Arsenal started their 2023/24 premier league campaign in the way they will like to continue, by getting all three points. A 2-1 win at Emirates Stadium was enough to see off Steve Cooper’s Nottingham Forest in their first game of the new season. However, the scoreline itself does not tell the full story.
Mikel Arteta decided to experiment slightly with his starting XI, dropping centre back Gabriel and bringing in Eddie Nketiah to lead the line with new signings Kai Havertz and Declan Rice in midfield, and Thomas Partey inverting from right back. Jurrien Timber also made his Premier League debut for the Gunners however unfortunately he later had to come off with what looked like a nasty knee injury. Here’s hoping it’s not as bad as first feared for the impressive Dutchman. Recently transferred ex Gunner Matt Turner started out in goal for Forest.
Arsenal started the game dominating possession, as expected, however struggled to break down a resilient low-block from Forest. And despite all their possession it was Steve Cooper’s men that had the best chance of the opening minutes as Brennan Johnson broke through on goal but shot wide. However, the breakthrough for Arsenal came midway through the first half as Gabriel Martinelli superbly spun and flicked the ball in the path of Nketiah, who got his shot off in the penalty area and after a slight deflection, got the ball past Matt Turner to open the scoring and get Arsenal up and run in the new Premier League season.
And once they scored their first, they didn’t have to wait too long for their second as only a couple of minutes later, Bukayo Saka cut inside with the ball at his feet just outside the box. The young winger then fired an absolute beauty of a strike with his left foot that flew past a helpless Matt Turner into the far top corner to double his side’s lead heading into the break to end a pretty dominant first half from Arsenal.
The second half was largely eventless, despite new man Declan Rice coming close with a low drive from distance, as Arsenal looked happy to see out the game. However, they would pay the price for they complacency as former Manchester United winger Anthony Elanga ran down the line unchallenged, squaring the ball for Taiwo Awoniyi to reduce the deficit to 2-1 and set up a nervy finish for Arsenal in a game they had dominated. Although thankfully, Mikel Arteta’s side held on to claim three points in their first competitive encounter of the season.
Arsenal’s first away game of the season comes on Monday night football as a tough trip to Selhurst Park to face Crystal Palace awaits.
Player ratings:
Aaron Ramsdale: 6 – Had nothing to do and couldn’t do anything about the goal
Thomas Partey: 7 – Comfortable and composed
Ben White: 6 – Decent but could’ve closed down Elanga to prevent the goal
William Saliba: 7 – Solid at the heart of Arsenal’s defence
Jurrien Timber: 6 – Had a solid half before being forced off
Declan Rice: 7 – An impressive debut for Arsenal’s new record signing
Kai Havertz: 6 – An ok, but quiet debut for the former Chelsea man
Martin Odegaard: 7 – Creative and energetic like always
Bukayo Saka: 8 – A constant threat and scored a brilliant goal
Eddie Nketiah: 8 – Led the line well and scored with a good finish
Gabriel Martinelli: 8 – Got a wonderful assist and didn’t stop running. Was excellent at tracking back