Arsenal vs Nottingham Forest LIVE!
Martin Zubimendi's double and Viktor Gyokeres's tap-in gave Arsenal a comfortable 3-0 home victory over Nottingham Forest in the Premier League on Saturday, condemning Ange Postecoglou to defeat in his first game as Forest boss.
Zubimendi's first Arsenal goal, a stunning volley in the 32nd minute, capped a dominant first half for the hosts, though captain Martin Odegaard was forced off injured after falling heavily on his right shoulder. Arsenal doubled their lead within a minute of the restart, Eberechi Eze capitalising on poor defending by substitute Nicolo Savona to lay it on a plate for Gyokeres to score his third of the season.
The game was petering out when Zubimendi put it to bed in the 79th minute with a simple header from Leandro Trossard's cross, prompting gleeful chants from Arsenal's fans towards Postecoglou, former manager of their bitter rivals Tottenham. Read the game back below with our dedicated match blog, featuring expert insight and analysis from Sam Tabuteau at the Emirates Stadium.
Arsenal vs Nottingham Forest latest news
- GOAL! Zubimendi at the double!
- GOAL! Gyokeres makes it two
- GOAL! Zubimendi rocket breaks the deadlock
Full-time!
14:29 , Alex Young95min: Job done, three easy points.
Sam Tabuteau at the Emirates
14:27 , Alex YoungA really professional performance from Arsenal in what could have proved to be a tricky game. They have been helped by Forest, who have been hopeless.
But still, three goals, a clean sheet and three points will be just what Arteta wanted.
Arsenal 3-0 Nottingham Forest
14:23 , Alex Young90min: Four minutes added on.
Arsenal 3-0 Nottingham Forest
14:19 , Alex Young85min: Saliba and Saka spotted watching on from the sidelines.
Sam Tabuteau at the Emirates
14:15 , Alex YoungInstant impact from Leandro Trossard as he crosses for Zubimendi to head home his second of the afternoon. Arsenal coasting.
GOAL!
14:13 , Alex Young80min: Zubimendi again!
A corner routine is worked well and, somehow, the short midfielder pops up at the far post to head home!
Arsenal 2-0 Nottingham Forest
14:12 , Alex Young79min: Martinelli is now on, replacing Madueke. Eze is replaced by Trossard.
Arsenal 2-0 Nottingham Forest
14:11 , Alex Young78min: Williams is booked for a foul on Madueke. It had been coming.
Arsenal 2-0 Nottingham Forest
14:08 , Alex Young73min: McAtee and Yates are on for Gibbs-White and Sangare.
Luiz will stay on the bench again.
Arsenal 2-0 Nottingham Forest
14:06 , Alex Young71min: Almost an instant impact for Rice as the substitute slides in on a Timber pass, but can’t get there in time.
Sam Tabuteau at the Emirates
14:03 , Alex YoungArsenal's strength in depth on full display as they bring on Declan Rice and Myles Lewis-Skelly.
It's the mark of title contenders that at 2-0 up, they can bring on two players of such quality.
Arsenal 2-0 Nottingham Forest
14:02 , Alex Young68min: Arsenal fans are telling Postecoglou that he'll be "getting sacked in the morning".
Lewis-Skelly is on for Calafiori, while Rice replaces Gyokeres.
Arsenal 2-0 Nottingham Forest
14:00 , Alex Young66min: Nice flick on from Gyokeres at the corner. He’s been far more involved since scoring.
Arsenal 2-0 Nottingham Forest
13:56 , Alex Young62min: First booking of the game is for Calafiori for delaying the restart.
Arsenal 2-0 Nottingham Forest
13:56 , Alex Young61min: First Forest changes as Kalimuendo and Bakwa are on for Hudson-Odoi and Wood.
POST!
13:53 , Alex Young59min: A thunderous shot on the angle from Gyokeres, who hits the outside of the near post.
Arsenal 2-0 Nottingham Forest
13:49 , Alex Young55min: Plenty of Forest substitutes are warming up.
BAR!
13:46 , Alex Young52min: Wood goes within inches of pulling one back for Forest, with Raya beaten, and then Mosquera does brilliantly to tackle Hudson-Odoi in the follow-up.
Sam Tabuteau at the Emirates
13:44 , Alex YoungDream start to the second half for Arsenal as Gyokeres doubles the hosts' lead.
The Swede struggled to get on the same wavelength as his teammates in the first half, but anticipated Eze's cross superbly there. Striker's instincts.
Arsenal 2-0 Nottingham Forest
13:43 , Alex Young48min: Brief VAR check for offside, but it’s good. What a start to the second half for Arsenal.
