I feel like I have said the phrase 'Arsenal have done everything but score' too many times this season. But this is the reality, and in the draw with Nottingham Forest on Wednesday night we saw a side struggling again to get just one goal.

The blueprint for opposition teams is this: if you score first, you are highly unlikely to lose against this Arsenal, side as things stand. Nuno Espirito Santo, blessed with a near fully-fit squad, came with the idea of matching West Ham’s perfect 1-0 over the Gunners. He was only denied that by two brilliant challenges and a David Raya save.

William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes, along with the Spanish keeper, are the reason why Arsenal came away with one point instead of zero at the City Ground. However, to be in with any glimmer of hope of lifting the Premier League trophy? That aim is certainly dead.

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The UEFA Champions League remains, and Arteta made a very intriguing comment after the match about PSV and a comparison to Forest. He hinted that his European opponents may break away from the blueprint of their last two opponents.

"Well, we have another day or two now to think before the PSV game. Other options that we have, especially against a team that are in this low block," Arteta said.

"If we wouldn't arrive, if they would open up, if they would be an opponent much better than us, I would be probably in a very defensive state.

"I know what it's like. It's a lot to play for and we need to find a solution to unlock it."

Has that given the game away to Peter Bosz? Maybe.

Certainly, if you want to get a result against Arsenal the plan appears to be relatively simple and clear. Defend deep, absorb pressure, hit on the break and take your chances when they come.

PSV came to the Emirates Stadium and were battered 4-0 because they refused to play in a different way. However, in the aftermath of the game, Bosz made comments about what would change and as a result, when the sides met again later in the group stage, they held the Gunners in a 1-1 draw.

"Me and my coaches studied them," Bosz said. "What is it that they do differently to us?

"The answer is that they are outstanding in the opposition box but also their own. They get a lot of players behind the ball as soon as possible.

"They do it with 10 or 11 but we only did it with six or seven & then the distances are bigger. It’s the transition. We showed the players and in the games after, we started doing it with 10 or 11 like Arsenal, staying compact in attack and defence."

Now, this current Arsenal team are not outstanding in the opposition box; in fact, they struggle to get the ball into it. Will this change the way that Bosz intends to focus on beating the Gunners and in turn give an opening to Arteta?

We will see. However, everything about the Arsenal performance was indeed better compared to four days prior, except when it came to chance creation and goalscoring.

Leandro Trossard spoke after the game about "effort", and that was certainly on show from nearly all who played on the night. Arsenal were dominant and, in some cases, imaginative, particularly with how Riccardo Calafiori and Declan Rice approached the game in the first half. It was a shame that the booking the Italian got forced him off at the break.

What else can Arsenal try? That is the question because Arteta effectively confirmed that both Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli will likely not be back until April at the earliest, the former perhaps longer as the Brazilian is ahead of him in his recovery.

Merino has started two games up top and blanked in both. Raheem Sterling has been, with respect, invisible in his performances and carried through when starting.

Leandro Trossard and Martin Odegaard are senior players that are not executing their roles to the best of what we know they are capable of. While Arteta hit back against my suggestion of the 4-3-3, it is in essence the on-paper structure of the side on average.

With Ben White back, there are other options he could consider and a back three with wing-backs might give the Gunners the overloads and overlaps that this side is crying out for. Trossard and Nwaneri look so alone in those roles.

Last season, Saka would get joy from Ben White running down the right wing, finding space beyond and chipping the ball into the box or cutting it back. Jurrien Timber has been good, but stylistically, he simply is not of this ilk and prefers to support the right winger rather than attack those areas of the pitch.

It is ultimately going to be a very difficult end to the season where the Gunners will need to grind out results. Even just a single goal looks a massive challenge, and it is indeed self-inflicted that Arsenal find themselves in this position – as usual, it is evident the summer will be a big indicator.