Nottingham Forest boss Nuno Espirito Santo said his side’s night of toil in their FA Cup replay against Bristol City was worth it after they booked a fifth-round tie with Manchester United.

Forest needed a penalty shootout to get past the Championship outfit after it ended 1-1 after 120 minutes at the City Ground.

Goalkeeper Matt Turner was the hero as he saved Sam Bell’s effort in the shootout after Divock Origi’s first goal for Forest had been cancelled out by Jason Knight’s leveller.

“We are so happy it was tough but it was worth it,” the Portuguese said. “We had players struggling, extra time, let’s assess them now and see how they are.

“With players that have been out for so long it is tough, but it was the best possible way to manage the situation we are in now, trying to protect players that are returning, we have to measure the minutes they are on the pitch.

“The response was good. It was tough, but the attitude and the character to never give up makes me very, very happy.

“This is the FA Cup, it is so special and that is why we are so happy and proud to keep continuing and fighting for something that is so huge for us, to fight for a trophy, with the history of the club we have to keep on fighting and try to deliver.”

Manchester United visit the City Ground in three weeks for the fifth-round tie.

“It is going to be fantastic and huge for us but before that we have a lot of things to prepare. We have a tough one on Saturday (against Newcastle),” Nuno added.

Bristol City boss Liam Manning was proud of his side’s effort and praised Bell, despite his decisive penalty miss in the shootout.

Manning said: “He is understandably gutted, the lads have been great and got around him.

“As tough as an experience it is right now, it is only going to be one that makes him tougher and stronger. I said to him that’s the best he has been since I have been here, I thought his performance level was excellent.

“We wouldn’t have got to penalties if it wasn’t for him making that recovery run and tackle at the back post.

“He has got an exciting future ahead of him, he’s got talent, it’s now how we turn that into consistent performances.

“There was huge pride in the performance level, in the last 15 minutes of extra time we were pushing and the better side and created so many chances.”

Matt Turner came good for Nottingham Forest as he was the hero in an FA Cup fourth-round replay penalty shoot-out win against Bristol City which set up a mouth-watering tie with Manchester United.

Turner has made several high-profile mistakes in recent weeks which saw boss Nuno Espirito Santo sign a new goalkeeper in the January transfer window.

But the United States international kept Bristol City at bay throughout 120 minutes and then saved Sam Bell’s spot-kick as Forest won the shoot-out 5-3 after the tie had ended 1-1.

Divock Origi’s first goal for Forest since his summer move from AC Milan had given them an early lead but the spirited Championship side troubled their Premier League hosts throughout and levelled through Jason Knight.

They could have won the tie in both normal time and extra time had it not been for Turner, who pulled off a string of saves throughout the night.

Forest’s reward is a fifth-round match against Manchester United at the City Ground in three weeks, though they will have to improve immeasurably considering they have laboured past League One Blackpool in the third round and now the second-tier Robins.

Forest, who made eight changes from the side that drew at Bournemouth in the league on Sunday, had designs on an easy night when they took an eighth-minute lead.

Morgan Gibbs-White forced Max O’Leary into a stunning one-handed save down to his right, but from the resulting corner Origi glanced home to break his Forest duck.

However, it quickly became apparent that a long night was in store as the Robins levelled six minutes later.

Turner tipped Andy King’s shot from distance on to one post, the ball rolled across the line and hit the other post, where Haydon Roberts collected it and teed up Knight to tap into an empty net.

Turner then had to get down well to save Anis Mehmeti’s effort and did even better to keep out Tommy Conway’s low shot as Forest were on the rack.

Mehmeti had another effort saved by Turner early in the second half as the Forest goalkeeper was kept busy.

Forest sent on Taiwo Awoniyi and Callum Hudson-Odoi to try and wrestle control of the game.

And they began to build some pressure in the final 10 minutes.

Nuno Tavares saw a drilled effort parried by O’Leary before Hudson-Odoi teed up Neco Williams but he shot just wide as the game went to an additional period.

Both sides had chances in extra time as the impenetrable Turner again denied Mehmeti with a stretching save while Moussa Niakhate sent a free header wide.

