Mikel Arteta expressed his frustration, stating that Arsenal were denied a “very clear penalty” during their 0-0 draw against Nottingham Forest on Saturday.
The league leaders missed the chance to extend their advantage to nine points at the top of the Premier League following Manchester City‘s earlier defeat to Manchester United.
As a result, they ended the day with a seven-point lead over City, after dominating possession at the City Ground.
Gabriel Martinelli missed a golden opportunity right after Declan Rice had a shot blocked by Nikola Milenkovic in the first half.
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Substitutes Mikel Merino and Bukayo Saka came close to scoring, but Arteta lamented an incident in the 80th minute where Forest defender Ola Aina escaped a VAR review for handball.
“We came here to win the game, and we haven’t been able to do that for various reasons,” he stated. “Credit to them for being well-organized and adept at disrupting the game’s momentum when we had control.
“The reality is we created four significant chances — Martinelli with an open goal, Declan Rice with a close-range shot, Mikel [Merino], and Bukayo’s header — and notably a very clear penalty in the box that was not awarded.”
“Without conceding a single shot on target yet still not winning the game is disappointing, and we know we can improve, particularly in the attacking areas.”
The Premier League Match Centre indicated that the ball struck Aina’s shoulder first and his arm was deemed to be in a natural position during contact.
“They are right,” Arteta responded. “It hits the shoulder, and then he handles the ball. So, the explanation provided is incorrect, but I agree with the rest of it.
“The sequence is correct, but the timing and intention of the action are very clear. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be here, and I truly believe it’s a very clear penalty.”
On Arsenal’s inability to increase their lead, especially with Aston Villa set to face Everton the next day, Arteta remarked: “Every week presents an opportunity.”
“We aim to win every game, and had we managed to do that, we would find ourselves in a different position. We’ve taken a step, though perhaps a smaller one than we desired, it’s still a step.”