Unai Emery has been keen to play down Villa’s title aspirations, even though they have deservedly placed themselves right at the heart of the conversation. He can do so with more justification now as he said: “There are other teams with more potential than us.

“We lost a very good opportunity here, but we are having a fantastic season. We lost the opportunity to be second in the league, something very fantastic, but we must now recover.

“When you lose you are sad. When you win you are happy. We have been happy more times than sad this season.”

Villa still look a good bet for a Champions League place, which would be deservedly celebrated, but there was no disguising Emery’s disappointment, as well as that of the increasingly agitated home fans, at this setback.

It is little wonder Emery is believed to have his sights set on bringing striker Tammy Abraham, currently on loan at Besiktas from Roma, back to Villa Park.

Villa have sold Donyell Malen to Roma, the forward scoring on his debut, and their need for added firepower is reflected in the fact this was the seventh Premier League match in which they have failed to score this season, as many times as they drew a blank in the whole of the 2024-25 campaign.

So, for all Arsenal‘s frustration at not seeing off Nottingham Forest, they have come out of the weekend with their position strengthened.

Arsenal have cemented their position while those around them are not showing the consistency and quality of title contenders.

Manchester City were perceived as the biggest threat to Arsenal, but they have picked up only three points out of 12.

Arsenal have been the great pretenders to the Premier League title in recent years, finishing second in the past three seasons.

This is the chance they have yearned for. In control of their own destiny as those they will regard as rivals falter.

Arteta has an all-powerful squad, built on an air-tight defence with quality in all areas.

Arsenal may have been feeling they had left the door ajar with the draw at Forest. Not any more. It has now closed even further on those nursing title aspirations of their own.

The cards are falling in Arsenal‘s favour – what can possibly go wrong from here?