It was the Championship side who were pushing for a winner in the second half of extra time as Nahki Wells was somehow denied on the line after a good move down the left while Matty James whistled a shot over from a corner.

But the game was decided from the penalty spot and Turner denied Bell, which allowed Awoniyi to fire home the winning kick.

What the papers say

Raphael Varane is reportedly the latest big name attracting a wealth of interest from Saudi Arabia. The Daily Star says Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr are hoping to reunite the Manchester United defender with his former Real Madrid and Red Devils team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo, with an offer believed to be in the region of £50million a year.

The Independent reports Kylian Mbappe‘s contract negotiations with Real Madrid have hit a stumbling block. According to the paper, the two parties are yet to come to terms on the 25-year-old striker’s wage package, with an agreement believed to be a way off. However, there is belief amongst all involved – including Mbappe’s current club Paris St Germain – that a deal to take the France captain to Spain will eventually be made.

And The Telegraph reports Aston Villa has reached a verbal agreement on a new long-term contract for Jamaica winger Leon Bailey.

Social media round-upPlayers to watch

Raphinha: Journalist Paul O’Keefe says on X the Barcelona attacker is being carefully monitored by Tottenham.

Hwang Ui-jo: The Nottingham Forest striker has agreed terms to spend the rest of the season on loan at Turkish side Alanyaspor, reports Turkish outlet Sports Digitale.

Nuno Espirito Santo delivered a stern message to Philip Billing after the Bournemouth substitute was dismissed for what the Nottingham Forest boss felt was a “compromising” challenge on Callum Hudson-Odoi.

The incident happened late in Sunday’s 1-1 Premier League draw at the Vitality Stadium, where Hudson-Odoi had cancelled out Justin Kluivert’s fifth-minute opener before the break.

Referee Rebecca Welch, who was booed off the pitch, issued Billing a straight red card in the 84th minute of the stop-and-start contest when he clipped the Forest goal-scorer’s Achilles in a midfield challenge. The sight of Hudson-Odoi limping off dampening an afternoon in which relegation-threatened Forest picked up a valuable point.

Nuno, who agreed with Welch’s decision, said: “It’s obvious that it’s a red card and it’s not fair because I think, with all my respect to Billing, I hope he understands when he listens to these words.

“There’s other ways to stop the game. There’s other ways, without compromising the player, you know what I mean? There’s other ways.”

There were few clear-cut chances in the second half a contest that was characterised by its stop-and-start rhythm, with 31 fouls and 17 corners collectively conceded.

The hosts quickly established a lead from Lewis Cook’s corner, flicked on by Luis Sinisterra to Kluivert, who tapped the fifth-minute opener past January signing Matz Sels on his Forest debut, before Hudson-Odoi drew the sides level.

Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola disagreed with Welch’s decision to send off Billing and – when asked if he agreed with his counterpart’s assessment that the game had been “not easy at all for the referee” – said: “I think there haven’t been any difficult decisions to take.

“Probably the level of fouls called was much higher than other games, normally in the Premier League you don’t arrive to 20 or something like this, so everything was much stopped and this can affect the result.”

Iraola also felt his side should have been given a final corner before Welch, who in December became the first woman to referee a Premier League contest, blew the whistle on seven minutes of second-half stoppage-time.

He did not, however, feel the official, whose performance in the Cherries’ FA Cup tie with QPR he praised, was treated any differently because of her gender after chants of “you’re not fit to referee” rang out around the stadium.

If another referee had made the same decisions, Iraola said: “I think it would be the same reception. I think against QPR she dealt with the game really, really well.

“Today probably there were a lot of stops and probably it wasn’t an easy game for her, but I don’t think (the reception) would be different.”

Callum Hudson-Odoi struck late in the first half of Nottingham Forest’s 1-1 Premier League draw at 10-man Bournemouth to secure a vital point for his relegation-threatened side.

Justin Kluivert gave the hosts an early lead, but the sides were back on level terms after Hudson-Odoi curled in the equaliser on the stroke of half-time.

His afternoon came to a premature end, however, when substitute Philip Billing clipped the back of his Achilles and was dismissed by referee Rebecca Welch, who was booed off the pitch by the home support.

