Where does Mikel Arteta turn after another goalless display?

A snappy Mikel Arteta greeted reporters after Wednesday night's stalemate with Nottingham Forest.

The Arsenal boss wasn't keen on divulging too much into his team's current situation, with any questions posed greeted by short answers without the hint of a smirk. The frustration was palpable.

For the first time since May 2023, Arsenal have failed to score in back-to-back Premier League games. They're now 13 points behind Liverpool. The title's gone, and a deep Champions League run appears unlikely - especially with their route to the final.

There was an improvement from Saturday's 1-0 defeat to West Ham on Wednesday, with third-place Nottingham Forest entering the contest having won five of their previous six at the City Ground. The Gunners produced a sound defensive performance which laid the foundations for a gritty victory, but, once again, they failed to land a noticeable blow in the final third.

Arsenal's improvement at Nottingham Forest wasn't enough

David Raya was forced to make one save of note after an hour of Arsenal control. The speedy Forest were limited on the breakaway, and Arteta's structural tweaks aided the Gunners in possession. There was less onus on Declan Rice as a playmaker, with the Englishman operating closer to Jorginho. Riccardo Calafiori instead marauded into zones occupied by Rice at the weekend, and the Italian supplied the visitors' biggest threat in the first half.

However, an early booking convinced the boss to act. "We couldn’t not play again with ten men,” Arteta said post-match, explaining Calafiori's half-time withdrawal.

Kieran Tierney was fine as his replacement, but Arsenal's open-play threat faded in the second half. Their two moments of note - Mikel Merino's header and the back post and Tierney's near post effort - both arrived from set pieces, with these chances making up the bulk of their 1.32 xG (via Understat).

Despite their control and mitigation of Forest's distinct attacking threat, Arsenal mustered just three shots on target after registering two at the weekend. They're huffing and puffing without blowing any houses down. Landing punches which are being missed by the judges. Neither team looked like scoring on Wednesday night.

How can Mikel Arteta ignite a struggling Arsenal attack?

Unfortunately for Arsenal, not much is going to change over the next month. Arteta confirmed post-match that Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka won't be back until after the March international break. Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz are out for the season. We're going to have to rock with this flagging personnel for the next four games.

Arteta's tried things, too. We've seen false nine Leandro Trossard, Maraoune Merino quickly lose his novelty, Raheem Sterling attempt to play football off both flanks, and Calafiori operate from where he pleases. What else can he do with the options at his disposal?

Arsenal are currently relying on a quartet of bodies to occupy three spots in the frontline. One was signed to win duels in the middle of the park, another hasn't played his best football since he switched Manchester for the capital, a 17-year-old has suddenly become incredibly important at work, and the other has long been regarded as a handy squad player who doesn't raise the level.

We need more from Martin Odegaard, that's for sure, but his underwhelming season continued in midweek, and questions continue to arise over his long-term viability. He's too lateral, at the moment. Arsenal require risk. At this stage, what have they got to lose?

Could we see Ethan Nwaneri operate in tandem with Odegaard ahead of Rice, with Sterling functioning down one of the flanks? Arsenal have struggled for central penetration all season, with Arteta preferring to attack out wide from a security perspective. It's time to forget about risk-aversion, Mikel.

There are four games before the break, including the critical Champions League round of 16 tie. Many will forget the context surrounding the club's current situation should the Gunners succumb to the Dutch champions. Right now, you'd still back Arsenal to shut any team out, but trusting them to get on the scoresheet is another matter entirely.

Mikel Arteta has been sold short, and the players have been hung out to dry. How much responsibility the manager holds in Arsenal's January window is hard to gauge, but it doesn't take a genius to work out that he isn't best pleased with the current situation. Things may get worse before they improve.

READ THE LATEST ARSENAL NEWS HERE!