(Football news) The Gunners defeated Crystal Palace 5-0 last weekend to get back to winning and scoring ways, while Nuno Espirito Santo’s team was forced to settle for a 0-0 draw with Bristol City in Friday’s FA Cup match. 

While Taiwo Awoniyi’s boot put an end to Arsenal’s hopes of becoming Premier League stars last season and guaranteed Nottingham Forest a spot in the big time for the second year running, a third consecutive season of top-flight play is far from a given.

Since replacing the man who masterminded that season-defining beating of the Gunners, Nuno Espirito Santo has overseen a spate of end-to-end, goal-packed affairs in the Forest dugout, with a staggering 26 strikes flying in during his opening six fixtures at the helm, including five in their last Premier League showdown with Brentford.

However, three days after bettering Blackpool 3-2 in the FA Cup, the Tricky Trees were put to the sword by the same scoreline against the Ivan Toney-inspired Bees, although the striker’s comeback strike – a clever free kick low into the goal – was clouded in controversy, as he appeared to move the ball while Santo’s wall prepped themselves.

An infuriated Forest – who sit 16th in the rankings with a four-point lead over Luton Town in 18th – have since been informed that VAR were unable to intervene, and after controversially losing that fixture, they lost their golden scoring streak at Ashton Gate on Friday evening.

An FA Cup fourth-round replay with Bristol City is on the cards owing to that uninspiring goalless draw, but a first Premier League home fixture of 2024 now awaits for the Reds, exactly one month on from their striking 2-1 victory over Manchester United to end a four-game losing streak at the City Ground

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