Arsenal 2-1 Nottingham Forest: 5 Talking Points as goals from Saka and Nketiah secure victory despite a few hiccups

Arsenal secured a narrow, but well-deserved 2-1 win over Nottingham Forest in their Premier League opener at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday, August 12.

The Gunners entered this game on the back of an unexpected comeback win against Manchester City on penalties in the Community Shield, having trailed the game until the 97th minute. Mikel Arteta made a couple of eyebrow-raising changes for this game as Gabriel Magalhaes missed out, while Thomas Partey was deployed at right-back.

Forest, on the other hand, were eager to hit the ground running and put points on the board so they can ensure their survival in the league for one more year. Having narrowly pulled away from the relegation scrap late last season, Steve Cooper and his men were determined to stand up to the big boys of the league and were not going to be pushovers for Arsenal.

The Gunners made a relatively slow start to the game and took a while before they got into a good rhythm. Forest had one good chance to grab an early lead but Brennan Johnson saw his effort sail wide of the mark. The hosts grabbed the lead in the 26th minute via Edward Nketiah, after Gabriel Martinelli produced a brilliant piece of skill to set it up.

They doubled their lead just six minutes later as William Saliba played the ball to Bukayo Saka, who took one touch before unleashing a thunderbolt into the left top-corner from 20 yards out to make it 2-0. Arsenal looked the better side and looked comfortable going into the break with healthy two-goal lead.

The second half saw Arsenal's intensity drop-off slightly as they struggled to carry their first-half momentum forward. This gave Nottingham Forest an opportunity to put together a few moves of their own in a bid to regain some control over the proceedings.

The hosts faced a blow as Jurrien Timber hobbled off injured shortly after the second period began, causing a wave of concern to flood the Emirates Stadium. However, in stark contrast to the fans, the Gunners' physio and Timber himself looked relatively relaxed as he was withdrawn from the game.

Taiwo Awoniyi scored in the 82nd minute following a blistering counter-attack led by Anthony Elanga, whose pace made the goal possible. Despite a nervy ending to the game for Arsenal, they held on to begin the new campaign with a 2-1 win.

On that note, let's take a look at the five major talking points from this clash.

#5. Mikel Arteta's team selection raised several eyebrows

Arsenal lined up with what was their full-strength lineup against City in the Community Shield last weekend. Aaron Ramsdale started between the sticks, with the customary backline of Benjamin White, William Saliba, Gabriel and debutant Jurrien Timber ahead of him. For this game, however, Arteta decided to start Partey at right-back.

This led to Gabriel being dropped from the starting XI for the first time in over 70 league games, as the club maintained the move was purely tactical. He also decided to start Nketiah up front, but few questions were asked about that after the forward opened the scoring in the first half with a lovely finish.

While most fans and pundits expected Arsenal to keep their XI consistent, Arteta has proven that they are willing to experiment as per the demands of their next game.

#4. Arsenal ended the first half in a dominant and rampant manner

Having scored two goals in the space of six minutes midway through the first period, the Gunners were cruising to victory as the half-time interval approached. The opener by Nketiah sent euphoric cheers through the stadium but Saka's curling effort sent the fans into raptures as the Emirates breathed new life for this new season.

Arsenal looked sharp, direct and organized as they made seamless runs behind Nottingham Forest's defense and combined well with one another. Despite their fluidity with the ball, they somehow lacked clinicality in front of goal, as was reflected in the final scoreline.

#3. Jurrien Timber's injury concerns could be an early blow

Timber was subbed off after going down following an off-the-ball incident shortly after play resumed for the second half. He was seen holding the front and back of his knee, indicating it could be ligament damage. However, he was seen walking off the pitch alongside the Gunners' physio team, indicating that a the injury may be less severe than initially feared.

Losing the versatile Dutchman so early in the season would be a massive blow for Arteta, who acquired Timber's services from Ajax this summer in a deal worth £30 million. The club are yet to make an official announcement regarding the situation.

#1. Elanga and Awoniyi led Nottingham Forest's late fightback

Anthony Elanga replaced Brennan Johnson for the final 10 minutes of the game as manager Steve Cooper looked to utilise the Swede's electric pace against Arsenal's tired legs. It paid dividends just two minutes after he entered the field of play, as Elanga made a lovely run forward before setting up teammate Taiwo Awoniyi, who scored to make it 2-1 in the 82nd minute.

Despite their late and valiant efforts, Forest were unable to find a second goal despite digging deep until the final whistle. They attempted six shots, hitting the target just twice, leaving Aaron Ramsdale with little to worry about.

#1. Arsenal kick-start the new campaign with a win

Despite the result not being convincing enough on paper with a narrow 2-1 scoreline, there were several positives the Gunners and Mikel Arteta could take away from this game.

For starters, the hosts managed the tempo of the contest really well, choosing the right moments to turn up the intensity a bit or choosing to sit back and allowing Forest possession. They kept the ball for a whopping 79% of the total game time, showing how much the ball was in their court.

With two lovely goals and three points in the bag, Arsenal will look to continue their winning run.