Arsenal gave Ange Postecoglou a rude Premier League welcome on Saturday, handing his Nottingham Forest side a painful 3-0 defeat at the Emirates.
The spotlight, however, was stolen by new signing Martin Zubimendi, who opened his Arsenal account with a brace on the night.
Postecoglou, still haunted by his Tottenham scars, extended his winless run against Mikel Arteta to five matches — three losses and two draws — and there was never a moment it looked like changing.
Forest had flashes of intent, but Arsenal dominated from the start. Noni Madueke, filling in for the injured Bukayo Saka, terrorised Morato down the flank and his set-piece delivery proved decisive. One of his corners forced Chris Wood into a clearance that fell to Zubimendi, who lashed home a volley with the aid of a deflection.
Morgan Gibbs-White nearly dragged Forest level but shot wide from close range, a miss that proved costly. Seconds after the restart, Arsenal doubled their advantage as Eberechi Eze, making his first start, teed up Viktor Gyokeres for a simple tap-in.
Zubimendi wasn’t done. The Spaniard rose highest to nod in a Leandro Trossard cross, sealing Arsenal’s comfortable win.
The victory came at a cost, though, as captain Martin Odegaard limped off with a suspected shoulder injury in the first half. Still, Arteta will be pleased with how his depleted squad delivered when it mattered.
