Premier League: Forest survive as Arsenal's title hopes end

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 Nottingham Forest 1 - 0 Arsenal

(Manchester City are now Premier League champions.)

Forest 1 - 0 Arsenal

Nottingham Forest beat Arsenal at the City Ground to secure their Premier League survival. Taiwo Awoniyi's 19th-minute goal was enough to seal the win and spark jubilant scenes from the home supporters at the final whistle.

Arsenal dominated possession throughout the match but they could not find a way through Forest's spirited defence.

After what must have seemed like an age as he paced up and down his technical area, waiting for seven minutes of injury time to pass and the loss of goalkeeper Keylor Navas in the very last seconds, Forest boss Steve Cooper was able to celebrate survival.

In the stand above, owner Evangelos Marinakis was also hugged by those around him, having been rewarded for keeping faith with Cooper during a tumultuous campaign.

Premier League news (eurosuperfootball.blogspot.com)

Awoniyi was the hero again.

He only scored four times in his first 23 Premier League games after joining Forest from Union Berlin - but now has five in his past three.

Morgan Gibbs-White's form has also shown a major upturn over the past few weeks, and it was little surprise the pair combined to put Forest ahead.

There was an element of luck given Gabriel slid in to reach Gibbs-White's angled pass into the penalty area first.

Where does Arsenal go from here?

Qualifying for the Champions League would have been considered a success at the start of the season. However, after being several points clear at the start of March, they would have been annoyed that they have thrown it away like this.

<More Arsenal news can be found here>

More sport news from across Europe: European Super News (eurosupernews.blogspot.com)

This match probably summed up their recent run of form. It would be grossly unfair to say Arsenal did not deserve something from this game.

They dominated possession for long periods, and only some diligent Forest defending kept them at arm's length. The clinical edge of their early season performances has deserted them just as Manchester City have hit top gear.

 Let's explore some of the best social media reaction.

Nicola Clark commented on the below Facebook post. She said: "Am I dreaming? I just can't get enough. Well done reds, we did it, just awesome. Onto Crystal Palace, we go."

Mo Dukuly added in the same post: "Believing in your manager when the odds were against him has been one of the highlights of the season."

Jon Mannion added: "I am so proud of all the players & love the job Stevie Cooper has done for our club!. I hope you all had a great night celebrating you deserve it!"

Gary Tordoff posted this on Facebook: "Finishing 2nd in the Premier League with a group of players and a squad nowhere near the size or quality. It has still been a decent season for us."

This was a view supported by Anji Bland. He added: " It has been a wonderful season, thank you everyone at Arsenal. Yes, it’s sad that we went so far and didn't get over the line. However, I’m very proud of this squad and manager. Thank you everyone."

Paul Humphrey gave an interesting perspective on Arsenal, their fans and the club as a whole. he said: "Just wanted to thank Mikel for a great season, let's go again next year. The so-called Arsenal fans can get real! All the ‘Arteta out’ mob are now in full flight. For 247 days we didn't hear a peep. Now you want him out after overachieving on every level. Arsenal were predicted 5th by the sports betting markets, and every pundit did not have Arsenal in the top 4. We end up a solid second to one of the best sides the Premier League has ever seen. Yes, we faded towards the end when the injuries mounted up, and don't forget this was the only season in history with a World Cup mid-season! We didn't have the depth."

How will this Premier League season end? Keep visiting Premier League news (eurosuperfootball.blogspot.com) for more news and stories. 

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