Nottingham Forest v Arsenal Live Commentary & Result, 20/09/2016, League Cup

And that will be the end of it from City Ground as Arsenal stroll to the easiest of wins. You get the sense that they hardly broke a sweat on their way to four goals. Lucas got off the mark for his new club with a double, either side of strikes from Xhaka and Oxlade-Chamberlain. And that's all for our live coverage, thanks for joining us.

Lucas Pérez

Assist

Assist Lucas Pérez Martínez

A. Oxlade-Chamberlain

Goal

Goal Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain

OXLADE-CHAMBERLAIN MAKES IT FOUR! Right at the death the winger, who was having a mixed game, runs onto a through pass, strides centrally and buries a confident finish past the keeper!

Oxlade-Chamberlain controls a high pass well, and motors down the outside of Lichaj, beating him across the byline, before cutting it back for Lucas to strike, but his shot is blocked at point-blank range.

Arsenal are just playing out the final moments now, and there's very little in the way of resistance from the Forest players. We may see a fourth scored at walking pace if they're not careful.

K. Bielik

A. Maitland-Niles

Substitution Ainsley Maitland-Niles Krystian Bielik

Pereira, who has never stopped running, just about fails to keep a ball from going over the byline. He's one of the few Forest players to emerge from this game with any sort of credit.

Arsene Wenger will be impressed with the composure of some of his younger players this evening. No one has really set the world alight, but they've come into the side and done their jobs.

G. Zelalem

J. Reine-Adélaïde

Substitution Jeff Reine-Adelaide Gedion Zelalem

C. Willock

C. Akpom

Substitution Chuba Akpom Chris Willock

Forest's body language suggests that they've already got their minds on Sheffield Wednesday this weekend. It's a good win for Arsenal, who never had to get out of second gear.

Licá

N. Dumitru

Substitution Nicolao Manuel Dumitru Cardoso Luis Carlos Pereira Carneiro

A. Vellios

N. Bendtner

Substitution Nicklas Bendtner Apostolos Vellios

Martinez is called into action for the first time in a very long while as he smothers a low shot from Osborn. It was a first-time effort from the Forest man, but the keeper never looked troubled.

Another probing move from the Gunners nearly ends in a fourth goal, as Lucas slips in Akpom, but the forward fluffs his lines at the last, and Stojkovic can clean up the mess in the end.

C. Cohen

Yellow Card

Yellow card Chris Cohen

Free-kick for Arsenal which Oxlade-Chamberlain stands over. It's another disappointing delivery from the midfielder though, but an ungainly clearance from Bendtner briefly keeps things alive.

And with that goal, Lucas may have finished Forest's hopes in this match. It was a well-taken goal from the striker, who hasn't had much service but has made use of what little has come his way.

Lucas Pérez

Goal

Goal Lucas Pérez Martínez

AND THAT'S THE THIRD FOR ARSENAL! Macienne is hung out to dry again, as Lucas picks his pocket before striding across the face of goal to beat Stojkovic and slot into an empty net!

All of a sudden, Lichaj bursts past his initial man and rushes to the byline, but his low attempt at a cutback is cut out with confidence by Gabriel. The defender hasn't done a lot wrong this evening.

Arsenal are toying with Forest now, pinging the ball around the middle of the park and forcing the home side to do all of the chasing, sapping what little is left of their stamina. Just over 20 minutes to go.

M. Carayol

P. Kasami

Substitution Pajtim Kasami Mustapha Carayol

Kasami is withdrawn and Cayarol is on for Forest.

H. Lansbury

Yellow Card

Yellow card Henri Lansbury

Lansbury is belatedly booked for a clumsy foul on Elneny - something that could have happened a long while ago given the challenges he's put in this evening. He walks away without complaint.

Pereira hooks a deep cross into the area but Gabriel wins the initial header. Lansbury then fouls the defender - something of a recurring theme for him tonight. I think his cornrows are twisted too tight.

