By: Osabuohien Imuetinyanosa
It is was thrilling to see the solidified relationships in this new Arsenal players as they thump Nottingham Forest on Saturday with 3-0 win. The manager Mikel Arteta couldn’t but expressed his utmost satisfaction on the deep relationship among his players.
Eberechi Eze became the first English player to score or assist on his first Premier League start for Arsenal since Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in January 2012, when he set up Gyokeres, after Martin Zubimendi netted his first Premier League goals in a brace either side of Viktor Gyokeres’ tap-in to ensure former Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou’s first game in charge of Forest ended in defeat.
Noni Madueke also impressed for Arsenal, leaving Arteta delighted with how his new arrivals are settling in.
“We had quite a lot of uncertainties, the boys had been away for 10 days travelling the world, only one day to prepare the match with an early kick-off,” Arteta told BBC Match of the Day.
“With those conditions, I think the boys did really well. A lot of new relationships on the pitches, and you can see how they will flourish. Three goals, a clean sheet, three points, so overall, very good.
“Both [Eze and Madueke] were terrific. A real threat with their own qualities, so different with the way that they create danger and threat and unpredictability to the opponent, so very pleased.
“They are very different, we need to use them because it will require different profiles around them to maximum the qualities that they have, but they’re in a good moment.”
Arsenal did emerge from the game with a fresh injury concern, however. Already missing Bukayo Saka and William Saliba, Martin Odegaard was forced off early in the first half.
The Norwegian landed heavily on his shoulder, an injury he also suffered before the international break, leaving questions over his availability before the start of their Champions League campaign against Athletic Bilbao.
“We don’t know what happens, it looks like the same area as the previous injury,” Arteta said of Odegaard. “But the rest is good. We still have some others who are not available, but we are ok.”
Nonetheless, Postecoglou was only named as Forest’s new boss on Tuesday, replacing Nuno Espirito Santo has for a record of defeat to Arsenal in all five meetings of his Premier League matches, leaving Forest winless in their last three league games (D1 L2), last enduring a longer winless run back in April 2024 (a run of four).
following a relationship breakdown between him and owner Evangelos Marinakis, but the Australian is confident they will be on the right track sooner rather than later.
“This week, it’s fair to say, was fairly disruptive for the players,” Postecoglou told TNT Sports. “International week as well, so they didn’t get in until Thursday or Friday, then with a new manager, I’m trying to implement new things.
“So it’s entirely understandable that they probably haven’t got clarity of thought at the moment. But that’s my job to try and embed that over the next few weeks, and I’m sure we will because there is a willing group of players to do that.
“They’re all big jobs. I haven’t taken over an easy one yet, but that’s why I’m here. I love the challenge, and we’ll get to where we want to.”
