Nuno Espirito Santo nearly left Martin Keown speechless with his analysis of Arsenal’s lineup against Nottingham Forest.
Forest boosted their top-four hopes by holding Arsenal to a 0-0 draw on Wednesday night. The Gunners failed to score for a second consecutive Premier League game, raising concerns about their decision not to sign a striker in January.
With Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz sidelined due to long-term injuries, Mikel Arteta has experimented with his attack, including deploying midfielder Mikel Merino as a makeshift striker against Forest.
During TNT Sports’ coverage, Keown questioned Forest’s head coach about his tactical choices, noting that they had used a back five in their recent 7-0 win over Brighton but opted for a back four against Arsenal. He asked if the decision was influenced by a need for more midfield presence.
Espirito Santo responded bluntly: “Since Arsenal doesn’t have a striker and Merino played there, there was no need for an extra defender. The midfield was the key area to control.”
Keown had little to say in return, simply responding: “Yeah, ok.”
Following a home defeat to West Ham on Saturday, Arsenal’s dropped points at Forest further dented their title hopes. Meanwhile, Liverpool extended their lead at the top of the table with a 2-0 win over Newcastle, pushing them 13 points ahead of the Gunners. Although Arsenal has a game in hand, their chances of securing the title are fading.
Despite the setback, Arteta remained defiant in his pre-match press conference, refusing to concede the title race. “Over my dead body,” he declared when asked if he was giving up. “Mathematically, it’s possible. Three days ago, we were close, and now the challenge is harder, but if you want to win the league, you have to do something special—maybe even unprecedented.”
Arsenal’s upcoming fixtures include clashes with Manchester United and Chelsea, with a potential title-deciding showdown against Liverpool set for May.