The Gunners were looking for a reaction after their defeat to Liverpool, and produced a confident performance to secure a vital three points in Ange Postecoglou’s first game as Forest manager.
Martin Zubimendi opened the scoring just after the half-hour mark, volleying home to give Arsenal a deserved lead.
Viktor Gyokeres quickly doubled Arsenal’s lead after half-time as he tapped home from Eberechi Eze’s cross before Zubimendi headed home in the 79th minute to seal a comfortable three points.
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Eze dazzles on full debut
Eberechi Eze’s move to Arsenal signified a full-circle moment for the midfielder, rejected by the Gunners as a teenager.
It’s evidently a point of pride for Eze that he can now pull on the red and white of Arsenal.
That, however, is not to say he plays as though he has a point to prove.
Eze knows he has long been good enough to play at this level, and it showed in his performance against Forest.
This was a confident full debut from the 27-year-old as he picked his way through Forest’s midfield.
Eze’s game is all about control, and he showed real composure to set himself before squaring for Gyokeres to tap home. This was a performance that, while perhaps not complete, was full of encouraging glimpses; subtle changes of pace, neat touches, and a keen understanding of where the space was.
Eze is still getting up to speed. There were moments in the first half when he could have got his shot off quicker, but overall, this was a positive first start.
Arsenal have at times been criticised for their dogmatic approach under Mikel Arteta, but with Eze in the side, they feel like a team unburdened.
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Madueke steps up in Saka’s absence
A lot had been made of Noni Madueke’s £52 million move to the Emirates.
A torrent of online abuse before the winger had even kicked a ball for Arsenal was uncomfortable and completely uncalled for.
The way in which Madueke has handled the situation, though, has been courageous, and after an excellent intentional break with England, the 23-year-old looks ready to make good on the potential he showed in glimpses during two and a half years with Chelsea.
Madueke ran Forest full-back Morato into the ground in a relentless opening 45 minutes, taking it upon himself to lead Arsenal’s attack as he hunted for the byline at every opportunity.
Madueke combined a daring attitude with a touch of quality, and got his reward when his corner, one of several excellent deliveries he produced, was nodded out to Zubimendi to volley home.
This was not just a performance full of attacking verve, though, and Arteta will be delighted with how hard Madueke worked out of possession to help Arsenal keep the pressure on.
Arteta has no doubt Madueke can compete for minutes on the right wing up against Bukayo Saka, who is currently nursing a hamstring injury, and there was nothing in today’s performance to suggest he couldn’t make that position his own.
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Mosquera an able deputy for Saliba
In previous seasons, Arsenal have struggled to cope with the absence of William Saliba.
Now, though, they seem to have a robust and reliable answer to the French centre-half in Cristhian Mosquera.
The 21-year-old built on an impressive performance against Liverpool with an equally assured display as Arsenal coasted to victory over Forest.
It was a dominant performance from Arsenal, who limited the visitors to just one shot on target, and Mosquera thrived alongside Gabriel to secure the Gunners’ third clean sheet in four games.
The young defender, in just his second game following his £13million move from Valencia, helped Arsenal keep Forest under the cosh by stepping into midfield, and he crowned an assured display with a brilliant last-ditch tackle on Callum Hudson-Odoi.
Arsenal’s success in recent seasons has been built on a solid defence, but they have previously struggled to react to injuries to Saliba and Gabriel.
Arsenal’s summer business centred around adding depth to a squad that are hoping to challenge for the Premier League title again this season, and Mosquera is evidence of the work the club have done to help them compete on four fronts.