Now Forest have a mountain to climb. At 1-0 they always had a shot, but it's going to be hard to see them score twice, given that they've tested Martinez so little in this game. That's assuming that Arsenal don't score again, too.

Lucas Pérez

Penalty Goal

Penalty Goal Lucas Pérez Martínez

LUCAS MAKES NO MISTAKE! The summer signing is off the mark for Arsenal, slotting a confident penalty into the left-hand side of the goal. Stojkovic guessed correctly but couldn't keep it out.

PENALTY TO ARSENAL! Akpom races onto the ball but he's got Macienne in hot pursuit. He tries to get goalside of the defender and is tripped, leaving the referee with little choice but to signal.

Forest have been extremely poor in the second half, turning the ball over needlessly and lacking the verve that was present in some of their counterattacks during the opening period.

Oxlade-Chamberlain goes scampering down the left-hand side, but runs out of room before he can switch the ball centrally to one of his better-placed teammates. Sums up the second half so far.

Slow pace to start the second period, with Arsenal in control of the ball but not doing a whole lo with it. They'll want a second goal to really put them at ease, because Forest are always in this at 1-0.

Arsenal win a free-kick near the top of the box after a tough challenge on Reine-Adelaide. Three players in yellow stand over it, and it's Lucas who gets the honours, but he curls it into the arms of Stojkovic.

Here we go again.

And that will do it for the first half, with Arsenal holding a 1-0 lead at the break. Xhaka made the difference with the opener from long range, which is the only thing that separates these sides in an even half. A lot to play for after the restart, so stay tuned.

Kasami takes too long to find space for a shot, which leads to an Arsenal break. Oxlade-Chamberlain does the legwork, making up half the length of the pitch before finding Akpom, who slips in Reine-Adelaide for a strike on the stretch that flashes across the face of goal.

Both sides are slowing things down as we approach the half-time interval. Arsenal continue to struggle to find space inside the area despite dominating the ball in the opposition half.

Arsenal pass and probe at the top of the box, but can't get anywhere with the ball, and eventually lose out as Forest break. However, Kasami's pass down the flanks for Pereira is off the mark.

Hildeberto Pereira

Yellow Card

Yellow card Hildeberto José Morgado Pereira

Despite Arsenal leading in this game, I would have to give the edge in play to Forest. They've generally pushed forward on the counter, and have caught the defence napping once or twice.

R. Holding

Yellow Card

Yellow card Rob Holding

First booking of the game goes to Holding, who chopped down Kasami as he was about to burst down the centre. He jogs away from the scene of the crime, but the referee still flashes a yellow in his direction.

Arsenal really haven't been able to get Lucas involved in the attack too often. In fact, the entire Gunners offense isn't clicking, which you might expect from a side bereft of their regulars.

Arsenal have a big trip this weekend to play Chelsea in the Premier League, with the likes of Xhaka and Lucas hoping to be involved in that London derby. Forest visit Sheffield Wednesday, who are level on points with them in the Championship.

Not a whole lot happening out on the pitch as we cross the half-hour mark. Both teams are getting sloppy with their passing, while the referee is getting a little more involved in proceedings.

Pereira is down on the deck in some pain, and he needs to be treated by the medical staff. He'll go off to the sidelines for a moment so the game can resume. He looks like an astute pickup for Forest.

Wenger will be delighted with that goal, which should settle his side down after they were given one or two nervy moments from Forest. I don't think that the scoring is near done in this one.

A. Oxlade-Chamberlain

Assist

Assist Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain

G. Xhaka

Goal

Goal Granit Xhaka

XHAKA CRACKS IN THE OPENER! Just four days after his first Arsenal goal, the midfielder gets his second with another drive from distance. This one wasn't as clean, taking a deflection en route to a touch from the keeper, who still couldn't keep it out.

JUST WIDE! Bendner is invited to shoot on his stronger foot by the Arsenal defence, and curls a delicious effort narrowly around the post. Wenger is furious, meanwhile, after a rough challenge from Lansbury on Elneny in the build-up to that move.

