Arsenal defeated Nottingham Forest 3-0 at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday to stay firmly in the hunt at the top end of the Premier League table.
The breakthrough came in the 32nd minute when Martín Zubimendi struck a volley from distance to put the Gunners ahead.
Within seconds of the second half resuming, Viktor Gyokeres made it two, finishing off a well-weighted pass from Eberechi Eze in the 46th minute.
Zubimendi then added his second of the day in the 79th minute with a header, sealing the points for Mikel Arteta’s side.
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Arsenal was already without Bukayo Saka, William Saliba and Kai Havertz, but their squad depth showed as they controlled the contest and kept Forest at bay.
Nottingham Forest, under new manager Ange Postecoglou, struggled throughout. Despite his promise of front-foot football, the visitors created little in attack and were opened up repeatedly by Arsenal’s movement.
Postecoglou, who only took charge this week, will see the performance as evidence of how much work lies ahead.
The result lifts Arsenal to the summit of the table and reinforces their title credentials, while Forest’s defeat extends a poor run of away results and keeps them looking over their shoulders near the bottom.
The Gunners are unbeaten in their opening three matches, conceding just once while averaging nearly two goals per game. Mikel Arteta’s men will look to extend that form and keep pressure at the top of the table.
Forest arrives under new boss Ange Postecoglou after the exit of Nuno Espirito Santo, but their rebuild has been hampered by injuries.
Right-back Ola Aina is sidelined after hamstring surgery, and they are coming off a heavy 3-0 defeat to West Ham.
Arsenal’s confirmed lineup features Eberechi Eze making his first start alongside Viktor Gyokeres and Noni Madueke, with Martin Ødegaard pulling the strings in midfield.
Chris Wood leads the line for Forest, supported by Morgan Gibbs-White and Callum Hudson-Odoi.
Predictions from multiple outlets, including BBC Sport and SI.com, point strongly to a home win, with 3-0 seen as the most likely outcome.
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