GOAL!
13:41 , Alex Young47min: Is that game, set and match already?
A long ball over the top is hit first time across the goal by Eze, and Gyokeres fires home at point-blank range!
Second half!
13:38 , Alex Young46min: ...and we’re back underway.
Teams are back out.
More of the same needed from Arsenal after the break, you’d think.
Like Sam reported below, Forest need to change something... but the Gunners are not yet letting them do so.
Half-time
13:22 , Alex Young48min: There’s the break.
Arsenal 1-0 Nottingham Forest
13:20 , Alex Young50min: Both teams just playing for the whistle now.
Sam Tabuteau at the Emirates
13:19 , Alex YoungThis has been as easy as you like for Arsenal. Postecoglu has tried to dig in and frustrate, against his best intentions, but it's not worked. Forest simply have to show something else in the second half.
Arsenal 1-0 Nottingham Forest
13:17 , Alex Young46min: Seven minutes added on.
Arsenal 1-0 Nottingham Forest
13:16 , Alex Young44min: Forest still yet to have a touch in the Arsenal box.
Arsenal 1-0 Nottingham Forest
13:12 , Alex Young41min: A rare venture forwards for Forest as they win a corner... which Arsenal head clear with ease.
Arsenal 1-0 Nottingham Forest
13:07 , Alex Young37min: Murillo’s day is done. Savona is on.
Sam Tabuteau at the Emirates
13:07 , Alex YoungArsenal like to have a player waiting at the top of the box from corners for that exact reason.
What a hit from Zubimendi and Madueke has his reward for a string of excellent corner kicks.
Arsenal 1-0 Nottingham Forest
13:06 , Alex Young35min: Murillo is going to try to continue, but doesn’t look comfortable.
Arsenal 1-0 Nottingham Forest
13:04 , Alex Young33min: To make matters worse for Forest, Murillo has pulled up.
GOAL!
13:02 , Alex Young32min: Oh my word! Zubimendi with a rocket on the volley after Arsenal’s corner is cleared!
Arsenal 0-0 Nottingham Forest
13:01 , Alex Young30min: Corner after corner after corner for Arsenal, but Forest are dealing with them well.
Sam Tabuteau at the Emirates
12:59 , Alex YoungMadueke's corners are continuing to cause problems. They look to be Arsenal's best route to goal at the moment.
Arsenal 0-0 Nottingham Forest
12:58 , Alex Young26min: Gyokeres with a super flick on to set up a move... but then there’s no player in red in the box to aim a cross at.
Arsenal 0-0 Nottingham Forest
12:54 , Alex Young23min: Another Arsenal corner, another well-defended by Forest.
Arsenal 0-0 Nottingham Forest
12:51 , Alex Young20min: Pace of the game has dropped a tad since Odegaard’s withdrawal.
Madueke continues to demand the ball at every opportunity.
Arsenal 0-0 Nottingham Forest
12:48 , Alex Young17min: Odegaard isn’t able to continue, which is a huge shame for the skipper.
Nwaneri is coming on.
Arsenal 0-0 Nottingham Forest
12:45 , Alex Young14min: Morato is having a tough time.
He lefts a long ball back bounce, doesn’t see Gyokeres who then sets up Eze for a shot on goal.
Arsenal 0-0 Nottingham Forest
12:44 , Alex Young13min: Madueke gets the better of Morato on the right and floats in a cross, which is a yard too strong and flies out of play.
Ominous for the Forest left-back.
Sam Tabuteau at the Emirates
12:43 , Alex YoungIt's been a positive start from Arsenal and in particular from Noni Madueke, who has created a couple of really presentable openings.
Arsenal 0-0 Nottingham Forest
12:41 , Alex Young10min: First corner for Arsenal, Madueke fizzes it in and Gabriel heads wide.
Arsenal 0-0 Nottingham Forest
12:39 , Alex Young8min: Odegaard is down in some pain after being felled by his own team-mate Timber. He landed on his shoulder.
Arsenal 0-0 Nottingham Forest
12:38 , Alex Young7min: Wood shoves Gabriel over to give away a free kick around 35 yards out.
Odegaard floats it in towards the back post, it’s head back across goal and Merino is denied on the volley by Sels!
Arsenal 0-0 Nottingham Forest
12:36 , Alex Young6min: Odegaard gets his foot on the ball finally after a super touch from Merino, but his flick towards Eze is easily read and Forest clear.
Arsenal 0-0 Nottingham Forest
12:36 , Alex Young4min: Ndoye is down and looks in some pain after a clash with Calafiori.
Oh, wait, no, he’s fine.
