Arsenal’s Jesus and Saka end Arteta’s unhappy run at Nottingham Forest
Mikel Arteta could feel his nightmares at the City Ground float away. He had been here twice previously as the Arsenal manager, losing on both occasions and with degrees of ignominy. There was the FA Cup exit in 2022, after which he ranted in the dressing room about the attitude of his players (footage courtesy of Amazon Prime). And then the Premier League defeat at the end of last season, which officially ended his team’s title challenge.
Arteta needed something to keep the spark about Arsenal’s challenge for the trophy he so covets. And for the opening 45 minutes, when his players passed and passed but seemed curiously reluctant to shoot, it was possible to fear that more frustration could be incoming.
Arsenal tore the notion apart, showing that patience was a virtue, landing quickfire blows after the hour which proved sufficient – despite Nuno Espírito Santo’s Nottingham Forest fighting until the last. The Portuguese manager has coached his side to victories over Newcastle and Manchester United so far in his brief tenure. Arsenal were a step too far.
The opening goal was Arsenal’s 14th from a set piece in the league this season, Oleksandr Zinchenko’s throwin finding Gabriel Jesus in space but, really, it will be remembered as a horror show for the Forest goalkeeper, Matt Turner – formerly of Arsenal.
Jesus knew the angle was unfavourable when he shot, close to the byline, but the ball fizzed through Turner’s legs, brushing in off the inside of one of them. It had seemed as if Arsenal were trying to score the perfect goal; an ugly one tasted just as sweet.
Jesus, who pushed through the pain of a knee injury to declare himself fit, turned creator for the second, playing in Bukayo Saka for a clinical finish after Gonzalo Montiel had invited a quick transition with a sloppy pass and that appeared to be that.
For a time it was, although Forest made it extremely nervy in the closing stages, the Arsenal inquest after the final whistle featuring a heated confrontation between Zinchenko and Ben White. They had to be separated. Arteta said he loved how his players “were demanding more from each other … they were not happy with the way they conceded”.
Arteta would certainly not have loved it if Taiwo Awoniyi, on at half-time for his first football since mid-November, had scored an equaliser in stoppage time. The striker had got one back in the 89th minute after watching Montiel head square and levering William Saliba out of the way before beating David Raya.
Now he volleyed goalwards, the ball having sat up for him after Morgan Gibbs-White returned a half-cleared corner into the area. It needed a decent save from Raya to stop Arteta’s “bad experiences” at this stadium, as he had called them on Monday, from continuing.
“What happened last year was still in our tummy,” Arteta said. “I could feel that the players were talking about it. Coming to that dressing room really reminds you. We wanted to put it right.”
Forest were happy for Arsenal to play in front of them, even to seek low passes up the channels. What they knew they had to do was defend their box, to mass men around any visiting players who got that far. Not many did in the first half, Forest’s hard work making it similarly so for Arsenal.
There was a moment midway through the first half when a high ball dropped for Arteta in his technical area and he killed it with a Cruyff-turn-style piece of control. It was tempting to wonder whether he might be better served on the field because his players were struggling; too slow with their moves, too predictable with their patterns.
Forest offered little as an attacking force before the interval, save for a Chris Wood shot that was blocked by Zinchenko after a Gibbs-White burst and a rising Danilo drive that rose too much.
Arsenal dominated in territorial terms but first-half chances were in short supply. The moment that quickened the pulse came in the 44th minute when Zinchenko drove in a low ball and, after Murillo could not clear, Emile Smith Rowe – starting only his second league game all season – prodded to Saka. His shot was blocked by the all-action Murillo.
Nuno wanted Awoniyi to link in the second half with Gibbs-White, who looked good when he drove forward in possession. But it was Arsenal who brought the urgency. Saka worked Turner and Jesus advertised the breakthrough, striking the post when gloriously placed after a fine team move involving Saka and Martin Ødegaard.
Arsenal would make their superio rity count. Next up for them is Liverpool at home on Sunday. “We have some momentum now,” Arteta said. “Now go, go, go.”