Nottingham Forest Manager Nuno Espirito Santo bluntly explained that on Wednesday evening he sent his side with a back four because “Arsenal has no striker”.
The toothless visitors did not manage to score for the second game and limp on the city floor to a 0-0 draw, which caused them 13 points from Liverpool in the league. Mikel Areteta, with Mikel Merino – a natural defensive midfielder – acted as a striker to restrict the club’s options for attacks by Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus.
Forest has one of the most productive strikers in the department, but but TNT sport The expert (and the former Arsenal interior defender) Martin Keown was more concerned about the Espirito Santo defensive structure stationed in the middle of the week.
The high-flying hosts spent a large part of the season in a 4-2-3-1, but chose three central defenders in their most emphatic victory in the campaign, a 7-0 lock from Brighton at the beginning of this month. When Espirito Santo was asked about the tactical tweak, he fired back: “I will tell you. How Arsenal has no striker with [Mikel] Merino plays in this position – there is no additional body. The overload will be in midfield and it is about containing the midfield. “
Arsenal will continue to compete with Limited Senior Forwards, since Arteta confirmed that Saka and Martinelli will return until April at the earliest. In the entire campaign, however, the dwindling title challengers were dull regardless of injuries.
The Gunners did not score this season in five different games from the Premier League. For comparison, Liverpool only pulled one spaces.
Eight different clubs have made more shots than arsenal who can work the ball near the opposition goal, but at such a pedestrian pace they are made with a meat swand without exception when they finally move. More than 31% of Arsenal shots this season have been blocked – a share of only two Premier League clubs can be at the top.
Areta admitted that the people he turned to without a recognized striker “not to get in the box and create some magical moments”. “We try to adapt to it and do the best we can,” he sighed after the demoralizing draw with forest.
A figure that is better familiar with the crash into the penalty area is the striker of Akademie, Nathan Butler-Oyedeji. The 22-year-old striker contributed to 13 goals (seven and scored six) this season at the ten Premier League 2 appearances, but was again an unused substitute on Wednesday evening.
Khayon Edwards, the leading PL2 scorer with nine out of 12, has trained with the senior team, but has not yet seen the Premier League in a matchday day.