January 31, (THEWILL) – Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal side claimed a pivotal 2-1 victory over Nottingham Forest at the City Ground stadium on Tuesday, temporarily closing the gap on league leaders Liverpool to just two points.
Despite a dominant opening 45 minutes, the Gunners were made to work hard for the three points against a resilient Forest outfit. The away side enjoyed utter territorial supremacy early on, but a stubborn defensive display from the hosts kept Arsenal at bay.
Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Jesus both went close to breaking the deadlock but were thwarted by the heroics of Forest keeper Matt Turner. The two teams went in level at the break after a goalless first period.
The second half sparked into life shortly after the restart. On-fire forward Jesus finally made the breakthrough just after the hour mark, latching onto a through ball before cleverly clipping his shot through Turner’s legs. Arsenal’s incessant pressure told again minutes later, as Saka doubled their advantage with a composed low finish.
Forest pulled one back late on via substitute Taiwo Awoniyi to set up a tense finale, but Arsenal held firm to claim three precious points on the road. The victory leaves the Gunners well-positioned for a potential title charge as attention turns to next week’s top-of-the-table clash with Liverpool.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