Another glimpse at a chance for Arsenal as Lansbury leads the break against his former side, spraying it wide for Pereira, whose first touch lets him down, which kills the momentum of the move. His eventual cross is cleared.

Pereira makes a dashing run down the right-hand side that ultimately ends in nothing for Forest. Down at the other end, Arsenal get a corner, but Oxlade-Chamberlain wastes it with a terrible delivery.

First booking of the game goes to Bendtner, and it's no surprise. The Danish striker makes his mark quite literally on Xhaka, lunging in late with his studs. He's lucky that it's so early in the game, because another referee might have seen that as a straight red.

N. Bendtner

Yellow Card

Yellow card Nicklas Bendtner

GREAT SAVE BY STOJKOVIC! Reine-Adelaide pokes a clever pass through a gap in the defence, and Akpom hurries onto it before hammering a shot that the Forest keeper diverted around the woodwork!

As the clock passes minute 12, the stadium stands in unison to warmly applaud the memory of the legendary Brian Clough, their former manager who won the league and two European Cups in the Forest dugout. His smiling image is beamed over the widescreen.

Perez has shown himself to be a willing runner up top, harrying the Forest defence and moving into good positions. This is his first real chance as the undisputed forward for Arsenal since joining.

WIDE OF THE MARK! Arsenal breathe a sigh of relief as a sloppy piece of play from their defence sees Osborn win possession inside the area. He lets it run to Bendtner, who cleverly tees up the onrushing Kasami, who slots it the wrong side of the post!

Forest are starting to play with some pace, and Lansbury teases in a cross towards Bendtner, but it's asking a little too much of royalty. It already looks like there'll be goals for us in this one.

Reine-Adelaide fires away the first shot in anger from the top of the box, but it sails harmlessly over the crossbar. Good noise here inside City Ground, with the fans here trying to will their side to an upset.

As you would expect, Arsenal are dominating the possession early on here. It will be interesting to see how Forest use Bendtner - will he be a target man or will he be expected to get involved with the ground build-up?

Off we go!

Arsene Wenger makes wholesale changes to his regular team with a blend of youth, such as Rob Holding and Jeff Reine-Adelaide, and experience, like Granit Xhaka and Gabriel. The Arsenal bench is populated by lesser-known prospects, although the talented Gedion Zelalem could well feature.

It was destiny that Lord Bendtner would play against Arsenal at some point this season. The former Gunners forward, ironically idolised by sections of the London club's support, starts up top for Forest, flanked by Ben Osborn and Nicolao Dumitru.

Arsenal subs: Bielik, Macey, Wilcock, Mavididi, Zelalem, Sheaf, Dasilva.

Arsenal (4-2-3-1): Martinez; Maitland-Niles, Holding, Gabriel, Gibbs; Xhaka, Elneny; Oxlade-Chamberlain, Reine-Adelaide, Akpom; Lucas.

Nottingham Forest subs: Carayol, Hobbs, Vallios, Grant, Smith, Lica, Fox.

Nottingham Forest (4-5-1): Stojkovic; Pereira, Mancienne, Mills, Lichaj; Dumitru, Lansbury, Cohen, Kasami, Osborn; Bendtner.

No prizes for guessing which position Arsenal are in currently. Ten points from their opening five games sees them prop up the top four, with league leaders Manchester City five points ahead. The Gunners also have Everton and Tottenham above them in the table. They navigated their most difficult fixture of the Champions League group stages, taking a 1-1 draw against PSG in France.

Forest have scored 16 times in their 8 Championship matches this season, a mark bettered only by Barnsley. However, they sit in 13th place, because they've also let in 17 goals, tied for second-worst in the division. Basically, expect some scoring tonight.

Hello and welcome to our live commentary of the EFL Cup third-round clash between Nottingham Forest and Arsenal at City Ground. These two sides meet for the first time since 1999, with the Gunners dominating historic meetings between the pair, winning 49 of their 97 previous clashes, with 22 draws. Stick with us for all the action.

Nottingham Forest v Arsenal Live Commentary, 20/09/2016

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