4 talking points as Arsenal return to winning ways against Nottingham Forest | OneFootball

After Arsenal's underwhelming run of form ahead of the November international break, Mikel Arteta warned: "We all go travelling on the bus together. It's going to be bumpy, there's going to be bad weather, things are going happen."

To extent the laboured metaphor, Arsenal were afforded a smooth ride at home to Nottingham Forest on Saturday afternoon. Racing into a dominant first-half lead thanks to Bukayo Saka's crisp opener, Thomas Partey doubled Arsenal's advantage shortly after the restart before 17-year-old Ethan Nwaneri capped off an easy 3-0 victory.

The Gunners still have a long journey back to the Premier League summit, but there were plenty of bright moments from a much-needed win.

Finesse over physicality

Bukayo Saka had the beating of Alex Moreno / Alex Pantling/GettyImages

After lining up in midfield alongside Partey and Declan Rice, the similarly imposing Mikel Merino laughed: "We look like a basketball team now." The towering Spaniard continued: "Football now has changed and now you need a strong team, physicality is key."

However, Arteta benched his big boys on Saturday. Rice made way for Jorginho, while Gabriel Jesus replaced Kai Havertz through the middle and Gabriel Martinelli's thrust was traded for Leandro Trossard's finesse.

This diminutive setup danced between Forest's pale blue shirts, threading the ball through thimbles of space with a sense of fluency which has often been lacking this season. While Jesus' willingness to drop off the frontline and Jorginho's craft in the middle of the pitch helped, Arsenal's intricate interplay was invariably funnelled through two key players.

Martin Odegaard unlocks another level of Bukayo Saka

Martin Odegaard was irresistible against Nottingham Forest / Alex Pantling/GettyImages

Saka may have emerged from Saturday's banana skin of a matchup with a goal and an assist but he was arguably outshone by his familiar partner-in-crime. Martin Odegaard's deft flick of his left boot, a nonchalant brush rather than a pass, inspired a collective gasp from the Emirates crowd. Saka's thumping opener which swiftly followed prompted a roar.

Even when he doesn't touch the ball, the mere presence of Arsenal's skipper shifts the gravity of a game. By hovering with menace in the right half-space, Odegaard's positioning ensures that Forest can't always send two players to double-team Saka, at least one will have to hang back and keep an eye on the figure pulling the strings.

Ben White wasn't missed

Jurrien Timber was in fine form against Nottingham Forest / Alex Pantling/GettyImages

Jurrien Timber made his Premier League debut at the Emirates Stadium against Nottingham Forest 18 months ago. The £34m recruit from Ajax lasted just 50 minutes before rupturing his ACL, forcing him onto the sidelines for more than year before his next appearance in the competition.

Arsenal were rocked by another serious injury to a full-back on the eve of Forest's visit as Ben White was ruled out for "a few months". Arteta fretted that it would be a "challenge" to replace the England abstainer, but Timber quelled those concerns during his rematch with Forest.

The versatile Dutchman tirelessly scampered up and down the right flank throughout the contest, offering an out ball for Saka and Odegaard while also snuffing out Callum Hudson-Odoi entirely.

Defensive solidity restored

David Raya had little to do aside from celebrate on Saturday / Justin Setterfield/GettyImages

Arsenal boasted an impressive record of 14 clean sheets across their first 22 league games of 2024. Yet, the Gunners had gone seven games and more than two months without a top-flight shutout to their name before the weekend.

There are mitigating factors to Arsenal's clean sheet. The visitors were forced to start without their leading goalscorer (Chris Wood) or their most prolific assist provider (Elliot Anderson). Forest's creative fulcrum Morgan Gibbs-White also watched on from the sidelines.

However, Arteta's side deserve some credit for denying Forest a single shot on target throughout the match. Arsenal kept the visitors penned into their defensive third for much of the contest and a solid rearguard withstood a late flurry, building the foundations for some much-needed confidence ahead of the festive crush of fixtures.