ARSENAL opened up their 2023/24 Premier League campaign with a win against Nottingham Forest – but the Gunners had a nervy ending to the game.
Eddie Nketiah and Bukayo Saka put the Gunners in a commanding lead with two sublime finishes.
However, Taiwo Awoniyi‘s late strike forced Arsenal to defend for their lives right until the end.
- RESULT: Arsenal 2-1 Nottingham Forest
- Live stream: BT.com
- TV channel: TNT Sports
- Arsenal XI: Ramsdale; Partey, White, Saliba, Timber; Odegaard, Rice, Havertz; Saka, Nketiah, Martinelli
- Forest XI: Turner; Boly, Worrall, McKenna; Aurier, Yates, Mangala, Aina; Danilo, Gibbs-White; Johnson
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That’s all from the Emirates
Football is back, the Premier League is back, and – judging by the way they made their fans sweat in the final ten minutes – Arsenal are back.
Yet the Gunners held on to see off Nottingham Forest and begin the season with three points, following in Manchester City’s footsteps from last night.
And it means that after one game each, it’s City top of the table with Arsenal second. It seems some things never change.
The good news is there is a whole season of football still to be played, and if the Premier League has taught us anything, it’s to expect plenty of twists and turns along the way.
Thanks for joining us and goodbye.
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Extra! Read all about it!
Before we sign off for the afternoon, why not remind yourself of all that unfolded during Arsenal’s 2-1 win over Nottingham Forest courtesy of Mark Irwin’s match report, beginning with some starting team news ahead of kick-off.
Mikel Arteta had warned us to expect the unexpected when he announced on Friday afternoon that he wanted to make Arsenal more unpredictable. So maybe we shouldn’t have been quite so surprised when he dropped a major bombshell in their very first game of the new season.
Mark Irwin
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A terror on the right
Bukayo Saka started the season where he left off the last – by being the standout performer on the pitch.
The Arsenal star had the joint-most shots, the joint-most touches in the opposition penalty area and provided the most crosses of any player on the pitch.
Oh, and he scored a screamer too.
Arteta praises ‘beast’ Nketiah
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta held up Eddie Nketiah as a ‘great example’ following his exploits against Nottingham Forest, and suggested that there is more to come from his striker while Gabriel Jesus is out injured.
Steady Eddie sets Arsenal on way
Eddie Nketiah stepped in for the injured Gabriel Jesus this afternoon, and fired Arsenal on their way with their opening goal of the season.
The 24-year-old has now has scored 14 goals in his last 16 starts at the Emirates Stadium in all competitions, and became the first English player to score the Gunners’ first Premier League goal of a season since Theo Walcott in 2016-17.
Despite his attacking exploits, Nketiah afterwards praised his team’s defence for seeing the game out.
We had a really good start and scored the two goals, but they crept back into it, especially late on. It was a bit of a nervy finish but I think we defended really well and I think we deserved the three points.
Eddie Nketiah
Match stats from the Emirates
Arsenal’s 79% possession almost counted for nothing as they failed to kill the game off.
However, the Gunners survived a late scare to earn three points on the opening weekend.
Full time – Arsenal 2-1 Nott’m Forest
The Emirates breathes a collective sigh of relief as Michael Oliver blows his full time whistle.
Despite dominating the game for the best part of 82 minutes, Arsenal found themselves desperately holding on after Taiwo Awoniyi’s late strike gave Nottingham Forest hope against the odds.
However, the Gunners held firm in the final moments to claim three points in a game settled by Bukayo Saka’s super strike.
One thing is for certain, it’s not going to be boring watching Arsenal this season.
Arsenal 2-1 Nott’m Forest
90+8. Bizarrely, with the game entering its eighth minute of stoppage time, these clubs have unwittingly broken the Premier League’s 3pm television blackout.
Points deduction!
Arsenal 2-1 Nott’m Forest
90+7. Odegaard almost seals the deal in fine fashion as his curler from the edge of the box leaves Turner flatfooted.
Just over.
Arsenal 2-1 Nott’m Forest
90+6. The Arsenal fans are whistling for full time…
…but the game continues.
Arsenal 2-1 Nott’m Forest
90+5. Deep into stoppage time, Forest win a free-kick on the right, midway inside the Arsenal half.
As it’s launched goalwards, Saka goes down under McKenna’s challenge – seemingly trodden on – but it goes unnoticed by the officials.
Despite being a player short, the Gunners scramble it away.
Arsenal 2-1 Nott’m Forest
90+3. Amid all the chaos, Bukayo Saka has been awarded the TNT Sport Player of the Match by Ally McCoist.
The young Arsenal star won’t care about that if his team don’t see this one home.
Arsenal 2-1 Nott’m Forest
90+1. Kai Havertz wins Arsenal a corner despite a blatant handball as he ran through on goal.
Meanwhile, Chris Wood is on for Forest along with Cheikhou Kouyate. I think we’re going route one…
Arsenal 2-1 Nott’m Forest
90. The board goes up to show that there will be SEVEN minutes of added-on time.
A lot can happen in seven minutes.
Arsenal 2-1 Nott’m Forest
89. It’s the Nottingham Forest fans making all the noise.
They still believe in miracles.
Arsenal 2-1 Nott’m Forest
87. As Saka passes up a half-chance, Mikel Arteta races to the edge of the technical area.
He’s going crazy, unable to believe that his team have got themselves into this position after dominating for so long.
Arsenal 2-1 Nott’m Forest – Arsenal substitution
86. Now Mikel Arteta sends for Gabriel.
The Brazilian is on with a job to do: keep Forest out.
The centre-back replaces Gabriel Martinelli.
Arsenal 2-1 Nott’m Forest
85. The game is really stretched now, and there definitely feels like there is another goal in this, one way or the other.
Arsenal 2-1 Nott’m Forest
83. Ooof! Forest fancy this now!
Straight from kick-off, they work the ball forwards again, and it falls kindly for Gibbs-White to volley over from 25 yards out,
Arsenal 2-1 Nott’m Forest
82. Inside the final ten minutes, and it’s game on!
From an Arsenal corner, Forest tear downfield and halve the deficit.
The speed of one substitute, Anthony Elanga, breaks the home side’s backline, and his fizzed cross is expertly steered in at the near post by another substitute in Taiwo Awoniyi.
They couldn’t, could they?
One back!
Arsenal 2-0 Nott’m Forest
80. Orel Mangala is the latest player to pick up a yellow card for a cynical tug on Martin Odegaard’s shirt.
Arsenal 2-0 Nott’m Forest
78. Chances from corners at both ends.
First, Saliba is unable to get a telling connection on Saka’s cross moments before Boly is put off by Rice’s presence.
Arsenal 2-0 Nott’m Forest
76. Declan Rice almost caps his Arsenal debut with a goal!
In arguably the best move of the half, the hosts pour forward before Havertz tees up the former West Ham man 25 yards out.
Rice connects with a crisp first-time effort that Matt Turner does brilliantly to tip on to the base of the post.
Arsenal 2-0 Nott’m Forest – Arsenal substituion
74. And now Arsenal’s second substitution.
Leandro Trossard is on for the opening goalscorer, Eddie Nketiah.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