Dominic Solanke needed just a goal to draw level with Erling Haaland and Mohamed Salah in the Golden Boot chase, but barely touched the ball in the stop-and-start contest.

The hosts quickly established a lead from Lewis Cook’s corner, flicked on by Luis Sinisterra to Kluivert, who tapped the fifth-minute opener past January signing Matz Sels on his Forest debut.

Taiwo Awoniyi – looking for his 12th goal of the campaign – had forced Neto into two simple stops by the 15-minute mark and perhaps should have done better on his second attempt after a threatening run.

Antoine Semenyo tried to extend the Cherries’ advantage with a sharp effort from the right, while a scramble from a Forest corner was finally shut down when Neto denied Ryan Yates from close range.

Save another soft Yates effort, neither side looked like scoring as the contest approached the halfway point of the staccato, set-piece-heavy period until Hudson-Odoi squared things up on the stroke of half-time.

Morgan Gibbs-White floated in a free-kick from the right and the awaiting Hudson-Odoi took his time, weaving his way through a sea of red before curling the equaliser past Neto and into the bottom-right corner.

The second half began with a familiar rhythm to the first, Forest unable to do anything with the contest’s 10th corner, while Bournemouth’s sixth of the afternoon – and 11th of the match – was also cleared.

Andoni Iraola made three changes early in the half, bringing in Marcus Tavernier for Semenyo immediately after the restart before replacing Kluivert – who had previously been booked by Welch – with Biling, and bringing on Alex Scott for Ryan Christie.

It remained anyone’s game with 20 minutes remaining, Tavernier having tried his luck but firing over, while Selz managed to get his hand to another Bournemouth corner.

Welch showed Billing a straight red in the 84th minute, when the Denmark international clipped the back of Hudson-Odoi’s ankle in midfield.

The Forest goal scorer limped to the touchline and briefly looked like carrying on before the contest entered seven minutes of stoppage time, where neither side was able to make a difference.

Crystal Palace swooped for midfielder Adam Wharton in a reported £22million switch from Blackburn to make the biggest Premier League move of transfer deadline day.

The Eagles – fighting to stay clear of being dragged into a relegation battle – are said to have paid a fee of £18million, which could potentially see a further £4m in add-ons for the talented 19-year-old.

Wharton, who has signed a five-and-a-half-year contract, feels Crystal Palace is the right place for him to further his ambitions.

“The way they have brought players from the Championship and developed them into world-class players in the Premier League is something that stood out to me,” Wharton said on the club’s website. “It is a big reason why I wanted to come here.”

Burnley, who sit second bottom of the table, have completed a loan deal for Montpellier defender Maxime Esteve until the end of the season.

The 21-year-old centre-back watched Burnley’s 3-1 defeat at Manchester City on Wednesday night before completing the formalities of his deal ahead of Thursday night’s deadline.

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“I am really happy and ever since I first heard about the move I wanted to move here,” Esteve said.

“I have followed the Premier League since being a young child and had only pictured myself ever being here, so I am really excited,” he said.

Plenty more deals look set to be done ahead of the 11pm cut-off, with Fulham chasing a loan deal for Chelsea striker Armando Broja.

PA understands West Ham’s Pablo Fornals has permission to discuss a £7million move to Real Betis, while Said Benrahma is in France undergoing a medical at Lyon.

Brentford head coach Thomas Frank, though, says that Ivan Toney will not be leaving the club.

England striker Toney has been linked with Premier League rivals such as Arsenal and Chelsea in the January window.

The 27-year-old has scored 34 goals in 68 top-flight games for the Bees and Frank insists Toney will stay put after a month of speculation.

“This will be breaking news, OK – but Ivan will stay,” Frank said at his press conference previewing Monday’s clash with Manchester City.

Earlier, top-flight clubs Nottingham Forest, Aston Villa and Newcastle all completed deals to strengthen their squads.

Forest signed 18-year-old striker Rodrigo Ribeiro on loan from Sporting Lisbon until the end of the season, Morgan Rogers swapped Middlesbrough for Villa Park in a reported £8million switch and Newcastle brought in teenage midfielder Alfie Harrison from Manchester City.

