Mikel Arteta marked his 250th sport answerable for us with the victory he desired as Bukayo Saka, Thomas Partey and a primary Premier League aim for Ethan Nwaneri comfortably beat Nottingham Forest.

Simply as he did final season on this fixture, Saka scored a stunner to get us rolling on 14 minutes, and 6 minutes after being launched as a half-time sub, Partey blasted in from 25 yards to double our lead.

Nwaneri was introduced off the bench with 9 minutes to go and swiftly discovered the goal to spherical off a wonderful victory, which noticed us develop into simply the second aspect in English top-flight historical past to achieve 2,000 wins, however, extra importantly, finish a run of 4 league video games with out success as we purpose to catch the leaders throughout the all-important winter fixtures.

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Highlights: Arsenal 3-0 Nottingham Forest

Saka stars

With Forest coming into this sport unbeaten in 5 away journeys this time period and sitting fifth within the desk, degree on factors with ourselves, this a troublesome encounter in opposition to the Difficult Timber, however we had been dominant all through and shortly set out our stall.

We almost had the dream begin when the ball was behind the Forest web after simply 4 minutes. On his first Emirates Stadium look in 84 days, Martin Odegaard clipped a free-kick into the field which Mikel Merino headed goalwards however Nicolas Dominguez scrambled it off the goalline earlier than Jurrien Timber drove the unfastened ball dwelling. Nevertheless, the celebrations had been curtailed by an offside flag in opposition to Merino, a good choice backed up after a prolonged VAR verify.

However 10 minutes later, the scoreboard did tick over because of some Saka magic. Some sensible shut management noticed him gather a lofted Jorginho cross and located Odegaard, who performed a intelligent cross again into the England man. He surged previous three defenders throughout the sting of the realm earlier than rifling the ball in the wrong way previous Matz Sels to web within the third successive sport in opposition to Forest.

Regardless of the fortnight hole since our final sport, we regarded sharp within the opening half and on 25 minutes that got here to the fore once more because of an intricate passing transfer. Saka, Gabriel Jesus, Odegaard, Timber and Jorginho bamboozled the visiting defence, however the Brazilian curled simply astray.

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Arteta describes sport 250 as “a ravishing day”

Partey time

Because the half got here to an in depth, the busiest gamers had been Saka, who was concerned in all our vibrant moments, and Sels who was known as into motion twice when he flung himself to push away a fierce Leandro Trossard blast, and Odegaard and Jesus mixed once more to create a gap for Saka which he took, however Forest’s Belgian shot-stopper’s positive low save diverted it previous his put up as Nuno Espirito Santo’s aspect escaped into the interval only one behind.

Having seen leads slip away in latest weeks in opposition to Liverpool and Chelsea, Arteta would have pushed dwelling the message that this was not a foregone conclusion at half-time, and launched Partey on the break, and that call took simply six minutes to repay.

Saka was once more concerned in our second aim, choosing up possession on the proper nd taking his time earlier than discovering the Ghanian on the sting of the field. With acres of area round him, he took a contact earlier than whipping a shot previous Sels to offer us the cushion we craved.

Forest hadn’t tasted success in N5 since 1989 and by no means regarded like ending that run, failing to hassle David Raya in our aim with a shot on course. As a substitute, it was extra about whether or not we wished to increase the scoreline, and when he was launched off the bench Nwaneri was decided to take action.

Teenage kicks

He went so near netting a sensational strike when he tricked his well beyond Brazil worldwide Murilo and whipped the ball in the direction of the underside nook however noticed it flash simply vast, however on 85 minutes his large second arrived.

Fellow substitute Raheem Sterling was the creator, getting down the proper and slicing the ball again to the 17-year-old, and he steered it pinpoint into the underside nook to safe a second he’ll always remember.

On the lookout for a crumb of consolation, Jota Silva thought he’d managed to drag one again for Forest late on when he tucked dwelling a Chris Wooden knockdown however the offside flag was up, however a clear sheet and a good margin of victory was the least we deserved on a milestone afternoon for the membership, and our supervisor.

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Arsenal hit 2,000 top-flight wins – all of the stats

Details and stats

Solely Mohamed Salah (14) has been concerned in additional Premier League objectives this season than Bukayo Saka (12 – 4 objectives, 8 assists). Certainly, Saka’s eight assists is a league excessive up to now this season.

Our victory was our 2,000th in English top-flight historical past, simply the second aspect to achieve this milestone after Liverpool (2,068).

At 17 years and 247 days, Ethan Nwaneri grew to become our second youngest-ever Premier League goalscorer, behind solely Cesc Fabregas in opposition to Blackburn in August 2004 (17y 113d).

Forest suffered their first away defeat in eight Premier League video games (W5 D2), leaving Liverpool as the one aspect nonetheless unbeaten on the street this time period.

4 of Thomas Partey’s seven Premier League objectives have come from exterior the field – of all our gamers to attain 5+ within the competitors, he’s the one one to web greater than half from exterior the field.

Forest didn’t have a single shot on course in a Premier League match for the primary time since April 2023 (vs Manchester United).

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Arteta to achieve 250 video games as supervisor – the stats

What’s subsequent

We head to Portugal to tackle Sporting Lisbon on matchday 5 of the Champions League on Tuesday earlier than we’re again in Premier League motion in per week’s time once we journey to West Ham United. Then we’re again at Emirates Stadium on Wednesday, December 4 to tackle Manchester United.