After Arsenal’s 2-1 victory over Nottingham Forest, tension escalated between key players Ben White and Oleksandr Zinchenko, resulting in a heated argument that required physical separation.
Gabriel Jesus and Bukayo Saka secured the first and second goals for Arsenal between the 65th and 72nd minutes of the second half. Despite Taiwo Awoniyi scoring for Nottingham Forest in the 89th minute, Mikel Arteta’s team faced late concerns. In stoppage time, a remarkable save by David Raya prevented the Nigerian striker from equalizing.
Post-match, Zinchenko and White engaged in a heated argument, leading one of Arsenal’s coaches to intervene and separate them. Images from the incident suggest a conversation between the players before Arteta stepped in for a private discussion with Zinchenko.
Arteta addressed the incident during his post-game press conference, stating, “I have to encourage that and promote it in the right and respectful way.” In a separate interview with TNT Sports, he added, “That’s pushing each other and being not happy conceding. Sometimes after the game it’s emotional and heated, but I love that the players are pushing each other and demanding excellence.”
Despite losing their initial four games in all competitions, Arsenal has now secured their second consecutive Premier League win. Jesus’ goal, especially significant as the Brazilian attacker had not scored since December 17 against Brighton, provides a considerable boost for the team.