Arsenal 0-0 Nottingham Forest
12:34 , Alex Young3min: Lots of early possession for Arsenal’s defence, as they play it left to right without making any progress.
Eze’s first involvement sees him lose his boot.
Arsenal 0-0 Nottingham Forest
12:33 , Alex Young2min: A sloppy pass from Timber gives Gibbs-White his first effort on goal, which is blocked.
Kick-off!
12:30 , Alex Young1min: Here we go!
Sam Tabuteau at the Emirates
12:29 , Alex YoungHuge roar for Eberechi Eze on his full Arsenal debut. A proud day for the midfielder.
Teams are out, not long now.
100-up for Raya
12:24 , Alex YoungDavid Raya makes his 100th appearance for Arsenal today. That’s come about in no time.
Remember when Mikel Arteta said he would share minutes with Aaron Ramsdale?
Sam Tabuteau at the Emirates
12:22 , Alex YoungAtmosphere building here at the Emirates, where Arsenal will be itching to put things right following their defeat to Liverpool. It's early days, but the Gunners will be desperate not to lose more ground in the race for the title.
Saliba latest
12:12 , Alex YoungMikel Arteta has issued an update on Saliba's fitness.
He told TNT Sports: "He trained yesterday, but at the end of the session he wasn't fully ready to start the game."
Postecoglou on his squad
11:57 , Alex Young“I just think footballers are clever enough these days to play in different ways. I don't see anyone in that squad who won't be able to play the kind of football I want to play, but that's going to take time. It's a process.
“I won't let that affect the fact that we've got a big game today. You know, I'm not going to try and prove something or try and get them to play in a way it affects us getting results today. That's still the most important.”
Latest odds
11:52 , Alex YoungMany are expecting an Arsenal win today.
- Arsenal: 1/3
- Draw: 16/5
- Nottingham Forest: 7/1
(Odds via Betfair, subject to change.)
Ange is up against it
11:46 , Alex YoungAnge Postecoglou lost three and drew one of four league games with Arsenal while in charge of Spurs.
Arsenal’s record against Nottingham Forest is even better (worse from Postecoglou point of view), having won their last six home games, and scoring 19 goals in the process.
The last time Forest won away at Arsenal? 1989.
Sam Tabuteau at the Emirates
11:40 , Alex YoungAn exciting, new look attack for Arsenal in the absence of Bukayo Saka. Eberechi Eze makes his full debut while Noni Madueke, fresh from his first England goal, retains his place at right wing.
This had already promised to be an exciting affair, but Ange Postecoglou’s appointment as Forest manager has added an extra bit of needle.
Eze in, Rice out, Saliba a no-show
11:31 , Alex YoungSo, Eze is handed his first start for Arsenal as Martinelli drops to the bench.
There is also a first start for Mosquera, as Saliba misses out entirely despite returning to training this week.
Rice gets a rest, with Merino lining up alongside the returning Odegaard in midfield. Hincapie joins him on the bench.
For Forest, summer signing Luiz is on the bench as he looks for his first minutes.
Confirmed team news in full
11:19 , Alex YoungArsenal XI: Raya; Timber, Mosquera, Gabriel, Calafiori; Zubimendi, Mikel Merino, Odegaard; Madueke, Gyokeres, Eze
Subs: Arrizabalaga, White, Lewis-Skelly, Hincapie, Rice, Nwaneri, Dowman, Martinelli, Trossard
Nottingham Forest XI: Sels; Morato, Milenkovic, Murillo, Williams; Anderson, Sangare; Ndoye, Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi; Wood
Subs: Victor, Luiz, Kalimuendo, Hutchinson, Yates, McAtee, Bakwa, Boly, Savona
Nottingham Forest XI
11:16 , Alex Young...and the visitors!
Our starting XI to face Arsenal! 🗞️ pic.twitter.com/YEsmy2RqJX
— Nottingham Forest (@NFFC) September 13, 2025
Arsenal XI
11:15 , Alex YoungEze starts!
🔴 𝗧𝗘𝗔𝗠𝙉𝙀𝙒𝙎 ⚪️
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) September 13, 2025
🧱 Mosquera partners Gabriel
🔙 Odegaard returns
🏡 Eze makes home bow
Let's return to winning ways, Gunners 👊
A peek inside the Arsenal dressing room. Confirmed teams in six minutes.
Eberechi Eze is on the front of the matchday programme. Surely he starts, right?
Arteta: I have learned a lot from Postecoglou
10:50 , Alex YoungMikel Arteta has welcomed the return of Ange Postecoglou back to the Premier League.