Brighton midfielder Mahmoud Dahoud has joined Stuttgart on loan.

Ribeiro’s move to Forest could become permanent, and he told the club’s YouTube channel: “I promise to work every day and to keep going with the work and help the team.”

In the Sky Bet Championship, promotion-chasing Ipswich signed Wales forward Kieffer Moore on loan from Bournemouth.

West Brom brought Celtic winger Mikey Johnston to The Hawthorns, versatile Manchester City player Josh Wilson-Esbrand signed for Cardiff until the end of the season and Liverpool defender Billy Koumetio linked up with Blackburn on loan.

Earlier, midfielder Alex Pritchard completed a move from Sunderland to Birmingham.

The 30-year-old has signed a two-and-a-half-year contract to reunite with former Black Cats boss Tony Mowbray.

Sunderland reacted quickly to fill the gap in their squad, signing winger Romaine Mundle from Standard Liege.

Hull have signed Turkey midfielder Abdulkadir Omur from Trabzonspor, while Swansea brought in young forward Charles Sagoe Jr on a six-month loan from Arsenal.

It has been an unusually quiet transfer deadline day as some Premier League club’s look to get new signings in ahead of the 11pm deadline.

Here, the PA news agency takes a look at some of the best deals done so far.

Rogers makes Villa switch

Aston Villa have completed a move for Morgan Rogers from Middlesbrough, with the forward having impressed in the Sky Bet Championship so far this season with seven goals and eight assists to his name.

The 21-year-old arrived at Villa Park after Middlesbrough finally succumbed to an offer in the region of £16million.

Rogers will now line up in the Premier League to help Unai Emery’s side pursue a spot in Europe come the end of the season.

Rodrigo Ribeiro becomes Nuno’s first

Nottingham Forest captured 18-year-old forward Ruben Ribeiro from Sporting Lisbon as Nuno Espirito Santo made his first signing as Forest boss.

The 18-year-old striker has joined the club on loan for the remainder of the season, in a deal which could be made permanent.

Ribeiro has turned out seven times for Sporting so far this campaign and has even played in the Champions League, making his debut against Manchester City in March 2022.

Gio Reyna added to Forest ranks

Nottingham Forest have once again been one of the busier clubs on deadline day and completed a second loan signing of USA midfielder Reyna from Borussia Dortmund.

Reyna has made 121 appearances for Dortmund since 2019 and has already earned 24 caps in international colours.

Reyna will bring a wealth of experience from the Bundesliga and Champions League as Forest aim to bolster their bid to survive in the Premier League.

Dahoud goes back to Germany

Midfielder Mahmoud Dahoud joined Brighton from Borussia Dortmund in the summer but will now head back to Germany on loan at Stuttgart until the end of the season.

The 28-year-old German has made 14 appearances in all competitions but has fallen out of favour since receiving a red card against Sheffield United in November and has not featured for the Seagulls since a 1-1 draw with Burnley at the start of December.

Technical director David Weir said: “This is a good move for Mahmoud. It will give him an opportunity to play regularly for a side doing very well towards the top of the Bundesliga. We wish him well for the rest of the campaign.”

Mowbray secures Pritchard

In a sign of how quiet things have been, a Championship deal cracks the top five.

Midfielder Alex Pritchard becomes Birmingham’s third signing of the January transfer window.

The 30-year-old will link up with former boss Tony Mowbray on a two-and-a-half year contract

Nottingham Forest and Brighton made early moves in an otherwise sedate start to transfer deadline day.

Forest have been one of the most active clubs in the transfer market in recent times and continued that trend with the signing of Rodrigo Ribeiro from Sporting Lisbon.

The 18-year-old striker has joined on loan until the end of the season in a deal which could become permanent.

Ribeiro came through the ranks in Lisbon and made his professional debut for the club as a late substitute in a Champions League tie against Manchester City in March 2022.

There was an exit rather than an arrival at Brighton, with midfielder Mahmoud Dahoud moving to Stuttgart on loan until the end of the season.

