Photo caption: Arsenal players celebrate win over Real Madrid. Photo: Arsenal, X
Arsenal defeated Nottingham Forest 3-0 at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday to stay firmly in the hunt at the top end of the Premier League table.
The breakthrough came in the 32nd minute when Martín Zubimendi struck a volley from distance to put the Gunners ahead.
Within seconds of the second half resuming, Viktor Gyökeres made it two, finishing off a well-weighted pass from Eberechi Eze in the 46th minute.
Zubimendi then added his second of the day in the 79th minute with a header, sealing the points for Mikel Arteta’s side.
The home side were forced into an early change when captain Martin Ødegaard went off with a shoulder problem after a heavy fall.
Arsenal were already without Bukayo Saka, William Saliba and Kai Havertz, but their squad depth showed as they controlled the contest and kept Forest at bay.
Nottingham Forest, under new manager Ange Postecoglou, struggled throughout. Despite his promise of front-foot football, the visitors created little in attack and were opened up repeatedly by Arsenal’s movement.
Postecoglou, who only took charge this week, will see the performance as evidence of how much work lies ahead.
The result lifts Arsenal to the summit of the table and reinforces their title credentials, while Forest’s defeat extends a poor run of away results and keeps them looking over their shoulders near the bottom.
