Chris Davie
Published January 18, 2026 12:59am
Updated January 18, 2026 1:00am
Share this article via whatsappShare this article via xCopy the link to this article.Link is copiedShare this article via facebook
Comment now
Comments
Mikel Arteta claims Arsenal should have been awarded a ‘very clear penalty’ against Nottingham Forest (Getty)
Steven Gerrard has warned Mikel Arteta not to focus on the handball decision in Arsenal’s goalless draw with Nottingham Forest on Saturday.
Manchester City’s 2-0 defeat to Manchester United at Old Trafford in Saturday’s early kick-off handed Arsenal the chance to go nine points clear at the top of the Premier League.
However, Arteta’s side were unable to find a way past Forest and the draw has put the Gunners seven points in front of City and Villa, who play Everton on Sunday.
Arteta was unhappy after the game as he felt Arsenal should have been awarded a ‘very clear penalty’ when the ball hit Ola Aina’s arm inside Forest’s box.
‘They are right, it hits the shoulder and then he takes the ball with the hand. The explanation is not right, but the rest is okay,’ Arteta said.
‘The order is okay but the timing and intention of the player is very clear. If not I wouldn’t be sitting here saying it’s, in my opinion, a very clear penalty.’
Ola Aina was not punished after the ball hit his arm during Arsenal’s draw with Nottingham Forest (Shutterstock)
Prefer us to the others? Then tell Google!
As a loyal Metro reader, we want to make sure you never miss our stories when searching for your news. Whether it is the latest politics news explained, live football coverage or a showbiz scoop.
Click here and tick Metro.co.uk to ensure you see stories from us first in Google Search.
Our journalists work hard to deliver the most important stories from around the world
However, Gerrard believes Arteta should not use the decision as an excuse to explain why Arsenal failed to go nine points clear at the top of the Premier League.
‘I think there’s a shout there, I don’t think it’s as clear as Mikel Arteta is saying, I don’t think it’s blatant and clear, especially in real time from the referee’s point of view,’ Gerrard told TNT Sports.
‘I think you’ve got to be careful that you’re not clutching at straws a little bit because that’s not the reason why they haven’t got maximum points today.
‘The reason is because they were very wasteful in the first half and the keeper has made a world-class save.
Why Arsenal were not awarded a penalty against Nottingham Forest
The referee’s call of no penalty to Arsenal was checked and confirmed by VAR – with it deemed that the ball was played off Aina’s shoulder first, while his arm was also in a natural position.
Premier League Match Centre
‘I thought Arsenal’s performance was good today, they controlled large parts of the game, created enough chances to win the game.
More Trending
-
Man Utd 2-0 Man City: Mbeumo and Dorgu strike to kickstart Carrick interim spell in style
Channel: Football Football 11 hours ago By Ben Fleming - Bernardo Silva makes Arsenal admission after Man Utd hammer Man City
- Michael Carrick told Ruben Amorim signing is 'not good enough' to start for Man Utd
- Gary Neville compares Man Utd star to Eric Cantona after 'outstanding' Man City display
‘But I think if the focus from an Arsenal point of view is just on that [handball] decision, I think they’re clutching at straws.
‘As I say, they’ve controlled large parts, it was a decent performance from Arsenal today, it just lacked that killer instinct.
‘I think it’s the Martinelli chance, the one that hits him on the heel, that’s a sidefoot pass into the far corner, I think nine times out of ten, most players at an Arsenal level, should be taking that chance, that should’ve been a goal. Then they maybe would have gone on to more things because Forest would have had to come out of a low block and be a bit more adventurous. While the game is 0-0, it allows Sean Dyche and his team to stay in and take the space away from Arsenal.’
For more stories like this, check our sport page.
Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Arrow MORE: Mikel Arteta gives Bukayo Saka update and sends message to Man City after ‘small step’
Arrow MORE: Declan Rice blasts Arsenal performance after Nottingham Forest draw
Arrow MORE: Gary Neville compares Man Utd star to Eric Cantona after ‘outstanding’ Man City display
Comment now Comments Add Metro as a Preferred Source on Google Add as preferred source Football Newsletter – In The MixerPunchy analysis, transfer talk and more from Metro's football experts, sent straight to your inbox every week.
Team Expand Options ? Select All Select All Arsenal Arsenal Aston Villa Aston Villa Bournemouth Bournemouth Brighton Brighton Burnley Burnley Chelsea Chelsea Crystal Palace Crystal Palace Everton Everton Fulham Fulham Leeds United Leeds United Liverpool Liverpool Manchester City Manchester City Manchester United Manchester United Newcastle Newcastle Nottingham Forest Nottingham Forest Sunderland Sunderland Tottenham Tottenham West Ham West Ham Wolves Wolves Email I agree to receive newsletters from Metro I agree to receive newsletters from Metro Sign UpSign UpThis site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Your information will be used in line with our Privacy Policy