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Arsenal are next in action against FC Zurich in the Europa League next Thursday at home. Forest take on Brentford in their next Premier League outing next week.
Arsenal storm back to the top of the Premier League courtesy of a 5-0 hammering of Nottingham Forest at the Emirates Stadium. Gabriel Martinelli headed home Bukayo Saka's cross in the fifth minute to hand the Gunners the lead, but they were not able to extend their advantage in the second half. However, that all changed after the break as Reiss Nelson scored twice in two minutes before he teed up Thomas Partey for a stunning fourth goal. Martin Odegaard put the icing on the cake to deliver an emphatic win for the hosts.
90' + 3' FULL-TIME: ARSENAL 5-0 NOTTINGHAM FOREST
90' + 3' Williams makes a late burst forward for the visitors and shoots from the edge of the box. Ramsdale watches it all the way and makes a solid stop to preserve his clean sheet.
90' + 1' Nelson has space in the Forest box, but cannot force a strike through a crowd of players from a tight angle. He was eyeing his hat-trick there.
90' There will be three minutes of added time.
88' Arsenal knock the ball around the final third with ease. Jesus tries to end his drought, but his strike is charged down. Partey launches an effort at goal on the rebound and he sends his shot well over the bar.
85' CLOSE! White attacks an Odegaard corner that drifts to the back post. Jesus makes a late run, but Cook does enough to prevent him connecting with a tap-in. It is not Jesus' day in front of goal.
83' Arsenal have put down an impressive performance today to brush Forest aside with ease. They are storming back to the top of the Premier League.
L. O'Brien
C. Kouyaté
81' O'Brien returns to the Forest midfield after a spell out as he replaces O'Brien.
80' Forest have conceded six goals in the last 15 minutes of the second half, more than any other team in the Premier League this season.
Gabriel Jesus
Assist
78' Jesus has not found the back of the net today, but he notches his second assist with a neat offload to Odegaard to score.
M. Ødegaard
Goal
78' GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!! ODEGAARD HAMMERS HOME A FIFTH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 5-0 ARSENAL!!!!!! Odegaard blasts a left-footed rocket into the top-left corner to pour on the agony for Forest. Jesus turns an offload into the path of the Norway international and he weaves his way past two challenges before unleashing a powerful strike beyond Henderson before he can react.
K. Tierney
W. Saliba
76' Saliba is withdrawn for the home side and is replaced by Tierney. White will move to centre-back and Cedric will move to the right flank.
E. Nketiah
G. Xhaka
75' Nketiah is on for the home side to replace Xhaka.
73' Dennis breaks in behind the Arsenal, but Gabriel gets back to prevent the strike at goal. The Forest forward tries to keep the attack alive, but he runs out of support and is forced backwards.
72' Nelson has switched permanently to the left flank following Martinelli's exit with Vieira operating on the right flank. Nelson is continuing to press his claims for a regular starting berth.
70' Yates is down after receiving a knock to the face in a challenge with Xhaka, but he appears to be okay to continue.
68' SAVE! Worrall loses the ball over the top and it allows Jesus to surge in behind. He takes a poor first touch and it allows Henderson to close the angle and divert his strike from the inside-left channel behind for a corner.
66' Nelson continues his excellent outing with a dangerous cross to the back post from the left flank. Vieira tries to attack it, but is unsighted by Gabriel in front of him and loses it behind for a goal-kick.
65' Vieira almost gets the wrong side of Williams in the final third, but he recovers to steer a cross behind for a corner.
N. Williams
Renan Lodi
64' Williams replaces Lodi at left wing-back for the visitors.
J. Worrall
T. Awoniyi
64' Awoniyi has had an anonymous outing today. He is replaced by Worrall.
Fábio Vieira
Gabriel Martinelli
63' Substitution Gabriel Teodoro Martinelli Silva Fábio Daniel Ferreira Vieira
Cédric Soares
T. Tomiyasu
63' Arteta takes the chance to withdraw Martinelli and replaces him with Cedric.
61' Forest have conceded 11 goals from outside the box in the Premier League this season - the most of any side in the division.
59' CHANCE! Johnson loses the ball to Odegaard and he releases Jesus in the box with an incisive pass. The forward fires at goal, but Henderson reacts to turn it past the right post. Jesus' drought in front of goal continues.
R. Nelson
Assist
57' Nelson spots the run of Partey on the edge of the box and finds his team-mate, who does the rest with a stunning strike.
T. Partey
Goal
57' GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!! PARTEY SCORES A STUNNER!!!!! 4-0!!!! Partey scores the goal of the afternoon so far with a brilliant curling finish to find the top-right corner. Nelson is the architect on this occasion as he rolls an offload to the edge of the box for Partey to fire at goal. He bends his effort around two Forest defenders before finding the back of the net, leaving Henderson with no chance.
