5 standout Arsenal players from opening day victory over Forest

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2. Gabriel Martinelli

The winger on the other side of the pitch was also phenomenal. He was called ineffective in the Community Shield and some fans were clamouring for Leandro Trossard on the team sheet, but Martinelli showed why Arteta has such faith in him.

His work for Nketiah’s opener is already an assist of the season contender. A team can have the best tactics in the world and the most organised defence but when a player can do a piece of skill like that, eliminating two players in an instant, no amount of tactics can salvage the situation.

On top of his attacking contribution, the Brazilian put in an incredible defensive performance surprisingly. Twice, he snuffed out a Forest attack just as it was starting.

I was also really impressed with a moment in the first half: a through ball was almost too long and Martinelli had to sprint as fast as he could to keep the ball on the line. He was immediately sprinting to press again, not taking a moment to breathe.

Martinelli’s tenacity and persistence cannot be understated and it is one of his biggest qualities. He never hides on the pitch and the game against Forest was an extremely impressive performance.

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