In a game they were expected to struggle in, Arsenal dominated Nottingham Forest completely as they romped home to a 3-0 win, a score that flattered the visitors who fell to their first away defeat of the season.
Martin Ødegaard’s return showed exactly what Arsenal had missed during the seven games he was sidelined with an ankle injury. His influence was unmistakable as he orchestrated play with sharp passes and intelligent movement.
Alongside him, a rested Bukayo Saka picked up his 14th goal and 11th assist in his last 28 games as he tormented Murillo on the wing. Saka opened the scoring for Arsenal in the 15th minute after a filthy pass from Ødegaard—a curling effort that left the Forest keeper clawing at the rain as it fell.
By halftime, Arsenal only had one goal to show for all their dominance, but it took them just six minutes after the break to double their lead. A touch from Saka found the number five, on at halftime to replace Jorginho, and his shot from outside the box curled away from the keeper’s reach.
Despite all the write-ups before the game, Forest offered little that threatened David Raya’s goal. With Jurrien Timber back in his favoured right-back position and Riccardo Calafiori fit enough to start after his knee injury, Arsenal’s back line had the match for all that Forest tried.
It took them until the 89th minute to get their first effort on target, a goal that was ruled out because Jota Silva was about three yards offside.
With 10 minutes left, Mikel Arteta brought on 17-year-old Ethan Nwaneri for Ødegaard, and just five minutes later he sealed all three points for Arsenal as he ran into the box to make it 3-0 with his first Premier League goal.
The one thing to complain about from the day was the refereeing of Simon Hooper, who gave Arsenal nothing of the doubt when there was a 50:50, reaching for his yellow card each time.
It was his trigger-happy first half that saw Jorginho replaced at halftime, having picked up a yellow and been penalised for winning the ball, which put him at real risk of becoming the latest Arsenal player to get sent off for two nonsensical yellows.
Despite Arsenal being told, when it happened twice this season, that delaying the restart is an automatic booking—both leading to red cards—a Forest player was able to do just that while on a yellow and escape a second booking, something that no other player has had to suffer this season if they weren’t wearing an Arsenal shirt.
Anyway, this was a game most pundits said was a massive test for Arsenal after failing to win in their last four, and it caused them no trouble at all.
With Ødegaard back in the side, the slick football and quick movement returned, more reminiscent of the side that pushed City all the way last season than the one we’ve watch struggle this season.
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