E. Dennis
J. Lingard
56' Lingard is withdrawn to the jeers of the home fans as he is replaced by Dennis.
B. Johnson
M. Gibbs-White
56' Gibbs-White is withdrawn for the visitors and is replaced by Johnson.
54' There were two years and 107 days between Nelson's first and second goals in the Premier League, and just three minutes and one second between his third and second.
Gabriel Jesus
Assist
52' Jesus works a one-two with Odegaard before clipping a cross into the middle for Nelson to score.
R. Nelson
Goal
52' GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!! NELSON DOES IT AGAIN!!!!! 3-0 ARSENAL!!!!!!! The substitute notches his second of the game with a close-range finish. Arsenal work the ball well in tight quarters between Odegaard and Jesus in the inside-right channel. Jesus steers a cross to the near post where Nelson makes the run ahead of Yates to convert on his right foot. What an impact off the bench.
R. Nelson
Goal
49' GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!! NELSON SCORES ON THE REBOUND!!!!! 2-0 ARSENAL!!!!! The Gunners score a vital second as Nelson converts second time around after seeing his first strike saved. Arsenal cut open the Forest defence as Partey releases Xhaka in the final third. He offloads to Jesus, who keeps the ball moving to Nelson in the inside-right channel. He steps past Freuler to shoot on his left foot. Henderson makes a good save, but the rebound falls kindly for Nelson to hammer home.
48' Tomiyasu gets the better of Aurier down the left flank and he lifts a cross into the box on his weaker left foot. Jesus attacks the cross, but he can only send a weak header straight at Henderson.
47' Arsenal have stopped the opposition from scoring a first-half goal in 9 of their 12 games, only Newcastle United (11) and Manchester City (10) have done this more often in the Premier League this season.
46' We're back under way at the Emirates Stadium.
Mikel Arteta will want to see a clinical edge from his team in the final third. The Gunners have not been prolific in their last few matches, and Jesus has been quiet. Arsenal will be out to kill off the game as early as possible in the second period.
Arsenal hold a 1-0 lead over Nottingham Forest in their Premier League clash at the Emirates Stadium. Gabriel Martinelli headed the Gunners in front in the fifth minute from Bukayo Saka's cross, but the home side were unable to build on their lead. Martinelli had an effort cleared off the line, while Gabriel Jesus fired wide of the post. Arsenal were dealt a blow when Saka was forced off which disrupted their rhythm down the right flank. As a result, Forest are still in the game at half-time.
45' + 4' HALF-TIME: ARSENAL 1-0 NOTTINGHAM FOREST
45' + 3' Odegaard's free-kick is cleared into touch and the half-time whistle blows before the Gunners can take the throw-in.
45' + 2' Freuler brings down Jesus on the left flank, handing Arsenal one last chance to threaten in the half from the resulting free-kick.
45' There will be two minutes of added time.
44' Gibbs-White floats a free-kick into the box for Kouyate to attack, but the offside flag is raised as Awoniyi attempts to attack the second ball.
M. Gibbs-White
Yellow Card
44' Gibbs-White takes out Xhaka on the left flank and goes into the book.
43' CHANCE! White has to make a great last-ditch to block Lingard's strike after the forward latches on to a loose ball from Gabriel playing out from the back.
41' Saliba uses his strength at the back to bundle Awoniyi off the ball following good work from Gibbs-White to steal possession from Tomiyasu.
39' Pressure from Cook forces a corner for the visitors down the right flank. The resulting cross from Gibbs-White pinballs around the six-yard area before Xhaka clears it away before Awoniyi can react.
38' Gibbs-White seizes on a loose ball from Xhaka and charges forward. He has men in support, but his pass to Awoniyi is intercepted by Gabriel.
36' OVER! Xhaka feeds Odegaard in the box and he offloads back to Jesus in space. He shoots on his right foot, only to lift his effort over the top.
34' Despite Arsenal's dominance, the home side have not been able to take control of the game. Forest will be satisifed that they have limited the damage after the Gunners' strong start.
32' WIDE! Partey loses out to Awoniyi in the Arsenal half and he drives forward before feeding Lingard to strike. The forward connects with his effort, but slices it well wide of the target.
30' BLOCK! Odegaard lines up the resulting free-kick, but his slams his strike into the wall. Lodi reacts to the loose ball to steer it away from Jesus.
29' Gibbs-White brings down Nelson in the final third, handing the home side a free-kick in a threatening position.
28' Arsenal have lost just one of their last 32 home Premier League games when scoring first (W28 D3), losing 2-1 to Man City in January. They have won their last nine games since then when scoring first at the Emirates.
R. Nelson
B. Saka
27' Nelson gets the nod to replace Saka down the right flank. Arteta and Gareth Southgate will be hopeful that it is not a serious injury.
26' Saka is down again. He has not been able to shake off that early knock and will have to be withdrawn.
