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Football

Arsenal

vs Nottingham Forest. Premier League.

12: 30pm, Saturday 13th September 2025.

Emirates Stadium Attendance: Attendance60, 167.

Match report as Arsenal beat Ange Postecoglou's Forest 3-0 thanks to goals from Martin Zubimendi and Viktor Gyokeres; Zubimendi crashed in stunning volley for first then headed in third; Gyokeres got second from Eberechi Eze's cross after half-time; watch free highlights from 5. 15pm

@Sam BIitz

Saturday 13 September 2025 17: 18, UK Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Arsenal showed the power of their transfer window as their new signings stole the show to earn a 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest, and a debut defeat for Ange Postecoglou. Martin Zubimendi got the ball rolling with a stunning volley from the edge of the penalty area after the electric Noni Madueke's corner was cleared. It was a deserved lead for Mikel Arteta's side - even though Martin Odegaard came off injured with another shoulder problem - though their best chances still came from set-pieces as Mikel Merino, Riccardo Calafiori and Jurrien Timber all went close from dead balls before the opener. That narrative changed just seconds into the second half as two new signings combined to double the lead. Eberechi Eze, on his full Arsenal debut, raced down the left from a Calafiori pass to feed Viktor Gyokeres, who had an easy finish from close range. Postecoglou's Forest only started looking dangerous when they were two goals down. Chris Wood nearly scored an audacious effort but it forced a superb save onto the bar from David Raya, who kept a clean sheet on his 100th appearance for the club. Yet Arsenal kept stepping on the gears as Gyokeres walloped a near-post effort onto the post, while substitute Declan Rice was inches away from connecting with a Timber cross for a third. But the third did come through another set-piece, and another goal involving in a new signing as Zubimendi nodded in Leandro Trossard's cross from a free-kick routine to seal the points.

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It was back-to-back 3-0 defeats for Forest - under two different head coaches. Their current boss in Postecoglou - who faced chants of 'sacked in the morning' and 'are you Tottenham in disguise? ' - has a bit of work to get 'Angeball' in motion. Arsenal: Raya (7); Timber (8), Mosquera (8), Gabriel (7), Calafiori (7); Zubimendi (9), Merino (8), Odegaard (6); Madueke (8), Gyokeres (7), Eze (8)

Subs used: Nwaneri (7), Rice (6), Lewis-Skelly (6), Martinelli (6), Trossad (6)

Nottingham Forest: Sels (5); Williams (5), Milenkovic (6), Murillo (5), Morato (4); Anderson (6), Sangare (5); Hudson-Odoi (5), Gibbs-White (5), Ndoye (6); Wood (5)

Subs used: Savona (6), Bakwa (6), Muinga (6), Yates (6), Mc Atee (6)

Player of the match: Martin Zubimendi

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta "The new ones that they started, five of them today, I was really impressed with them. "I think you can sense and feel that there are new relationships flourishing there that are going to give us different things to become more unpredictable. "We played a front three that we never played before. It was good exposure for them. It was, in terms of the timings as well, exactly what they needed because they played a lot of minutes and overall very happy. "We need two players per position. This is football, nothing different. Again, in the other teams when you see the qualities that they have, it's nothing new. "The amount of players that the players have to play. They have to play 70 or 74 games throughout the season, it's never been done. When the intensity goes that high, they are not going to be able to sustain that. "So you need more players, the standards have raised, we need better players and there's no secret. " Nottingham Forest head coach Ange Postecoglou: "It's a disappointing result, whenever you lose a game of football it's disappointing. Fair play to them, they're a very good side, especially here at home. If everything's going well it's still a difficult task to come here. "But to keep my disappointment in terms of the result in context, it's been a very disruptive week for the players. Seven days ago their world was totally different from what it is today. You've got to understand that, I certainly do. "I can't fault the players' endeavour and effort. I thought we hung in there, but we never really had control of the game at any point. " Sky Sports' Sam Blitz at the Emirates Stadium: Liverpool may have had the last word of the transfers with Alexander Isak, but Arsenal made a statement in the first game back during the international break. In the first game since the window shut, Arsenal lined up a new front three of Noni Madueke, Viktor Gyokeres and Eberechi Eze. Two of them combined for a goal, the other was one of Arsenal's best players on the pitch. Then their first marquee signing of the summer in Martin Zubimendi scored twice. Cristhian Mosquera played so well that Mikel Arteta believes he is "really pushing" William Saliba for a starting spot. He is not the only one. After scoring his first England goal in midweek, Madueke is after Bukayo Saka's Arsenal spot as well with an electric display. He took on his opposite man seven times - more than anyone on the pitch. But crucially, that industrious output was matched by Eze on the left. One of his six dribbles down the left wing resulted in Gyokeres tapping home the second goal from his cross. And on Gyokeres, how many times in the past have Arsenal seen a centre forward not be where he was for a cross like that? Arsenal have goals again. Arsenal's new-look attack has pushed the likes of Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard down the pecking order - two players who were needed almost every game last season. They are not the only ones with new roles. Declan Rice started a game on the bench for just the second time in in 2025. Myles Lewis-Skelly was the breakout teenager of last season but has not started a league game yet for Arsenal. Ben White and new signing Piero Hincapie were unused substitutes when they would have walked into Arsenal's team last season. All those players will be needed - especially if injuries strike. But then remember - Arsenal already have injuries! Bukayo Saka has been missing since the second game, Martin Odegaard has injured his shoulder twice in two home games, Saliba is out, Christian Norgaard is yet to make his competitive Arsenal debut - plus there are two centre forwards sidelined in Kai Havertz and Gabrel Jesus. If this is Arsenal not at full strength, then imagine how they could look - across all fronts - with everyone available. Arsenal have depth again. Super 6 are starting the season by guaranteeing a £1, 000, 000 winner! Play for free.

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