Arteta said: "With Ange, his biggest strength, in my opinion, is the way he's been. He has put his fingerprints on that team, and he has a very clear way of playing, and a very clear DNA.
"It is extremely good to watch. I have learned a lot from him, and it will be a very difficult game.
"It is very good (Postecoglou is back). As a character, as a person, what he transmits, what he brings to football, it's a joy to watch his teams. So, I am very welcome to having him back."
Postecoglou: I don't only play one way
10:42 , Alex YoungAnge Postecoglou has claimed that he has been “pigeon-holed” for playing just one brand of football.
Postecoglou guided Tottenham to Europa League glory, but also a 17th-place finish with a risky, open-at-the-back, high-line approach with little back-up plan.
But the new Forest boss believe it has been “misconstrued” that he only plays one way.
“I’ve got to be careful with what I say, because everyone has pigeon-holed me pretty much my whole career,” he said.
“I love winning, I love winning things, that’s what I’ve done. I want the fans to be excited to watch the team play. There’s already an existing mentality within the group of working hard for one another and I want to tap into that. It’s about implementing my own ideas.
“I love my teams to attack, I love my teams to score goals. That’s sometimes misconstrued as me just playing one way.
“The reason I want my teams to play that way is because I love winning things. That’s what I want to do here.”
How Arsenal's summer signings can help Eze conjure title-winning magic
10:35 , Alex YoungMikel Arteta cannot conjure solutions with a magic wand, though at times Arsenal’s left flank must have made him wish he could, writes Simon Collings.
Three seasons ago, that flank was one of the most lethal in the Premier League as Arsenal mounted their first title challenge under Arteta.
Gabriel Jesus, Gabriel Martinelli and Granit Xhaka scored 35 goals between them, complementing the 30 delivered by Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard on the right.
Over time, however, Arsenal have become reliant on their right flank and the left side’s influence has diminished.
That 2022-23 unit has since been broken up, with Oleksandr Zinchenko joining Xhaka in leaving this summer, and Jesus remains sidelined by injury.
Arteta cannot wave a wand, but some magic from Eberechi Eze may be what is needed to spark the left back into life.
Arsenal vs Nottingham Forest prediction
10:26 , Alex YoungThe appointment of Postecoglou does change things for Arsenal, and most likely in a positive way. The Gunners will have been expecting to come up against a low block with Nuno Espirito Santo in charge.
As we know too well from Postecoglou’s time at Tottenham, he wants his teams to play on the front foot and with a high line. This approach should play into Arsenal’s hands and if they’re clinical enough, the likes of Viktor Gyokeres, Eze and Noni Madueke have an opportunity to fill their boots.
Arsenal to win, 4-0.
Early Nottingham Forest team news
10:19 , Alex YoungAs for Forest, Oleksandr Zinchenko is ineligible to face his parent club after joining on loan on transfer Deadline Day.
His absence poses a selection issue for Postecoglou with Ola Aina sidelined for potentially months.
The right-back lasted just 10 minutes of Nigeria’s 1-1 draw with South Africa because of a hamstring injury and has been ruled out for a period of time, the club announced on Friday.
Otherwise, Ange Postecoglou has everyone else available.
Early Arsenal team news
10:12 , Alex YoungEberechi Eze could make his first start for Arsenal this afternoon, while William Saliba remains in contention to play.
The attacking midfielder came off the bench for the final 20 minutes against Liverpool last time out, and could today replace Gabriel Martinelli on the left flank.
Bukayo Saka will miss the game with a hamstring injury, with Noni Madueke likely to come in.
Saliba will be assessed after returning to training after the ankle injury that forced him off early at Anfield, with Cristhian Mosquera the favourite to come in as reserve.
Ben White is set to return to the squad on Saturday, while deadline-day signing Piero Hincapie could make his debut.
Christian Norgaard has not featured since pre-season, however he has been back training this week.
How to watch Nottingham Forest vs Arsenal
10:05 , Alex YoungTV channel: This game will be shown on TNT Sports. Coverage begins at 11.30am BST, with kick off at 12.30pm BST.
Live stream: Subscribers can stream the match live on discovery+.
Welcome
09:59 , Alex YoungGood afternoon and welcome to the London Standard’s LIVE coverage of the Premier League clash between Arsenal and Nottingham Forest.
Ange Postecoglou is back in the top flight, just three months after winning the Europa League with Tottenham... and then being sacked. File him firmly under ‘unfinished business’.
Arsenal, meanwhile, are looking to recover from losing to Liverpool before the international break, and will be hoping to resume with a statement showing.
Kick-off at the Emirates Stadium is 12.30pm BST. Stick with us.