The 28-year-old German joined Albion in June last year from Borussia Dortmund and returns to the Bundesliga after making 14 appearances in all competitions for the club.

Technical director David Weir said: “This is a good move for Mahmoud. It will give him an opportunity to play regularly for a side doing very well towards the top of the Bundesliga. We wish him well for the rest of the campaign.”

In the Sky Bet Championship, midfielder Alex Pritchard completed his move from Sunderland to Birmingham for an undisclosed fee.

The 30-year-old has signed a two-and-a-half-year contract to reunite with former Black Cats boss Tony Mowbray.

“I am happy,” Pritchard told BluesTV.

“My future has been well speculated for a while now and I am just glad to get everything done and just settled and, hopefully, I can just crack on with football.”

0915 – DONE DEAL – In League Two, high-flying Wrexham have signed Luke Bolton from Salford, with the defender joining for an undisclosed fee.

0900 – DONE DEAL – There has been a flurry of early activity.

Nottingham Forest have bolstered their squad, bringing in striker Rodrigo Ribeiro on loan from Sporting Lisbon, while Brighton’s Mahmoud Dahoud has joined Stuttgart on loan for the rest of the season.

0845 – There could be some departures at West Ham today, with Said Benrahma and Pablo Fornals linked with moves.

Lyon are said to be keen on Algeria forward Benrahma, while Real Betis have been linked with Fornals.

0830 – Some deals were done the evening before transfer deadline day, with Nottingham Forest bringing in United States midfielder Giovanni Reyna on loan from Borussia Dortmund until the end of the season.

Elsewhere, Facundo Pellistri made a loan switch away from Manchester United on Wednesday night, joining Granada for the rest of the season.

0815 – Scottish Premiership leaders Celtic seem likely to add to their squad on deadline day.

They are closing in on the loan signing of Norwich striker Adam Idah, with the 22-year-old Republic of Ireland international reportedly arriving in Glasgow on Wednesday to seal his move to the Hoops until the end of the season.

0750 – Crystal Palace also look set to sign a player from the Championship today, with Blackburn midfielder Adam Wharton said to be close to swapping Lancashire for South London.

Palace have reportedly agreed a fee of £18million plus £4m for Wharton, who could sign a five-and-a-half-year deal at Selhurst Park.

0730 – Aston Villa are expected to strengthen their squad before the window slams shut.

Middlesbrough winger Morgan Rogers is the man they want, and the deal could be worth £16million.

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0715 – Welcome to the PA news agency’s live transfer deadline day blog.

The winter transfer window closes this evening at 11pm for Premier League and EFL clubs while it is 11.30pm for teams in Scotland.

There are plenty of deals in the pipeline, with Fulham linked with a deadline-day loan move for Chelsea striker Armando Broja and Rangers expected to complete the signing of Colombian winger Oscar Cortes on loan from Lens.

Evangelos Marinakis believes Premier League chief executive Richard Masters did not speak appropriately when appearing to describe Nottingham Forest and Everton as “small clubs” at a parliamentary hearing.

Masters, under questioning at the Culture, Media and Sport Committee two weeks ago, was criticised after seeking to justify the league’s profit and sustainability rules to MPs.

Asked whether “big clubs” were treated differently under the rules, with deliberation over the 115 charges levelled against Premier League champions Manchester City ongoing, Masters said: “The standard directions (on PSR) are for everybody, they’re not just for the small clubs.”

Forest owner Marinakis responded to those comments at the racial and gender equity in European football conference being hosted by his club.

“I think that was not appropriate,” Marinakis said. “I think it was a bit careless. I think that Nottingham Forest and Everton are very big clubs and maybe are bigger than the ones that we consider today big clubs.

“Big team and small teams is maybe not an appropriate expression.”

At the same conference Thierry Henry, Lilian Thuram, Viv Anderson and Anthony Elanga joined other prominent footballers in signing a pledge to committing themselves to publicly push for racial equality in football.

The statement comes after players and Harvard academics discussed how to further anti-discriminatory aims and references recent cases of racist abuse faced by black professionals involving AC Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan and Coventry midfielder Kasey Palmer.

