• 11 months ago
Arsenal stars Ben White and Oleksandr Zinchenko had to be physically separated following a furious exchange after their side's 2-1 win over Nottingham Forest.

The Gunners scored both of their goals between 65 and 72 minutes in the second half, with Gabriel Jesus and Bukayo Saka finding the back of the net.

But there was late tension for Mikel Arteta's side after Taiwo Awoniyi struck from close range on 89 minutes, with David Raya then making a fine save from the Nigeria forward in stoppage time.

Arsenal did manage to hold on for a crucial win, which takes them up to second place ahead of Liverpool and Manchester City's fixtures later this week.

But there was a notable incident after the game, which saw White and Zinchenko square up to each other during a furious exchange.

Tensions got so heated that the pair had to be pulled apart by a member of Arsenal's coaching staff.

Photos of the incident appear to show how both players exchanged words with each other, before Arteta himself then intervened to speak to Zinchenko privately.

Arteta then gave his verdict on the incident in his post-match press conference.

Speaking to TNT Sports in a separate interview after the game, Arteta stated: "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 is Arsenal's second consecutive win in the Premier League, following a run that saw them fail to win any of their previous four games in all competitions.

Jesus' goal, meanwhile, will come as a major boost, with the Brazilian forward having failed to find the net since scoring in a 2-0 win over Brighton on December 17.

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