Nottingham Forest held Premier League leaders Arsenal to a disciplined 0-0 draw at the City Ground, with Elliot Anderson delivering a standout midfield display that earned high praise from Sean Dyche and helped secure a valuable point in a demanding run of fixtures.
The result continued Forest's strong recent form against leading sides, having also faced Manchester City and Aston Villa away in this spell. It was Forest's first goalless league match since February last year, which was also a 0-0 at home against Arsenal.
Anderson again shaped Forest's play in possession and without the ball. The midfielder recorded a team-high 75 touches and completed 37 passes. Anderson won 12 of 15 duels, claimed all five aerial contests and regained possession seven
times, underlining the work rate Dyche highlighted.
Dyche felt Anderson and the wider midfield group set the standard for Forest's organised display. He told BBC Match of the Day: "It's not easy playing these sides, the commitment is different. There's the commitment to score a goal of course, but what about the commitment to the shape, the basics, the hard yards of the game? And I thought we did that fantastically well as a group. I thought Elliot Anderson was a Rolls-Royce today, him and Callum Hudson-Odoi. I thought Nicolas Dominguez off the ball, the stuff us manager's love, from his shape and his diligence. "
Forest restricted Arsenal for long periods, although the visitors created one major first-half opening. Gabriel Martinelli had an empty net to aim at after a low cross evaded the defence, but the forward failed to convert, letting Forest off a rare defensive lapse on the night.
A key moment arrived on 80 minutes when Ola Aina was involved in a penalty-area incident. The ball appeared to strike Aina's arm, yet officials judged it had first touched the shoulder, with the arm then in what was considered a natural position, so no penalty was awarded.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta believed the decision should have gone the other way and viewed it as a clear handball. Dyche strongly disagreed and defended the on-field call when speaking to TNT Sports after the match, stressing his concern about how such incidents are judged.
Dyche told TNT Sports: "I think if these start to get given we've all got to leave it. I think that's ridiculous. We've got to be careful with those, Dyche told TNT Sports. You may as well cancel football if you're going to give that. The rules have to be careful. You know what they should be looking at, people feigning injury. That's the new diving. I wouldn't worry about the handballs. Cancel football if that handball is given. "
The influence of Ibrahim Sangare in midfield also featured in Dyche's assessment of Forest's display against Arsenal. Dyche said: "Amongothers, but Ibrahim Sangare gives us that little bit of solid feel, he know what position to be in and allows Elliot to be a little bit freer and loser. There's a lot of good things here. We've just taken four points against some top sides in that run. We've played Manchester City, Villa away, these are tough games. So I'm pleased we've come away with another point. "
Support inside the City Ground was again strong throughout the Nottingham Forest clash with Arsenal, with the home crowd responding to the side's energy and compact shape.
The City Ground atmosphere this evening. Thank you for your support, Reds. pic.twitter.com/7nYDBBiFfsNottingham Forest (@NFFC) January 17, 2026
Forest's draw with Arsenal keeps momentum from a demanding sequence of fixtures, with Dyche highlighting both the tactical structure and individual contributions. Anderson's control, Sangare's positioning and the collective work off the ball combined to frustrate the league leaders and secure another important point at the City Ground.