Henry said the onus must be put on to football’s governing bodies to make change, saying: “Sometimes you have the sense that the players on the field are alone.”

Gabriel Jesus has vowed to make scoring goals his priority after inspiring Arsenal to a 2-1 win at Nottingham Forest.

The Brazil forward, who shook off a knee injury to play in the game, opened the scoring in the 65th minute and then laid on a second for Bukayo Saka seven minutes later.

Jesus has had questions asked of him after scoring 19 goals in 56 games in all competitions since his £45million move from Manchester City in summer 2022, but he has been a creative force, registering 12 assists in that time.

The 26-year-old, who has scored 73 Premier League goals in total, now wants to concentrate on adding to that tally.

“Sometimes it is all about stats and sometimes it is all about watching the game,” he said. “Let’s go, come on.

“If you watch the game, you see me playing… I am close to 100 in the Premier League – that’s not easy.

“Then in the Champions League I am scoring a lot, in the national team I score. Sometimes, like I say, I am not focused on that (scoring goals) and that’s I think my mistake.

“So now, I think I change my mindset and I will be in the box more – and I try everything to score.”

Jesus is also working on keeping positive after missing chances – something he did at the City Ground as he scored moments after hitting the post.

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“Also I am changing my mindset, I think I am more focused on the game now,” he said. “Before, when I miss one or two chances (I may have got disheartened)… I think that was not the case today.

“I think I created and my team gave me the ball – it was amazing – and I hit the post. I think it was more unlucky than a miss, but I keep trying.

“A minute after, I create another one and I miss the time to shoot, but I keep working, I keep trying, I keep focused on the game.

“I try to find another way to score and it worked. Sometimes it is all about this. Keep trying and then it works.”

Jesus earned the praise of boss Mikel Arteta for his desire to play in the game despite a knee problem.

“Gabi started to win the game two days ago,” the Spaniard said. “He had an issue with his knee and everyone was trying to protect him and saying don’t go outside.

“But he was saying (matchday) -2, (matchday) -1, I want to be there I want to help the team to win the game. When you have that mentality, good things are going to happen. I’m really pleased with him.

“He got hit big time in the last game. His knee reacted and it’s the knee he had (surgery on) before. He was super positive, he’s feeling good and he was so sharp in training. I’m not surprised with the way he played.”

Forest grabbed a late consolation through Taiwo Awoniyi on his first appearance since November following groin surgery, the Nigeria striker having been introduced as a half-time replacement for the injured Chris Wood.

“His hamstring felt very tight,” head coach Nuno Espirito Santo said of the New Zealand international. “There was a big risk of injury. He was not feeling OK to continue, so that’s why we made the change.”

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta “loved” seeing Ben White and Oleksandr Zinchenko clash with each other at the end of his side’s 2-1 win over Nottingham Forest.

The Gunners were cruising to an easy three points at the City Ground after second-half goals from Gabriel Jesus and Bukayo Saka but endured a nervy ending when Taiwo Awoniyi capitalised on a defensive mistake to give Forest a lifeline.

They saw out the victory which closed the gap on Premier League leaders Liverpool, but celebrations were cut short when White and Zinchenko had to be separated after arguing over the goal they conceded.

Arteta said: “I love it, they demand more from each other and they are not happy with the way they concede that and they are trying to resolve it.

“It was a bit heated, but that means it is not enough playing the way we played, the result has to be bigger.

“That’s pushing each other and being not happy conceding and I have to encourage that and promote it in the right way and a respectful way.

“Sometimes after the game it’s emotional and heated, but I love that the players are pushing each other and demanding excellence.”

The victory saw the Gunners exorcise the ghosts of last season when May’s 1-0 defeat at the City Ground saw their title challenge come to an end.

And Arteta was pleased to see his side put that right.

“I could feel it, they were talking about it coming to that dressing room,” he said. “It really reminds you, our brains and bodies are really intelligent and coming to the same situation they know what happened and they were really active and engaged and they were talking about the game with each other.

“I thought it was really good.

