With spectacular goals from Bukayo Saka, Thomas Partey, and Ethan Nwaneri’s maiden Premier League goal, Arsenal rekindled their title challenge in grand fashion, defeating Nottingham Forest 3-0.
After four games without a win caused the Gunners to lose ground at the top, Mikel Arteta was able to celebrate a much-needed victory in his 250th game as manager.
Saka overcame his injury concerns, which had forced him to leave the England group, to open the scoring with a long-range goal in the first half.
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Partey then doubled the lead after the interval, and 17-year-old Nwaneri added a late third as Arsenal regained their footing.
With Arteta shuffling his pack with Declan Rice and Kai Havertz on the bench, the Gunners believed they had seized the lead early thanks to Jurrien Timber.
Timber was there to bury the loose ball after Mikel Merino’s header from a Martin Odegaard free-kick was cleared off the line by Nicolas Dominguez, but Merino was declared offside following a protracted VAR review.
But when Saka and Odegaard traded passes on the edge of the area in the fifteenth minute, Arsenal did take the lead.
Before launching a left-footed effort back across Forest keeper Matz Sels and into the roof of the net, the England winger continued his move across the box, edging past Alex Moreno and James Ward-Prowse.
Making his first appearance at the Emirates since August, Odegaard demonstrated how much Arsenal has missed him during his two-month injury layoff.
The Norwegian’s quick feet repeatedly found space where none existed, teeding up Gabriel Jesus, who curled just wide before connecting with Saka once more and watching Nikola Milenkovic clear a low drive off the line.
Ryan Yates headed Ward-Prowse’s cross over the top to give Forest their lone chance in the first half, with Chris Wood, their in-form striker, strangely left kicking his heels on the bench for an hour.
The Gunners were so dominant that they ought to have been out of sight by halftime, but Sels kept the visitors in the game by stopping strong drives from Saka and Leandro Trossard before the interval.
That only lasted seven minutes of the second half, though, when Partey, who had entered as a halftime substitute, picked up Saka’s pass 20 yards out, took a touch, and then curled his shot inside the far post and away from Sels’ dive.
After coming off the bench, Nwaneri nearly made an immediate impression, but his enticing run ended with a shot that missed the mark.
In any case, the thrilling young player put Raheem Sterling’s cutback away with four minutes remaining to seal a decisive victory and show that the Gunners are still very much in the running for the championship.
