Martin Zubimendi scored his first-ever career brace as Arsenal swept aside Ange Postecoglou's Nottingham Forest 3-0 at the Emirates in Saturday's early Premier League kickoff.
Deja vu of the worst kind struck for Gooners in the opening 30 minutes, where Mikel Arteta's men could not convert plentiful possession into exciting attacking play and lost Martin Odegaard to his second shoulder injury of the season.
However, one Martin's loss was another Martin's gain, as summer signing Martin Zubimendi opened the scoring just past the half-hour mark withan astonishing volley from inside the D.
To make matters worse for the visitors, influential defender Murillo was then taken off with a leg issue, and the absence of the Brazilian bulldozer was well and truly felt just 46 seconds into the second half.
New signings Eberechi Eze and Viktor Gyokeres linked up for the hosts' second straight after the restart, before Zubimendi harnessed his new-found goal threat yet again, heading home his second and Arsenal's third.
Thanks to their superior goal difference over Liverpool, the Gunners have now returned to the top of thePremier League table, while Forest have dropped down to 11th spot.
SPORTS MOLE'S VERDICT
Arsenal's Viktor Gyokeres celebrates scoring on September 13, 2025
Welcome back to the Premier League, Postecoglou.
Many wondered whether we would see the Australian's side deploy the counter-attacking approach that made them such a hit under Nuno Espirito Santo, or the gung-ho tactics that laid the foundations of Postecoglou's Tottenham Hotspur side.
In the end, we did not really get an answer, as a fired-up Arsenal suffocated their visitors from the off, zipped the ball across the field with confidence all afternoon and blessed their fans with several inspirational individual displays.
The marvellous Noni Madueke was a menace all afternoon, Zubimendi could hardly have scored a better first goal for the club, Eze was a livewire down the left and the likes of Cristhian Mosquera, David Raya and Mikel Merino were nothing short of exemplary.
Even with William Saliba, Gabriel Jesus, Bukayo Saka and Kai Havertz absent, the strength in depth on Arsenal's bench was striking, and today's display was a true statement of title intent.
ARSENAL VS. NOTTINGHAM FOREST HIGHLIGHTS
Martin Zubimendi goal vs. Nottingham Forest (31st min, Arsenal 1-0 Nottingham Forest)
Zubimendi THUMPS Arsenal into the lead ?
What a way to score your first goal for the Gunners ?
? @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/vQCkTYT9bl
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) September 13, 2025
Goodness gracious me.
Chris Wood gets his head to a Madueke corner, but the Forest striker only clears as far as Zubimendi, who only has one thing on his mind as the ball falls into his path 20 yards from goal.
The Spaniard connects with the most sweetly-struck volley, which takes a slight nick off of Murillo and Matz's Sels's gloves before flying into the roof of the net.
Undoubtedly a goal of the season contender already - that was a thing of absolute beauty.
Viktor Gyokeres goal vs. Nottingham Forest (46th min, Arsenal 2-0 Nottingham Forest)
Viktor Gyokeres doubles Arsenal's lead ?
That's three goals in four games for the Gunners' summer signing ⚽️
? @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/1EDMNNi0uT
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) September 13, 2025
Arsenal have scored a goal from open play klaxon!
The Gunners go route one to devastating effect, as Riccardo Calafiori pings a beautiful ball forward to Eze, who holds his run and easily has the beating of Nicolo Savona.
The England international delivers a first-time low ball into the six-yard box, where Gyokeres is waiting to crash the ball home for his third in two home matches.
Martin Zubimendi goal vs. Nottingham Forest (79th min, Arsenal 3-0 Nottingham Forest)
Martin Zubimendi gets his brace ?
A brilliant header by the Spaniard and Arsenal lead 3-0 ?
? @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/XAmV8tsgFx
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) September 13, 2025
Another set-piece goal? Technically. Another Zubimendi goal? Definitely. What an afternoon Arsenal's new number 36 is having.
Ethan Nwaneri plays a free kick short to Declan Rice on the edge of the box, and the Englishman lays the ball off to fellow substitute Leandro Trossard, who sends an inswinger into the mixer.
None other than Zubimendi rises highest to meet the Belgian's cross, and his looping header is perfectly-placed into the top corner beyond Sels's reach.
MAN OF THE MATCH - MARTIN ZUBIMENDI
Martin Zubimendi celebrates scoring for Arsenal on September 13, 2025
Arguably half of Arteta's team could have had a case to take home the individual accolade, but Saturday was Zubimendi's day, and the Spaniard more than justified his £60m price tag.
Zubimendi's opening volley could not have been struck any sweeter, and the leap for his second was nothing short of majestic.
ARSENAL VS. NOTTINGHAM FOREST MATCH STATS
Possession: Arsenal 54%-46% Nottingham Forest
Shots: Arsenal 16-5 Nottingham Forest
Shots on target: Arsenal 5-1 Nottingham Forest
Corners: Arsenal 8-3 Nottingham Forest
Fouls: Arsenal 8-10 Nottingham Forest
BEST STATS
Martín Zubimendi's maiden goal for Arsenal was also the first he's ever scored from outside the box in top-flight league competition. pic.twitter.com/VgxpA8F2M8
— Opta Analyst (@OptaAnalyst) September 13, 2025
Martín Zubimendi has scored twice in the same game for the first time in his top-flight club career. pic.twitter.com/i4naDKs3sg
— Opta Analyst (@OptaAnalyst) September 13, 2025
WHAT NEXT?
Arsenal will travel to Spain for Tuesday's Champions League opener against Athletic Bilbao with a spring in their step, before next weekend's Premier League main event against Manchester City at the Emirates.
Meanwhile, Postecoglou - who has now lost four of his five matches against Arteta - will go in search of his first win as Forest boss away to Swansea City in the EFL Cup on Wednesday, three days before a trip to Burnley in the top flight.
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