“I am really happy with the performance and the result. We saw what happened last year and we wanted to put it right, we wanted to generate some momentum in the league and I thought we did that.

“The performance was very good, we completely dominated the game. We had to be patient but we always had an eye to the opponent, we didn’t allow them to run.”

Awoniyi’s goal raised Forest’s hopes of snatching a draw, which would have been a steal considering they made no real attempt to win the match, with Nuno Espirito Santo’s pragmatic approach.

Defeat leaves them hovering precariously above the relegation zone, with the threat of a possible points deduction for breaching Premier League financial rules.

Boss Nuno said: “First half, we defended well. We were organised, compact and didn’t allow too many situations.

“Arsenal are a very good team in possession of the ball. We had to be patient and cover the right spaces in the wide areas.

“We were missing more possession of the ball. We should have had more possession; that was a negative. We were better in that aspect in the second half.

“We started the second half well and had good spells of possession. It was disappointing the way we conceded both goals.

“It was avoidable. We can avoid those situations.

“After we scored, there was a feeling we could have got something. We had a good 10-minute spell. But to sum up, we should have played better.”

Arsenal overcame a sluggish first-half performance to cut the gap on Premier League leaders Liverpool to two points after a 2-1 win at Nottingham Forest.

The Gunners looked toothless in the first half, but rallied to register three big points thanks to goals from Gabriel Jesus and Bukayo Saka.

The result leaves them on the coattails of Liverpool, who can extend their lead back to five points against Chelsea on Wednesday night.

Forest had no intention of going for the win in a pragmatic approach deployed by Nuno Espirito Santo, but they made a game of it late on as Taiwo Awoniyi slammed home in the 89th minute.

Arsenal saw it out to end a three-game losing streak at the City Ground and exorcise the ghosts of last season’s defeat, which saw their title challenge come to an end.

Forest’s situation at the foot of the Premier League is looking precarious, as they sit two points above the relegation zone with the threat of a points deduction for breaking financial rules hanging over them.

It is not in Nuno’s make-up to play an expansive game and his plan was to put men behind the ball and ask Arsenal the question of whether they could break them down.

The first half provided an answer of a resounding no, as for all their possession and territorial advantage the Gunners lacked a cutting edge to trouble Forest.

They had seven shots on target but none of them tested their former team-mate Matt Turner in the Forest goal, with Saka’s snapshot which deflected off Murillo and just wide the nearest they came to breaking the deadlock in the opening 45 minutes.

Forest offered next to nothing as an attacking force, registering just one pass in the final third in the opening half-hour, with Danilo’s drive over the crossbar from distance their only real foray forward.

The Gunners began to turn the screw after the second half and put Forest’s goal under serious threat for the first time.

Turner was forced into his first save when he palmed away Saka’s deflected effort with a strong hand before their best moment came four minutes later.

An intricate move involving Saka and Martin Odegaard led to Jesus being played in but he smashed his effort from a narrow angle into a post.

Eventually Arsenal’s pressure told as they took the lead in the 65th minute, though Turner will not want to see it again.

Forest switched off from Zinchenko’s throw-in and Jesus burst to the byline where his toe-poked shot went through Turner’s legs and into the back of the net.

Turner has come under scrutiny in recent weeks after a number of high-profile mistakes, but has been backed by Nuno, himself a former goalkeeper, though this may change things.

It was 2-0 seven minutes later after a breakaway goal. Gonzalo Montiel fluffed a clearance on the halfway line, skewing straight to Odegaard, who set Jesus free and he picked out Saka at the far post, with the England international making no mistake.

Forest had rarely threatened but Awoniyi, making his first appearance since November, converted after William Saliba’s mistake late on, though they could find a leveller.

Nuno Espirito Santo believes Nottingham Forest have taken a “big step” after a goalless FA Cup draw at Bristol City produced the first clean sheet of his City Ground reign.

Forest must fit a fourth-round replay into their busy schedule after drawing 0-0 with the mid-table Sky Bet Championship side at Ashton Gate.

But boss Nuno focused on the positives after a first clean sheet in his seven games at Forest, saying: “It was a good performance with two different parts.

