Nottingham Forest v Arsenal player ratings: Spence 9, Yates 8; Saka 6, Tavares 3

Championship club score late to claim 1-0 win over Premier League opponents and advance to FA Cup fourth round

• 

  NOTTINGHAM FOREST PLAYER RATINGS: Brice Samba – 7. Untroubled as Arsenal struggled to test him. He was also confident in his distribution, passes and claims. Getty Images

• 

  Joe Worrall – 7. The 24-year-old wore the captain’s armband and put in a solid display as part of a back three. He’ll only get better with the experience of Cook alongside him. Getty Images

• 

  Steve Cook – 7. The former Bournemouth veteran made his debut for his new side having signed earlier in the week, and was solid playing as the furthest man back for Forest, cutting out Nketiah after the break. Getty Images

• 

  Scott McKenna – 7. Went about his business quietly as Arsenal struggled to threaten. Brilliant in the air and when making clearances. Reuters

• 

  Djed Spence – 9. A man-of-the-match display from the Middlesbrough loanee. Looked comfortable and up to the task against Martinelli, threatening on the attack while also tracking back. Everything exciting came from Spence. AFP

• 

  Ryan Yates – 8. Returned to the line-up and was excellent in the centre of the park. Dispossessed Lokonga and provided a sublime pass for Grabban to slot home in the closing minutes. Reuters

• 

  James Garner – 7. On loan from Manchester United, the dead-ball specialist forced Leno into a great save from 25 yards out. PA

• 

  Jack Colback – 6. The 32-year-old has been ever-present under Steve Cooper but had a tough time against Saka on the wing. Getty Images

• 

  Philip Zinckernagel – 7. The Watford loanee confirmed his intentions to remain with Forest for the remainder of the season and could have given them the opener, keeping with Johnson’s pace and forcing Leno into a save. Booked in the first half. Reuters

• 

  Keinan Davis – 7. The Aston Villa striker put pen to paper on a loan deal at the beginning of the January transfer window and looked everything Forest were hoping for, winning headers and doing well in his hold-up play. Reuters

• 

  Brennan Johnson – 7. The Nottingham man continues to be linked with moves elsewhere, and he sparked possibly Forest’s most exciting break of the game with a sprint from Forest’s half to the box before slotting the ball to Zinckernagel, whose strike was pushed wide. Brilliant in the build-up of Forest’s goal. Getty Images

• 

  SUBS: Lewis Grabban (Davis 68’) – 7. Won a corner immediately after coming on and did everything he was brought on to do, scoring the goal to cement a fourth-round tie against Leicester City. Getty Images

• 

  Cafu (Zinckernagel 75’) – 6. Found a delightful pass to Grabban as the striker looked for a second. Getty Images

• 

  ARSENAL PLAYER RATINGS: Bernd Leno – 7. The German has had to settle for the bench for much of the season but was Arsenal’s best player, making a decent save after the break to stop Zinckernagel before palming away Garner’s shot at full stretch. AFP

• 

  Cedric Soares – 5. Whilst the defenders had very little to do for much of the first half, Soares was largely quiet but nervy. Needed to do better from set-pieces. AFP

• 

  Ben White – 6. Had Arsenal’s first shot of the game with an attempt going wide of goal and lacking any real power. The former Brighton man was the most confident in an Arsenal side devoid of ideas. Getty Images

• 

  Rob Holding – 5. One of only two players to keep their place in the starting XI from when they last played Forest in 2019, he had two wasteful attempts in the first half and saw a header go wide in the second half. AFP

• 

  Nuno Tavares – 3. The 21-year-old look unsettled at the beginning, making countless errors and seemingly struggling to keep Spence and Johnson quiet on the wing. A tough game, which forced Arteta to make a change within 35 minutes. Reuters

• 

  Albert Sambi Lokonga – 5. Had a crack at goal 30 minutes into the first half but was unable to find the target. Dispossessed at the halfway line by Yates, who kickstarted Forest’s attack for their goal. Getty Images

• 

  Charlie Patino – 5. The 18-year-old made his first Arsenal start but struggled to get on the ball in the first half. Largely anonymous. Getty Images

• 

  Bukayo Saka – 6. There was a sense that if anything was going to happen, it would come from the winger, who again looked exciting when on the ball. Should have had an assist to his name when he found Nketiah, and generally caused Colback plenty of problems. Reuters

• 

  Martin Odegaard – 5. A tough game as he struggled to force anything of promise. AFP

• 

  Gabriel Martinelli – 6. Unable to replicate the last time he played against Forest where he scored twice, as he was kept relatively quiet as Spence continuously won the battles on the wing. Booked. PA

• 

  Eddie Nketiah – 6. Led the line amid speculation of a move away from the Emirates Stadium and found the side-netting at the half-an-hour point with a shot from the outside of the box. Should have diverted his header into the net in the 58th minute but only headed it across the goalmouth. PA

• 

  SUBS: Kieran Tierney (Tavares 35’) – 6. A tactical change for the Gunners with Mikel Arteta frustrated with Tavares’ performance. Pressed more than the man he replaced but Spence was untroubled. Getty Images

• 

  Alexandre Lacazette (Patino 69’) – 5. Couldn’t untangle his legs to slot home when Saka found him in front of goal. Getty Images

• 

  Sead Kolasinac (Soares 90+1) – N/R. A strange change as the Gunners hunted for a stoppage time equaliser (no match photo available). AP

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said his side were not good enough as their hopes of winning a record-extending 15th FA Cup were sunk at the first hurdle by a 1-0 defeat at Championship side Nottingham Forest in the third round on Sunday.

Substitute Lewis Grabban stretched out his leg to convert Ryan Yates's cross in the 83rd minute and it was no more than Forest deserved at a vibrant City Ground.

Arsenal were lacklustre and could have few complaints against a well-organised Forest side who earned themselves a Midlands derby against Leicester City in the fourth round.

Arteta's side, who face Liverpool in the League Cup semi-final first leg next week before a north London derby at Tottenham Hotspur, failed to muster a shot on target as they suffered a repeat of their third-round loss to Forest in 2018.

While Arteta fielded a much-changed side, his starting line-up still included the likes of Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard, and the in-form Gabriel Martinelli but the best chance they could muster was a weak header wide by Eddie Nketiah.

"They won, they scored a goal and we didn't. We were not good enough and we have to apologise for it," Arteta said. "I don't want to use excuses, I expect the team I put out to do better and when you don't in the cup you are out.

"Today showed we were not capable of winning against Forest away from home and didn't put in the level to win the game. It's a collective issue and today we have not done it."

Arsenal wore a one-off all-white kit for the first time in their history – in support of the No More Red initiative to halt the tide of knife crime.

Assessing the performances from this FA Cup tie, Emma James has provided the player ratings in the photo gallery above. To move on to the next photo, click on the arrows, or if using a mobile device simply swipe.