Gabriel Jesus scored and then set up Bukayo Saka for another seven minutes later to lead Arsenal to a 2-1 Premier League win over Nottingham Forest at the City Ground on Tuesday that moved the north London side to within two points of leaders Liverpool.
The Gunners dominated possession but struggled to threaten the Forest goal before Jesus finally broke the deadlock in the 65th minute. Forest were lackadaisical on a throw-in and the ball fell to Jesus who fired through keeper Matt Turner’s legs from an impossibly tight angle.
The Gunners doubled their lead in the 72nd minute when Jesus played a ball to Saka who shot across the goal. Turner got a hand on the ball but not enough to keep it out.
Mail Sport’s Tom Collomosse picks out some of the things you may have missed.
Bukayo Saka sealed a vital victory for Arsenal in the title race on Tuesday night
Forest face D-Day as chaos looms
Nottingham Forest expect to know in the coming days when their hearing before an independent commission will take place after they were charged with breaking Premier League spending rules.
Everton were docked 10 points in November and this will be Forest’s worst fear, but more pertinent than the punishment is when the hearing will occur.
If it does not happen until the spring, and Forest lodge an appeal, it may mean teams end the season not knowing which league they will be in next term.
Arsenal end losing run
Arsenal’s last three visits to the City Ground had ended in defeat, including the 1-0 loss last May that handed the title to Manchester City.
The home fans were keen to remind their visitors of this as they crowed, ‘You lost the league at the City Ground’.
The Gunners’ previous win here was a 4-0 cruise in a League Cup tie in September 2016.
Gabriel Jesus squeezed the ball past Forest keeper Matt Turner for the opening goal
Shaky Turner facing the axe
Former Arsenal man Matt Turner joined Forest last summer but his displays — and those of Odysseas Vlachodimos — have been so shaky that the club want to sign a goalkeeper this week.
After an enquiry about Peter Gulacsi was knocked back by RB Leipzig, Forest were offered Kasper Schmeichel and approached Crystal Palace about taking Sam Johnstone on loan. Turner made yet another error in the second half here as he failed to keep out Gabriel Jesus’s cross-shot.
Elsewhere, Borussia Dortmund midfielder Giovanni Reyna, 21, is still considering his options with Forest keen to sign him on loan for the rest of the season.
French legends in the crowd
One of the stars of Arsenal’s Invincibles team was on the pitch before kick-off.
French legends Robert Pires (L) and Lilian Thuram (R) were in the crowd on Tuesday night
Looking as though he had not aged a day, there was Robert Pires alongside fellow France World Cup winners Lilian Thuram and Christian Karembeu.
Forest, The Weatherhead Center at Harvard University and The Lilian Thuram Foundation are collaborating on a conference aimed at tackling the issues of racism and gender inequality in European football
The conference is taking place at the City Ground.
Olivier Dacourt, Viv Anderson, Wes Morgan and Brazilian Ze Maria were also here in what would be a handy veterans’ team.