23' Arsenal are a threat every time they advance in the final third. Forest are finding life very difficult to contain the home side.
21' Saka is still not moving freely and Arteta will have to be watchful regarding his fitness here.
20' OFF THE LINE AND OVER! Partey releases Xhaka into the inside-left channel and he plays a pass back to Martinelli in space. He fires at goal on his left foot, but Lodi denies Arsenal a second with a goalline clearance. Saka pounces on the rebound, only to hammer his effort over the top.
19' Aged 21 years and 55 days, Saka is the third-youngest player to assist 20 goals in the Premier League.
17' Saka is back on his feet and appears to be okay to continue.
15' Saka is down for the home side after being nudged down by Lodi. He requires treatment before the game can resume.
14' Saka charges towards the edge of the box and gets nudged to the deck. The referee plays on as the loose ball travels to Jesus, but his strike is blocked into the hands of Henderson.
12' OVER! Tomiyasu makes a good late run to attack a cross from Saka on the right flank. He connects first-time, but steers his effort over the top.
10' Saka finds space down the right flank and supplies a cross into the middle that sees Jesus fire at goal, only to see his effort blocked. Partey latches on to the rebound, but his first-time strike is charged down.
8' Xhaka plays a loose offload that Freuler pounces on, but he can only drill his strike from distance straight at Ramsdale.
8' CHANCE! Saka robs Lingard and feeds Jesus in the inside-right channel. He turns away from one challenge before firing at goal on his left foot, but he curls his effort just wide of the left post.
7' Arsenal have a record of W4, D0, L0 when scoring the opening goal at home in the Premier League this season.
B. Saka
Assist
5' Saka takes a neat touch on the right flank to open up space for a cross. He delivers a perfect ball in to Martinelli to score.
Gabriel Martinelli
Goal
5' GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!! MARTINELLI SCORES A SUBLIME DIVING HEADER!!!!! 1-0 ARSENAL!!!!! Martinelli stoops to direct a low header into the bottom-right corner. Saka collects on the right flank and supplies a perfect cross for Martinelli to attack. The Brazilian connects and steers his effort away from Henderson into the back of the net.
3' Lodi and Saka exchange fouls in the early stages of the contest. The battle down that flank will be interesting this afternoon.
1' We're under way at the Emirates Stadium.
This is the first league meeting between Arsenal and Nottingham Forest since January 1999, a 1-0 away win for the Gunners. They’ve met four times in cup competitions since, with Arsenal winning the two League Cup ties and Forest winning two FA Cup ties.
Forest have made one change to their side that beat Liverpool last time out. Lodi comes into the team to replace Williams at left-back. O'Brien returns to the bench for the Midlands outfit.
Arteta has made five changes to his side that was beaten 2-0 by PSV Eindhoven on Thursday. Jesus, Saka, Partey, White and Gabriel are all restored to the starting line-up. Nketiah, Tierney, Holding, Vieira and Lokonga all drop to the bench.
NOTTINGHAM FOREST SUBS: Joe Worrall, Orel Mangala, Neco Williams, Wayne Hennessey, Lewis O'Brien, Sam Surridge, Brennan Johnson, Emmanuel Dennis, Willy Boly.
NOTTINGHAM FOREST (4-3-3): Dean Henderson; Serge Aurier, Steve Cook, Scott McKenna, Renan Lodi; Ryan Yates, Remo Freuler, Cheikhou Kouyate; Morgan Gibbs-White, Taiwo Awoniyi, Jesse Lingard.
ARSENAL SUBS: Kiernan Tierney, Eddie Nketiah, Rob Holding, Cedric Soares, Fabio Vieira, Albert Sambi Lokonga, Reiss Nelson, Marquinhos, Karl Hein.
ARSENAL (4-3-3): Aaron Ramsdale; Ben White, William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes, Takehiro Tomiyasu; Martin Odegaard, Thomas Partey, Granit Xhaka; Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Jesus, Gabriel Martinelli.
Forest secured a huge result last week to defeat Liverpool at the City Ground. Taiwo Awoniyi scored the only goal of the game to give the Midlands outfit a massive lift in their battle against the drop. However, the other sides in and around Forest have also started to accumulate points, leaving them bottom once again. Steve Cooper needs another stellar performance from his side this time on the round against a quality opponent.
Arsenal saw a run of four-straight wins halted in the Premier League by Southampton last week. The Gunners are trailing Manchester City by one point at the top of the table, but can leapfrog their rivals to retake their place at the summit with a win. Mikel Arteta's men did suffer a 2-0 defeat against PSV Eindhoven in the Europa League during the week. Arteta will be eyeing a return to winning ways to maintain their impressive start to the campaign.
Hello and welcome to the live commentary of the Premier League clash between Arsenal and Nottingham Forest at the Emirates Stadium.
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