themselves that we know a little too well, despite all the improvements under coach Mikel Arteta. All possession, but no punch. All territory, but no real threat.

So some patience and some calmness was needed. There was no need to panic, but every now and then, when they really feel the start of a title race, some teams do.

Arsenal actually did a bit of that last season, didn’t they?

But not here. Not this time. Arsenal were better in the second half. Faster, sharper and smarter. They felt the need for a different gear. And with goals coming quickly from Gabriel Jesus and Bukaya Saka in the 65th and 72nd minutes, it was a night that can now be seen as a platform on which we can build something more important against Liverpool this weekend.

There was a little bit of drama at the end when Forest substitute Tiawo Awoniyi embarrassed William Saliba to score in the 90th minute. A predictable attack from the home side followed and David Raya had to dive to save from the same player.

But Forest had been limited here and would not have deserved a share of this result.

They didn’t even start to threaten the Arsenal goal until they went behind and now they have problems of their own. Just two points above the relegation zone and with the threat of a financial penalty in the Premier League, Nuno Espirito Santo’s team will have to find a little more courage between now and May if the decision to sack Steve Cooper doesn’t look as short-sighted as it did it felt at the time.

Forest’s intentions were clear from the start, and so was the challenge facing Arsenal. The home side’s deep defensive block was such that after half an hour of play Forest had only managed one pass into the attacking third of the pitch.

Arsenal wouldn’t have been the least bit surprised. This is the challenge they face so often when they play, even on occasions like this, where an opponent playing at home may be tempted to be a little braver in an attempt to get the crowd involved.

Arsenal’s reputation precedes them, for better or for worse. Everyone knows Arteta’s team can play. They can light up an evening like this when they go out. Likewise, Arsenal can still play opposite and in front of you for long periods. They may have difficulty penetrating. And, as has often been noted during this recent difficult period, they may lack muscle and physical presence at the top of their formation.

This was the case here, especially in the first half. With Kai Havertz and Eddie Nketiah – both options at number 9 – starting on the bench, Brazilian Gabriel Jesus was asked to play the role of striker. He is willing and capable, the former Manchester City player. However, he is also limited, and his numbers reflect that.

Here, Arsenal mainly created half-chances in the first 45 minutes. They had one very clear view of goal when a series of errors in Forest’s penalty area gave Bukayo Saka a chance from eight yards in the 44th minute. The English player should have scored, but his shot hit Forest’s Murillo and bounced wide.

Arsenal did get a series of corners in the first half, six in total. However, there was none of the cleverness that characterized their two goals against Crystal Palace ten days ago. As a result, Forest were able to cope with a degree of comfort.

As is often the case, Martin Odegaard was Arsenal’s smartest player, looking for passing angles from deeper midfield positions. Meanwhile, Declan Rice kept the metronome ticking.

However, only a few long shots from Emile Smith Rowe and a cross from close range, which Jesus could not quite convert, threatened to change the score.

And on at least one occasion, Forest managed to find some forward momentum, when Danilo found some space to run into and smashed a shot over the bar from 25 yards.

What Forest supporters have made of their team is difficult to estimate. Forest fired Steve Cooper because they wanted a more ambitious approach. Does a 19 percent possession statistic at half-time indicate that under Nuno Espirito Santo? Maybe not.

Be that as it may, the introduction of striker Taiwo Awoniyi after the break immediately gave Forest some more punch. A 51st-minute break led by Morgan Gibbs-White could have allowed Awoniyi to run clear, but the pass hit the heel of an Arsenal defender. From the resulting corner Neco Williams headed into the arms of David Raya. This was progress for Forest.

However, Arsenal also seemed more dangerous, as suddenly and out of nowhere the match went into extra time. Gabriel Martinelli should have shot when he was away from the left, but no one found his return. Then Saka was denied by Turner after his shot took a deflection and Jesus hit the post when he should have done better after a Saka backheel and a short Odegaard pass put him within just six yards.

Suddenly Arsenal looked more dangerous and vulnerable at the same time. But soon they led. Forest fell asleep down their right when a throw-in allowed Jesus to escape unattended. He came in at an angle and the odds were against him, but his low cross hit Turner on the heel and found the far corner. Would the ball have gone in without that touch? Maybe not. So this looked suspiciously like an own goal.

Not that it mattered. Arsenal had a lead that they struggled to find in the first half and soon – with less than twenty minutes to go – they were two up.

Once again Forest were at fault when Gonzalo Montiel passed the ball straight to Odegaard and when he passed it to Jesus the quick pass from left to right played into Saka and he was able to fire low over the goalkeeper and into the far corner with his right hand. foot.

So Forest had gambled on staying late in the game, but had failed. For Arsenal, goals were a reward for territory and possession, if not an invention.

Awoniyi’s late goal embarrassed Saliba as he was too strong close to goal. However, it was an inconvenience, and nothing more.