Arsenal 5-0 Nottingham Forest (Martinelli 5′, Nelson 49′, 52′, Partey 57′, Odegaard 78′)
EMIRATES STADIUM — With just a fortnight to go before England depart for Qatar and three weeks before their opening World Cup fixture, Gareth Southgate must be watching from behind the sofa.
To a list that already includes Reece James, Kalvin Phillips and possibly Kyle Walker, is provisionally added Bukayo Saka. It might be that scans provide a reprieve but that is not how it looked as Saka left the Emirates with an ankle injured in an agricultural tackle that had no prospect of claiming the ball.
Saka was clobbered in the opening minutes by Renan Lodi. You know the kind of thing, one of those unnecessary “let them know you are there” interventions that scar the game. Saka limped on for a bit, even supplied the cross for Arsenal’s opening goal, but would fall to the ground twice more before his ankle finally gave up.
These kind of muscular tackles from behind, for so long revered as an indicator of alpha masculinity, are always dangerous, a maiming waiting to happen. The absence through injury of some of the world’s leading players is one of the pernicious elements that escaped the calculation of architects of this ill-conceived, nonsense of a tournament. Outside of the English contingent Portugal have lost Diogo Jota and France are without N’Golo Kante, whilst fingers remain crossed that Raphael Varane recovers in time.
Into the space left by Saka raced Reiss Nelson. Qatar is probably too early for the former Arsenal wonderkid but don’t rule it out at the rate the flyers are falling. Nelson returned from his loan season at Feyenoord fully formed, according to his coach Mikel Arteta. Still only 22, Nelson has been the talk of the Arsenal training ground following his recovery from injury earlier this season. Arteta identified the nine-game insanity that has been October as an opportunity for Nelson to justify the reviews, if not at Saka’s expense.
Two quick strikes at the start of the second half finally gave Arsenal’s supremacy the scoreline it deserved. Nelson is flexible as well as sharp, moving to the left when Arteta removed Gabriel Martinelli with half an hour to play, probably taking a call from Brazil boss Tite to get him to the safety of the dressing room pronto. Before Nelson’s switch his assist for Thomas Partey embroidered his day. It was still some finish by the Ghanaian, whose own health is so central to the prospects of this Arsenal ensemble.
In truth Arsenal could have sent out the 1971 double-winning side and still won this match. Arsenal scored with their first attack, a stooping header from Martinelli that the centre-half Scott McKenna should have reached and Dean Henderson should have saved. The cross from Saka was heaved into what the football argot labels “the right area” and that proved sufficient.
Gabriel Jesus bent a ball the wrong side of the post. Martinelli had an attempt kicked off the line. Partey piloted the ship expertly from his midfield bridge. Forest charged about having to run twice as hard just to maintain a degree of respectability, which they managed largely because Arsenal lost their way a little following Saka’s departure midway through the opening period.
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Why Arsenal vs Nottingham Forest isn't on TV today, and what's on Sky Sports instead30 October, 2022Half-time proved fecund ground for Arteta, who reminded his team what was at stake against the Premier League’s bottom club. The victory that would take them back to the top of the league would have been expected. The requirement was goals, and plenty of them. Manchester City’s goal difference stood at 26, 12 better than Arsenal’s. This is the guarantee City have up their sleeves should any opponent develop the mettle to push them all the way.
With almost a third of the season gone, Arsenal have shown themselves to be worthy of City’s attention. Martin Odegaard helped himself to the fifth goal at training ground intensity to squeeze the Forest lemon dry. Ill-equipped to contain the weight and breadth of Arsenal’s talent, Forest just melted away.
The fixture at Chelsea next week if not the final match at Wolves ought to stretch Arsenal more and determine whether they retain top spot during the World Cup hiatus. The Emirates at least was awash with a sense of destiny calling as the supporters waved off their boys in the Premier League until the visit of West Ham on Boxing Day.
Forest already look doomed. Having spent £150m on 21 players in the summer Steve Cooper is no nearer blending a team in this unforgiving environment. He spent the whole of this match with his arms across his chest, probably trying to fold himself into an infinitesimal space so as not to be seen.
The home matches to come against Brentford and Crystal Palace already carry must-win status, which is no place to be after 13 games. Though only a point adrift of Wolves in the bottom three and three behind Southampton in 17th the scale of their plight is told in the goals for and against column. With only eight scored and 28 conceded there seems little prospect of Forest changing the narrative of a bruising season.
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