Five classes realized as Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal beat Forest to hold in title race
Arsenal returned to action in the Premier League with a 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest at the Emirates.
Winger Bukayo Saka produced a stunning strike in the first half to give Arsenal the lead, which was then doubled after the break when substitute Thomas Partey found the back of the net. Then on 81 minutes, 17-year-old Ethan Nwaneri scored after replacing Martin Odegaard.
The Arsenal teenager collected a cut-back from Raheem Sterling, producing a fine low finish to beat Matz Sels to make it 3-0. The result leaves Arsenal fourth in the table, with Mikel Arteta’s side now level on points with Chelsea, one behind Manchester City and six behind Liverpool.
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And here are five things we learned from the Gunners convincing win…
Arsenal are contenders, Nottingham Forest are pretenders
(Image: Getty Images)
There’s no doubt Nottingham Forest are enjoying a fantastic season this term. Nuno Espirito Santo’s side have mixed it with the best, but came up short against Arsenal, who are a much, much better side.
On Saturday at the Emirates, Mikel Arteta’s side showed just that, with Forest unable to lay a glove on the Gunners. This game promised to be an exciting one based on the position of the two sides in the Premier League table heading into the contest.
However, in reality, this was a comfortable win for Arsenal, who stay fourth in the table behind Chelsea, Manchester City and Liverpool respectively.
(Image: Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
Martin Odegaard is Arsenal’s key
We’re hardly going out on a limb here, but Arsenal’s most important player is Martin Odegaard. The Norwegian midfielder offers so much creativity in the middle of the park for the Gunners, dictating the tempo of the game.
It is no coincidence that when they were without him for such a long spell due to injury, Arsenal looked a worse team. However, prior to the international break, he managed to get through 90 minutes against Chelsea, where he produced a stunning assist for Gabriel Martinelli.
And again, against Forest, he managed to get through 81 minutes of action. If Arsenal want to close the gap on Liverpool at the top of the Premier League, they need to keep Odegaard fit – something which could see Mikel Arteta begin to manage his minutes throughout the hectic December fixtures.
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Ethan Nwaneri looks the real deal
He may only be 17, but it’s so easy to see that, barring injury, Ethan Nwaneri is heading right to the very top. The teenager replaced skipper Martin Odegaard on 81 minutes, and it took him just five minutes to find the back of the net for Arsenal to make it 3-0.
Collecting a cut-back from Raheem Sterling, Nwaneri produced a left-footed strike low into the right hand corner of the Forest net. He may be young, but Nwaneri looks the real deal and Arsenal should probably be looking to give him first team game time whenever they can.
(Image: Getty Images)
Bukayo Saka is a world class talent
Bukayo Saka’s goal against Forest opened the scoring at the Emirates on Saturday afternoon, and what a strike it was from the Arsenal winger. Cutting in from the right-wing, Saka went on a run inside the Forest box, looking reluctant to pull the trigger.
However, when he did find space, he produced a stunning left-footed strike across his body, delivering a strike Matz Sels had no chance of saving. If Martin Odegaard is Arsenal’s most important player, then Saka is a close second.
The 23-year-old is a world class talent, capable of changing a game at any moment. Like Odegaard, the Gunners must keep Saka fit during the Christmas period if they want to win the Premier League this term.
Will one of Arsenal’s other forwards please stand up?
Prior to the international break against Chelsea, Gabriel Martinelli scored an excellent goal, which was his third goal of the season for the Gunners in the Premier League. However, against Forest, he was benched, with Arteta opting to start Leandro Trossard off the left with Gabriel Jesus through the middle instead of Kai Havertz, who missed the game injured.
Neither Trossard or Jesus did much, and underlined just how much Arsenal could do with another forward in January. Liverpool boast a dearth of attacking options, while City have Erling Haaland up top. The Gunners could do with adding another option to give them some extra firepower.
