Mikel Arteta’s come under fire for how he’s handling striker Viktor Gyokeres after Arsenal’s frustrating draw with Nottingham Forest.

Arsenal missed a golden chance to pull away from Manchester City at the top of the table. City lost the derby to United, but Arsenal couldn’t break down Forest and had to settle for a point. They could’ve gone nine clear, but nothing clicked in front of the goal.

Arteta started his £64 million summer signing, Viktor Gyokeres, at the City Ground. It just didn’t happen for him—he barely got a sniff and came off for Gabriel Jesus with half an hour left. Sure, Gyokeres scored against Chelsea in the Carabao Cup semi-final a few days earlier, but in the league, he’s only found the net once since November.

Even with Jesus and Kai Havertz fit again, former Premier League keeper Tim Howard doesn’t think Arteta will ditch Gyokeres just yet. Howard told NBC Sports he understands Arteta has to “manage the situation” but warned him not to “embarrass” the striker Arsenal bought to fix their scoring problem.

Asked if he thinks Gyokeres will get dropped, Howard said, “It’s a big call. I’d say no—they were desperate to get him in the summer and spent big to do it. Arteta needs to handle this carefully. He probably can drop him, honestly, because he’s got plenty of options. But you can’t just haul him off at half-time or humiliate him. You’ve still got to get the best out of him.”

On Arsenal’s performance, Howard said, “They’re going to have days like this. Usually, Arsenal grind teams down with set pieces and patience, but today, it just didn’t come. I think Arteta will be annoyed with his subs—he threw on some impact players, but nothing really changed. That’ll frustrate him.”

Arteta, for his part, tried to stay positive after the draw. “Of course, we wanted to win. We knew it’d be tough—Forest set it up to make it hard. We had four massive chances and a clear penalty, but just didn’t put them away. We have to do better, no question, especially when we create so much. But this is happening to every team in the league right now. We still have to step up."

He added, "Credit to Forest; they’re well-organised and always find ways to slow you down. We pushed right to the end and tried to find a goal. I don’t think we gave up a single shot. But that’s football—fine margins, and we couldn’t get over the line.”

Arsenal’s schedule doesn’t get any easier. They face Inter Milan in the Champions League on Tuesday, then it’s Manchester United at the weekend.

Darren Bent thinks Myles Lewis-Skelly has looked shaky defensively this season, and he’s hoping the young player bounces back if he gets the nod against Chelsea.

Last year, Lewis-Skelly exploded onto the scene. He jumped out of Arsenal’s youth system and suddenly looked like a real first-team star, right there with Ethan Nwaneri, another academy kid. But lately? Things changed. The 19-year-old, who’s played all over the pitch but mostly at left-back, has slipped behind Riccardo Calafiori in the lineup. He’s only started once in the Premier League this season.

Still, Mikel Arteta gave him a shot in the FA Cup last weekend. Lewis-Skelly started as Arsenal came from behind to beat Portsmouth and marched into the fourth round.

No question, the teenager will be itching to keep his place for Wednesday’s Carabao Cup semi-final against Chelsea. And while a bunch of Premier League clubs are apparently lining up for a January loan move, Arsenal have no plans to let him go.

Bent, who played for England and Tottenham but has always supported Arsenal, isn’t thrilled with Lewis-Skelly’s recent form. He hopes the youngster finds his feet again soon, especially with the World Cup on the horizon.

“He’s had a tougher time this season. Last year, everyone just went, ‘Wow!’” Bent said on talkSPORT. “But coming back now, Calafiori’s been excellent, so Lewis-Skelly hasn’t played much. I think he’ll play against Chelsea, maybe, but honestly, against Portsmouth, he looked a bit vulnerable at the back.”

Meanwhile, Arsenal fans can’t stop arguing about Viktor Gyokeres, the big summer signing who’s scored just once in his last ten games. His showing against Liverpool didn’t help—he only touched the ball eight times and never looked like a threat. Now, a lot of supporters want to see Kai Havertz start instead.

Bent gets it. “I want it to work for Gyokeres—I’m a big fan. But right now, whatever the reason, it just isn’t coming together for him,” he said. “He hardly touched the ball, didn’t have a shot, and the ball flashed across the six-yard box with him nowhere near it.”

After Chelsea, Arsenal are right back at it, away to Nottingham Forest in the league. They're hoping to hang onto the top spot. Looking ahead to that one, Bent said Arsenal used to be rattled by Sean Dyche’s teams, but not anymore. He’s predicting a 2-0 win for Arteta’s side.

“I remember when Dyche was at Everton, and I’d wonder if Arsenal had the leaders and characters to cope,” Bent said. “But now, this squad’s full of players with size, presence, and a willingness to do the hard, physical work. The physical side of the game doesn’t worry me as it used to.”