“The first half was not so good, the second half much better. First half we did not control our pressure, we allowed too many balls inside and they created some problems for us.

“Second half we controlled the game, we dominated and did not allow chances.

“So that’s a big step for us to have a clean sheet. Something we are constantly looking for.

“We created chances in the second half but could not finish. So let’s now go for the second leg because Bristol City is a good team.”

Forest return to Premier League action at home to Arsenal on Tuesday, in 16th place and just four points above the relegation zone.

In what had been a hectic start since replacing Steve Cooper last month, Nuno had seen his Forest side score 14 goals and concede 11 in six games.

“This will definitely help us,” said the Portuguese. “Since we arrived we have not been able to keep a clean sheet.

“Conceding goals is something that has caused too many problems for us. Every game we score two or three goals, but we are conceding too much.

“I told the boys this is our first objective in the game, defend well and keep clean sheets because we have quality and talent to solve the game.

“As a team we must always look to defend well, be compact and not allow chances.”

Bristol City had beaten West Ham in a third-round replay and Ashton Gate was packed to the rafters again in the hope of witnessing another upset.

Forest had the only two attempts on target but there was no lack of endeavour from the Robins – who are 13th in the Championship – and they did cause moments of danger.

City head coach Liam Manning said: “The lads are actually quite frustrated in the changing room, a little bit disappointed.

“I get that and I quite like that, because the intensity, the competitiveness and the bravery we showed – especially in the first half – I thought was excellent.

“We missed a bit of composure around the box, that bit of conviction and cool head you need.

“But it’s another experience ticked off with a lot of positives.

“We’ve got another game now, but it’s a great opportunity and great experience to go up there and test ourselves again.”

Bristol City and Nottingham Forest fought out a goalless FA Cup draw and will replay their fourth-round tie at the City Ground.

Forest will be glad to avoid the fate West Ham suffered in the third round at Ashton Gate when the Sky Bet Championship side produced a memorable upset against Premier League opposition.

But Nuno Espirito Santo’s side will not welcome the extra game amid their battle to stay in the top flight.

Forest shaded the clearest openings during what was a pretty even affair but, in the end, had to settle for a rematch and the first clean sheet of Nuno’s seven-game reign.

City – 13th in the Championship and 17 places below Forest in the football pyramid – fielded 10 of the team that started the West Ham win, with Jason Knight replacing Joe Williams in the Robins’ midfield.

Forest were unchanged from the side that lost a five-goal Premier League thriller at Brentford last weekend.

There was heartening news on the bench as the influential Morgan Gibbs-White returned following a two-game injury lay-off, and the England Under-21 international came on at half-time to good effect.

City, roared on by another capacity crowd, began on the front foot and Tommy Conway was snuffed out twice by Andrew Omobamidele.

Conway was the hero against the Hammers, scoring in both games, but the young striker missed the target from 10 yards when unmarked, side-footing Anis Mehmeti’s cross wide.

Forest had carried little attacking threat in the opening quarter, apart from Nuno Tavares curling a free-kick in to the side-netting.

But the visitors did force the only save of the first half after 28 minutes, with Ryan Yates firing straight at Max O’Leary in the home goal.

City continued to probe but were almost caught by a swift raid moments before the interval.

Chris Wood led the breakout and fed Callum Hudson-Odoi, who pulled the ball back for the onrushing Danilo to hit the hoarding behind the goal.

Knight headed over Taylor Gardner-Hickman’s corner in first-half stoppage time, but Gibbs-White’s arrival gave Forest more fluidity when building attacks.

Gibbs-White almost made an instant impact with a header that was blocked and it was the midfielder’s lofted pass which saw Wood nod tamely at O’Leary.

City responded with Cameron Pring crossing to the far post and Forest goalkeeper Matt Turner shovelling the ball behind under pressure from Knight.

Robins substitute Sam Bell saw Murillo’s midriff get in the way of a powerful attempt, while Hudson-Odoi should have done better than find the side-netting after Gibbs-White had driven at the heart of the home defence.

When Pring ended a swift City counter-attack by rippling the side-netting and Danilo fluffed his line from a free-kick, the tie was destined to be replayed.