Mikel Arteta Acknowledges Arsenal’s ‘Lack of Spark’ as Premier League Title Aspirations Fade

Arsenal’s manager, Mikel Arteta, acknowledged that his team lacked the creative flair needed to break down Nottingham Forest in a disappointing 0-0 stalemate on Wednesday, a result that dealt a significant blow to the Gunners’ aspirations for the Premier League title.

Injury woes have heavily affected Arteta’s attacking options, with key players including Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, Gabriel Jesus, and Kai Havertz all currently unavailable.

The Gunners also couldn’t find the back of the net in a surprising 1-0 defeat to West Ham on Saturday, leaving them 13 points adrift of Liverpool.

Although Arsenal have a game in hand over the leaders, their dreams of clinching the title for the first time in 21 years are rapidly diminishing.

Mikel Merino was forced to step in as an improvised centre-forward and managed the visitors’ sole shot on target, which was denied by Matz Sels with a header early in the second half.

“We had control of the game. We attempted to find solutions in various ways. We pushed hard but fell short of that crucial final pass to unlock a well-structured team,” Arteta commented.

“We need to create more opportunities that hit the target.”

Prior to the match, Arteta had declared he would not give up on the title race, stating “over my dead body”.

He continued to insist that their challenge remains alive but emphasised the need to return to winning form.

“It’s the same story as it was a week ago, two weeks ago, three months ago. The only course of action is to win our games and see how many points we can accumulate,” he remarked.

A single point ensured Forest maintained their position in third, ahead of the reigning champions, Manchester City.

Nuno Espirito Santo’s side has faced difficulties in recent times, managing to win only one of their last five league matches.

However, after suffering three defeats in four outings, the Forest boss was relieved to restore the defensive solidity that has been fundamental to his team’s success this season.

“Given the recent period we had regarding conceding, it was crucial to return to basics – being solid and achieving a clean sheet,” said Nuno.

“In terms of the match, it was a positive outcome because it allowed us to revert to the team identity that has brought us success.”