(Football news) Midweek saw both teams improve their title chances: the Gunners defeated Nottingham Forest 2-1 in a tight match, and Jurgen Klopp’s ruthless crop crushed Chelsea 4-1. 

Arsenal suffered for more than an hour against a compact Reds rearguard during their unwelcome return to their old attacking ways during Tuesday’s match against Nottingham Forest at the City Ground, a venue where they had lost their previous three visits. Mikel Arteta’s team was playing at the stadium.

However, Forest’s diligent defensive work was ultimately undone by a pair of blunders, as erstwhile Gunners goalkeeper Matt Turner allowed a Gabriel Jesus strike to squirm through his legs at his near post, before World Cup winner Gonzalo Montiel cheaply gave the ball away and was powerless to prevent Bukayo Saka clinically finishing off the counter-attack.

The bulldozing Taiwo Awoniyi did set up a nail-biting finale, but the yellow-clad Arsenal clung on to record their second successive Premier League win since a much-needed winter break, having obliterated Crystal Palace 5-0 upon their return from the Dubai sun.

Arsenal’s curse-lifting victory briefly propelled the Gunners into the silver medal position in the table, but they have since been bumped back down to third spot by Manchester City – who are only ahead on goal difference but boast a game in hand – while Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa remain on the coat-tails of last year’s runners-up too.

Boasting six wins from their last seven top-flight contests at the Emirates Stadium – the one aberration being a 2-0 defeat to West Ham United – vengeance will be the special dish on the North London menu this weekend, as Arteta’s men seek to right the wrongs of an identical FA Cup loss to their Merseyside foes.

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