Gooner’s Verdict: Arsenal 3 - Nottingham Forrest 0

That’s more like it.

It was only the 4th match of the season, but Arsenal showed why they worked so hard to bring in as many players as they did this summer to improve squad depth and quality. Given the early injury bug that has hit the squad, causing 6 players to be out, it gave most of the new boys, specifically Mosquera, Zubimendi, Noni Madueke, Eze, and Gyokeres, an opportunity to show the home fans why they were so heavily recruited, and they did not disappoint so much so that it’s difficult to determine who was the Man Of The Match (more on that later), because each of them played excellently and all contributed to the win.

Let’s start with Eze, who started on the left wing, but was tucking inside more than Martinelli, maybe ever has, which freed up space on the winger for Califiori to overlap or occupy that wide left channel in the final third. This allowed Eze to play more as an inside forward than a wide forward, playing to his strengths, where he looked to cut in on his right to play a decisive pass or to shoot. His touch was heavy at times, and some of his passes weren’t connecting in the first half, but he really grew into the game in the second half, beating Nico Williams several times on the outside and setting up Gyokeres with an assist. I mentioned Eze played the position much differently than Martinelli, which shouldn’t come as a surprise, given Eze played as a floating 10 at Crystal Palace and used his intelligence to occupy attacking spaces to facilitate goals and assists to hurt the opponent. His positioning and intelligence to be the outlet for this goal were no different.

He saw an opportunity to get behind the defense, and Califiori plays a perfect pass that lands right behind Williams. But unlike Martinielli likely would have, Eze didn’t start the move hugging the touch line, which means he was so far wide that he needed to rely on pace to get behind. He made a run into space that allowed him to receive the ball inside the edge of the penalty area, which then prevented him from needing to take a touch and dribble into the box. Gyokeres timed the run, and Eze made a one-touch pass with his left foot for Gyokeres to tap in. Eze made it look very casual, but it required great skill to play the pass first time, and I can't help but think Martinelli would have taken a touch to trap the ball, cut back in on his right foot, which means Gyokeres' move would have been wasted, and instead looked for a midfielder arriving into the box late for a shot. In short, that would have been a worse percentage shot and less likely to score. Instead, the goal required decisive, well-executed play from a more ambidextrous player maker like Eze, and it's the type of impact I expect we'll still see more of from the left-hand side.

Odegaard was injured in the 7th minute and was eventually subbed off in the 16th minute for Nwaneri. It looked like Odegaard reinjured his shoulder, which has been bothering him for the past few weeks. It's concerning because we will undoubtedly need Odegaard’s experience and composure for more important games. However, I really like watching Nwaneri and how he drives with the ball when he’s in the 10/right 8 position. He adds a level of attacking aggression to the team and carries the ball better than almost anyone in the squad. He plays with a quicker tempo than Odegaard does and looks to spark transition more quickly, whether on his own or linking with the wide players on either side. By comparison, I often feel like Odegaard pulls the reins back a bit too much and prevents a faster buildup into the attacking third. Something to keep an eye on as I expect Nwaneri to get more opportunities to start over the next few weeks, at least. He was very good today, already looks more confident than last season.

Noni Madueke’s confidence appears to be rapidly growing as he continues to adjust to the team, and he was the main outlet in this match. Throughout the first half, the attack almost always came down his side, and he was very aggressive in taking on and beating Morato and putting in good crosses. He terrorized the right-hand side for the entire game, forcing Nico Williams to switch fullback sides to defend him, but it had no impact. He was constantly in attack mode, showing unlimited energy and creativity, cutting inside and outside before trying to set up a teammate. His stats back up the type of performance that we are used to seeing from Saka on the right wing:

• Most crosses (14) 

• Most touches in opp. box (12) 

• Most duels won (9)

• Most chances created (5) 

• Most successful take-ons (4) 

• Most tackles (3)

• Most fouls won (2)

He was the most consistent threat throughout the match and never seemed to tire. He did an excellent job of pressing without the ball as well, using his rapid acceleration to close down defenders, and tracked back to help Timber in defending when needed, which I’m sure will make Arteta proud. He didn’t get any shots off in goal or register a direct G/A contribution, but was instrumental throughout in what could eventually be looked back at as his breakout game for Arsenal.

Martin Zubimendi scored his first two career goals for Arsenal, first an incredible volley from outside the box and a header, neither of which he is known for scoring.

It was just the first even professional goal from outside the box, which may imply that it’s not something fans should get used to, but you never know. Goals and shots from outside the box have been something I've always wanted to see more of, so I welcome the effort regardless of the result.

Christian Mosquera had a great game and doesn’t look out of place at just 21 years old, starting his first game for Arsenal in place of Saliba. He demonstrated exceptional intelligence and experience in his positioning and was very strong in tackles. He did not do anything wrong on the ball, but he still looks to be getting more comfortable passing from the back. I have no doubt he will continue to grow into it. Arteta made it a point to make him the initiator of play from the back, as he does with Saliba. Is there an award for “steal signing of the summer”? Because he has to be the runaway favourite, given he only cost £13M!

His game stats reflected a dominant and composed performance:

• Most Passes Completed (76)

• 100% Ground Duels Won (2/2)

• 100% Tackles Won (2/2)

• 92% Pass Accuracy

• 4 Passes Into Final Third

• 6 Ball Recoveries

• 1 Last Man Tackle

Man Of The Match

This was tough because there were a lot of excellent performances, as I highlighted earlier, but I have to give it to Nono Madueke. His performance could lead to a breakout for both the season and his career, as his teammates and manager should now trust him even more to serve not only as a sufficient backup for Saka but also as a reliable option on either wing, offering relentless creativity.