Nottingham Forest 1-0 Arsenal – Hosts end Gunners’ Premier League title hopes with Man City confirmed as champions

Taiwo Awoniyi’s goal ended Arsenal’s Premier League title dreams and ensured survival for Nottingham Forest in front of the delighted home fans at the City Ground.

The only goal of the game came after 19 minutes and had a touch of fortune about it.

Martin Odegaard gave the ball away in midfield and Morgan Gibbs-White drove to the edge of the area and pushed a ball through to Awoniyi in the right-hand side of the penalty area and as the striker, goalkeeper and Gabriel converged on the ball, the defender’s tackle deflected off the Forest No. 9 and the deflection went over Aaron Ramsdale and into the net.

The Gunners did little to suggest they would get back into the game with an early header from Gabriel Jesus and long-range efforts from Jorginho as close as they came to getting level.

Arsenal are now four points behind Manchester City with a game remaining, while Forest are seven clear of second-bottom Leicester and four ahead of Everton, who only have one game left.

TALKING POINT – Will other sides copy the Forest way?

At the start of the season as they were slumped against the foot of the table the methods of the Forest ownership in buying a horde of players, most of whom apparently with little or no impact from their manager, were largely derided. The 33 players they have used during the campaign is more than any other side and a number of the 36 signings have not come off, but without such ambitious targets as Keylor Navas, Felipe and Taiwo Awoniyi they would not have stayed up and now look well placed to move ahead positively next season. They could easily have stayed with a squad mostly made of a side which was bottom of the Championship early in the 2021/22 season, but surely would have gone down. It was a high-risk strategy to bring in so many quality players but it has kept them up.

PLAYER OF THE MATCH – Felipe (Nottingham Forest)

It was not a game with fantastic performances, but on the seldom occasions Arsenal posed a threat, he was the one who made it most difficult for them to convert. He is exactly what Forest would have hoped from a long-time Atletico Madrid defender: tough and very well-organised. His influence on the rest of the defence and midfield was noticeable as they showed no fear despite Arsenal having so much of the ball 30 yards from their goal.

PLAYER RATINGS

Nottingham Forest: Navas 8; Worrall 6, Felipe 8*, Niakhate 6; Aurier 6, Mangala 6, Yates 6, Lodi 6; Gibbs-White 7, Danilo 6; Awoniyi 7.

Subs: Kouyate 6, Johnson 6, Boly 6.

Arsenal: Ramsdale 5; White 6, Kiwior 6, Gabriel 6, Xhaka 6; Odegaard 6, Jorginho 6, Partey 6; Saka 6, Jesus 6, Trossard 6.

Subs: Nketiah 6, Tiernay 6, Vieira 6.

MATCH HIGHLIGHTS

18′ JESUS HEADS OVER AT BACK POST! Aurier inadvertently flicked on Saka’s corner towards the No. 9 but he could not keep his header down.

19′ GOAL FOR FOREST! Odegaard gave the ball away in midfield, Gibbs-White drove towards the area then played the ball to Awoniyi in the area, while it looked like Ramsdale might have got there, the Forest No. 9 manages to squeeze the ball into the net.

49′ GREAT CHANCE FOR FELIPE! The ball traverses the area a couple of times after Gibbs-White’s free kick before it drops for Felipe six yards out, but Gabriel blocks his shot.

69′ JORGINHO WITH A DECENT HALF-VOLLEY… He was fully 30 yards out but his shot was only a yard over the bar.

90′ WONDERFUL RUN FROM GIBBS-WHITE! He jinked from the right to the left hand side of the box leaving four Arsenal defenders in his wake before shooting firmly but too close to Ramsdale.

KEY STAT

• 15 – The number of league games since Forest’s last clean sheet.

• 19 – The number of years since Arsenal’s last league title.