Mikel Arteta admitted Arsenal “lacked that spark” in the goalless draw at Nottingham Forest that has left his team 13 points behind Liverpool with 11 games left.
The Arsenal manager praised his team’s dominance and attempts to find different routes to goal but conceded that with the absence of his main four attacking players – Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz – Forest were able to deny them clearcut chances.
He said: “[We showed] unquestionable character, how much we wanted it and tried. We dominated the game. We tried in many different ways. We persisted but lacked that spark, that final pass to unlock a well-organised team. We have to generate more shots on target.”
Related: Blunted Arsenal grind to a halt in grating stalemate at Nottingham Forest
Saturday’s home defeat by West Ham left Arsenal almost needing snookers, despite having a game in hand on Liverpool, who have beaten Manchester City and Newcastle United in the past four days.
Arteta added: “[We produced a] very different standard [to the West Ham defeat]. We defended with energy, purpose, fight, willingness to make things happen. It wasn’t because we lacked that. We tried until the end but weren’t able to do it.”
The Arsenal manager said he has a meeting with his medical staff today [Thursday] to get updates on his hamstrung wingers but neither Martinelli nor Saka is likely to be available before April.
“Let’s see how they evolve in the next few weeks to make the right steps,” he said. “They’ve been out for a long, long time, so we’re going to have to integrate them as well, probably gradually. Gab has probably a chance before Baya to come in, but how soon that is, we will have to see.”
Arteta said Arsenal will not lack motivation despite the yawning gap to Liverpool. “It was same a week ago, two weeks ago, three months ago. The only thing we can do is win our matches and see how many points we get.”
He did however, unprompted, start to relish a return to Champions League action next week when Arsenal visit PSV Eindhoven for the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie. “Today we dropped two points which is very painful,” Arteta said. “We have the Champions League, a beautiful competition, in front of us. I want us to be ready for Tuesday.”
Nuno Espírito Santo, in contrast, was gratified at the manner in which his Forest team responded to going 4-1 down by half-time at Newcastle United on Sunday before rallying to lose 4-3 and taking that momentum into this game.
“We responded well at half-time at St James’ Park,” the Forest head coach said. “The team realised how bad it was and tried to revert. I think it was good that we started the same way, with the same idea.”
