Arsenal 3-0 Nottingham Forest: Player ratings as Gunners get back on track

Arsenal secured their first Premier League victory since early October by beating Nottingham Forest 3-0 at the Emirates Stadium.

The Gunners had started to lose significant ground on leaders Liverpool prior to the international break but took an early lead through Bukayo Saka. They couldn’t initially build on that lead, but a stunner from substitute Thomas Partey shortly after half-time doubled the lead, before one near the end from 17-year-old Ethan Nwaneri, also off the bench, sealed the result.

The defeat brings to an end a three-game winning run for Forest, who remain in the top six after Aston Villa failed to beat Crystal Palace at Villa Park.

How the game unfolded

Arsenal desperately needed the break when it came, having gone four Premier League matches without a win, and looked like a different time here as they dominated from the off.

The ball was in the net after only five minutes, Jurrien Timber following up a rebound after Mikel Merino’s headers from blocked on the line – VAR intervened and ruled the Spaniard offside. And while Forest had a better spell after that moment, it wasn’t long before Saka brilliantly fired Arsenal in front. The winger combined with Martin Odegaard just inside the box and dribbled along the 18-yard line just long enough to find room for the left-footed shot that he lashed in.

Odegaard and Saka continued to be involved in promising Arsenal attacks, with Gabriel Jesus only narrowly missing the target after one such move midway through the half that also involved Timber.

Forest had goalkeeper Matz Sels to thank for stopping them going further behind before the break, saving well from Leandro Trossard in the closing stages of the first half. An even better stop followed to deny Saka after Odegaard had broken the lines to create the chance.

Home fans at the Emirates didn’t have to wait long after the restart for the second goal. Forest packed the penalty area to squeeze that space, so much so that no one was covering Partey around 25 yards out, allowing Saka to cut it back and the Ghanaian to pick his spot from distance.

Arsenal were cruising by this point, keeping Forest at arm’s length and in control of the game. The downside was that served to lessen the intensity of what they were producing going forward and invited Forest to ask questions, primarily through crosses and set-pieces. Chris Wood came off the bench and Ryan Yates landed a header on top of the net.

Some energy did return towards the end. Partey was unable to replicate his earlier heroics with a second similar attempts, while Nwaneri went close a few moments before actually getting the third goal.

The teenager had been full of energy since coming on and it was really his own work, driving forward through midfield, laying the ball wide to fellow substitute Raheem Sterling and then holding his nerve to sweep in a first-time finish when the cutback came back to him. The goal made him the ninth youngest Premier League goalscorer of all time.

Jota Silva did have the ball in the net for Forest before the end, ruled out by an offside flag. Ultimately, it finished without the visitors registering a single shot on target.

*Ratings provided by FotMob*

Arsenal player ratings (4-3-3)

GK: David Raya - 7.4/10 - Didn't have to make any saves but gave his team confidence by the way he handled crosses and distributed the ball.

RB: Jurrien Timber - 7.4/10 - Thought he'd scored early on but for an offside check on Merino. Involved in other promising Arsenal attacks.

CB: William Saliba - 7.4/10 - Won his tackles, strong in the air and hardly misplaced a pass. Standard stuff from the exemplary Saliba.

CB: Gabriel - 7.3/10 - Similarly commanding with and without the ball. Will face tougher tests.

LB: Riccardo Calafiori - 7.3/10 - An impressive return from injury for the Italian. Strong defensively and stepped into midfield when Arsenal had the ball.

CM: Martin Odegaard (c) - 8.7/10 - Pulled the strings creatively and influenced Arsenal getting into dangerous positions. Even intelligent off-ball movement opened up space for Partey's goal.

CM: Jorginho - 6.4/10 - Yellow carded in the first half, which may have contributed to being withdrawn at the interval given how red cards have cost Arsenal this season.

CM: Mikel Merino - 7.2/10 - Strangled Forest's creativity in midfield and got forward whenever possible.

RW: Bukayo Saka - 8.9/10 - Pulled out of the England squad through injury but that break looks to have done him the world of good. A goal and assist was a job very well done.

ST: Gabriel Jesus - 6.8/10 - Handed a chance to lead the line, with Kai Havertz starting from the bench. Probably didn't make the most of it.

LW: Leandro Trossard - 7.5/10 - Complemented the attacking contingent spearheaded by Saka and Odegaard's performances pretty well.

Substitutes

SUB: Thomas Partey (46' for Jorginho) - 8/10 - The beneficiary of Jorginho's yellow. Took his goal well.

SUB: Oleksandr Zinchenko (67' for Calafiori) - 6.2/10

SUB: Ethan Nwaneri (82' for Odegaard) - 7/10 - Scored almost instantly.

SUB: Raheem Sterling (82' for Saka) - N/A

SUB: Jakub Kiwior (88' for Timber) - N/A

Unused substitutes: Neto (GK), Declan Rice, Gabriel Martinelli, Kai Havertz.

Manager

Mikel Arteta - 8/10 - Not quite at full strength but boosted by what Saka and Odegaard could provide. Important that he was able to nurture this performance after a troubling few weeks.

Nottingham Forest (4-2-3-1)

GK: Matz Sels - 5.2/10 - Pulled off some decent saves but it was a tough afternoon for the in-form goalkeeper.

RB: Ola Aina - 5.9/10 - Limited in what he could do against a challenging Trossard.

CB: Nikola Milenkovic - 6.0/10 - Made an important block in the first half and generally posed a threat at attacking set-pieces thanks to his height.

CB: Murillo - 6.2/10 - Not bad, but a free-kick blazed miles over near the end kind of summed Forest up.

LB: Alex Moreno - 6.4/10 - Had his work cut out against Saka and could barely get forward.

CM: James Ward-Prowse - 5.9/10 - His set-pieces weren't the usual standard and it was difficult to impose himself in open play.

CM: Nicolas Dominguez - 6.5/10 - Passed pretty well with 85% completion. A first half header was his only attempt at goal, missing the target by some distance.

RM: Anthony Elanga - 5.7/10 - Among the better attacking performers from Forest in the first half but unable to continue after the break due to injury.

AM: Ryan Yates (c) - 6.4/10 - Arsenal's dominance made it difficult to get the ball and make things happen.

LM: Callum Hudson-Odoi - 6.4/10 - Looked as though he could cause problems with dribbling and crosses into the box, but Forest struggled to get the ball to him consistently.

ST: Taiwo Awoniyi - 5.5/10 - Starved of meaningful service for the most part.

Substitutes

SUB: Jota Silva (46' for Elanga) - 6.3/10

SUB: Chris Wood (63' for Awoniyi) - 6/10

SUB: Ramon Sosa (63' for Dominguez) - 6.5/10

SUB: Neco Williams (72' for Moreno) - 6.3/10

Unused substitutes: Carlos Miguel (GK), Willy Boly, Eric da Silva Moreira, Morato, Harry Toffolo.

Manager

Nuno Espirito Santo - 5/10 - Might have considered this opportunity to get a result in light of his team's recent form and that of Arsenal. Never really had a foothold until it was too late.

Player of the match: Bukayo Saka (Arsenal)

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