Arsenal 3-0 Nottingham Forest: Player ratings as Arteta beats Postecoglou again

Arsenal got their Premier League dream back on track on Saturday as they claimed a huge 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest.

Following the 1-0 loss at Anfield a fortnight ago, Mikel Arteta needed a big response from his team, and he duly made three changes to the line-up here; Cristhian Mosquera and Eberechi Eze earned their full Gunners debuts while Mikel Merino made a shock appearance in midfield, replacing the inimitable Declan Rice.

But it was still a slow home start despite the reshuffle. Arsenal took time to settle and posed their greatest threat via the usual set-piece route, the aforementioned Merino being denied from point-blank range by Matz Sels before Gabriel nodded wide himself from a separate corner just minutes later.    

As it is with Bukayo Saka, most of the Gunners' attacks went down the right flank, and Noni Madueke was a constant menace.

Player ratings as Arsenal beat Nottingham Forest 3-0 in the Premier League

Those two offensive avenues – corners and Madueke – finally did combine (sort of) for the eventual opener. The former Chelsea man had his corner headed out to the edge of the box, where our other Spanish midfielder, Martin Zubimendi, met it with an unstoppable volley that had too much power for the Forest goalkeeper.

Chris Wood and Morgan Gibbs-White played a nice one-two which almost brought the visitors level prior to half-time, but Arsenal held on for the break and grabbed the next goal themselves only 45 seconds into the second half.

‘Stoke City FC’ got in behind thanks to a long Riccardo Calafiori ball that found Eberechi Eze out wide, and the new boy squared it to another summer arrival, Viktor Gyokeres, who tapped home to double our advantage.

Both Wood and Gyokeres hit the woodwork moments later but, in truth, the third goal only seemed a matter of time and it came, at last, on 79 minutes. Again, set pieces proved the go-to route to goal as a short free kick landed at the feet of substitute Leandro Trossard, and his cross was turned home by Zubimendi to complete the rout.  

Arsenal proceeded to do what they do best and shut the game down, limiting Forest to few chances and simply seeing it out for the three points that will momentarily reinstate the team at the top of the Premier League table.

Here are the Arsenal player ratings from a comfortable 3-0 win against Nottingham Forest.   

Goalkeeper & Defenders

David Raya (GK): 7/10 – Raya did not have much to do in goal but, still, he never lost concentration and he produced a finger-tip save to deny Chris Wood an unorthodox equaliser; that is a sign of a good goalkeeper.

Jurrien Timber (RB): 7/10 – Reliable as ever. Nearly got caught out by the Wood/Gibbs-White interchange, but recovered with an excellent tackle, and he was a picture of composure for the rest of the match. What a treat for the boss and fans alike to have both him and Ben White to choose from in that RB position.

Cristhian Mosquera (CB): 7/10 – Built on his steady Anfield bow with another fine performance alongside Gabriel. He looked so composed on the ball (again) and helped keep Wood quiet, though a moment of indecision after Forest struck the crossbar could so easily have led to an undeserved away goal and a nervy finale.

Gabriel (CB): 8/10 – Imperious at the back, and he also impressed in possession. Perhaps the greatest sign of his sure-footedness was just how unnoticeable he was during the game – the Brazilian had Forest locked down throughout and played a big role in our third clean-sheet of the Premier League season.

Riccardo Calafiori (LB): 7/10 – What position does he play? Calafiori popped up all over the pitch, even at RB at one point, and looked assured every time he got the ball. He received a yellow card before his second-half withdrawal, but it does not take away from his brilliant lunch-time efforts; nice to see the investment paying off now.

Midfielders

Martin Zubimendi (DM): 9/10 – We know that Zubimendi is a DM, and he produced an absolute clinic there today. His reading of the game, composure on the ball and positioning were all top-class as usual, but he added the extra spice of two goals to complete a sensational afternoon’s work. If Zubimendi keeps striking the ball like that, he might find himself up top soon…

Mikel Merino (CM): 8/10 – His best performance in an Arsenal shirt. The boss raised eyebrows by including him in the first team at the expense of Declan Rice, but Merino delivered in spades; he made several recoveries, showed deft touches in tight areas and led the way in transitional moments as the game opened up late on. Great to see him settle after a difficult first year in England and hopefully he can build on this.

Ethan Nwaneri (CM): 7/10 – A steady effort from Nwaneri, who replaced Martin Ødegaard just 18 minutes into proceedings. The teenager was his usual, lively self and always tried to make things happen even if he did not have a standout moment. If nothing else, he looks like an able deputy for the captain if called upon.

Forwards

Noni Madueke (RW): 8/10 – Talk about silencing the critics! Arteta saw something that many did not when he bought Madueke, and the masses bore witness to it against Forest. The summer acquisition tore Morato apart on the right flank and was only unfortunate not to score the goal that his wonderful outing merited – that £52m purchase could end up being a steal.

Viktor Gyökeres (ST): 7/10 – Everyone knows about his scoring prowess and he flaunted it mere seconds after the break when he tapped in our second. However, his general play also impressed as he made great runs, stretched the Forest backline and pressed really well from the front. The post denied him a brace but his work out of possession perhaps is what offers the most encouragement after this clash.    

Eberechi Eze (LW): 6/10 – It pains me to rate him lowest out of everyone, but it is a testament to how well his teammates did. There were a few nice touches and plenty of endeavour throughout, yet he could not make the most of the good positions he found himself in when we attacked – nothing that time cannot fix.

Substitutes

Martin Odegaard (subbed off on 18’) – 5/10

Myles Lewis-Skelly (on 68’ for Calafiori) – 5/10

Declan Rice (on 68’ for Gyokeres) – 6/10

Gabriel Martinelli (on 78’ for Madueke) – 5/10

Leandro Trossard (on 79’ for Eze) – 6/10

Player of the match: Martin Zubimendi