The Premier League returns on Saturday as we host Nottingham Forest at Emirates Stadium, as we aim to get off to a flying start to the next batch of fixtures in front of our own supporters.
We’ve had some memorable moments during home matches against the Reds down the years, and to get you in the mood for their visit, we’ve dug into the archives to find five of the best.
Jog your memory with these classic matches:
**March 8, 1997**
**Arsenal 2-0 Nottingham Forest**
As he so often did, Dennis Bergkamp proved to be the difference between the sides as he netted a brace to move us to within three points of top spot, as Arsene Wenger’s revolution began to really take shape.
The Dutchman raced onto a Patrick Vieira pass to slot the ball past Mark Crossley five minutes after the break, and then sent the shot-stopper the wrong way from 12 yards after we were awarded a penalty for a foul on Bergkamp by Alf-Inge Haaland to clinch the win at Highbury.
**August 17, 1998**
**Arsenal 2-1 Nottingham Forest**
Wenger's reigning Double winners kicked off the campaign against newly-promoted Forest, and nearly took the lead into the break when Nicolas Anelka hit the post after some brilliant skill in the box.
It would take 58 minutes for us to score when Adams headed a Bergkamp free-kick against the bar and Emmanuel Petit was on hand to nod in the rebound. Geoff Thomas managed to equalise, but we responded within three minutes when Marc Overmars burst through the backline and forced Dave Beasant into a save, before acrobatically looping in the rebound to get the season off to the perfect start.
**September 24, 2019**
**Arsenal 5-0 Nottingham Forest**
An 18-year-old Gabriel Martinelli marked his first competitive start for us by netting twice to help us into the fourth round of the League Cup. He got off the mark on 31 minutes when he headed in a Callum Chambers cross, which was the first of a hat-trick of assists from the full-back.
That was how the scoreline stayed until Rob Holding netted with 20 minutes to go, but then the floodgates opened as Hale End graduates Joe Willock and Reiss Nelson finished off neat moves, before Martinelli completed his double in stoppage time with a superb long-range strike.
**October 30, 2022**
**Arsenal 5-0 Nottingham Forest**
We recorded our biggest-ever top-flight victory over Nottingham Forest, and moved back to the top of the Premier League table in style. An early stooping header from Martinelli got the rout going, before substitute Nelson netted twice within three minutes at the start of the second half to all but seal the points.
A thunderous strike from Thomas Partey made it 4-0 just before the hour mark, and then skipper Martin Odegaard wriggled through the defence to crash in a fifth on 77 minutes to cap off a fine performance from Mikel Arteta’s team.
**November 23, 2024**
**Arsenal 3-0 Nottingham Forest**
This was an afternoon that Ethan Nwaneri would never forget as he got on the scoresheet for the first time in the Premier League to show he was more than capable of mixing it at the top. We went into the game without a win in five league games, but 15 minutes in Bukayo Saka allayed any nervousness when he embarked on a mazy dribble before lashing the ball into the net.
Seven minutes after the break, Thomas Partey arrowed in a strike from 20 yards to double the advantage, before Nwaneri was introduced and the 17-year-old caused the opposition all sorts of problems, before deservedly getting a goal when he swept Raheem Sterling's cutback past Matz Sels as his star continued to rise.
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