Nottingham Forest manager Ange Postecoglou has come to the defence of his players after their heavy 3-0 defeat against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium.
The match marked Postecoglou’s first loss in charge of Forest, as goals from Martin Zubimendi and Viktor Gyökeres handed Arsenal a comfortable victory. Zubimendi struck twice, while Gyökeres added another to seal all three points for the home side.
Postecoglou admits defeat but praises Arsenal
After the final whistle, [Postecoglou accepted that the result was disappointing](http://Ange Postecoglou defends his Nottingham Forest players after a 3-0 loss to Arsenal, citing a tough week and praising their effort.) but stressed the quality of the Arsenal side.
He explained that even when a visiting team plays well, it remains a huge challenge to compete at the Emirates.
“It’s a disappointing result, whenever you lose a game of football it’s disappointing. Fair play to them, they’re a very good side, especially here at home. If everything’s going well it’s still a difficult task to come here.”
The Australian manager was realistic about the size of the task and acknowledged that his players struggled to gain control during the match.
A disruptive week for Nottingham Forest
Postecoglou continued by placing the defeat in context. He highlighted the challenges his squad had faced over the past week, describing it as unsettling for many of his players. He also admitted that the group is still adjusting to new surroundings and expectations.
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“But to keep my disappointment in terms of the result in context, it’s been a very disruptive week for the players. Seven days ago their world was totally different from what it is today. You’ve got to understand that, I certainly do.”
Despite the setback, Postecoglou was not overly critical of his team. He commended their hard work and determination, even though they could not find a way to influence the match.
“I can’t fault the players’ endeavour and effort. I thought we hung in there, but we never really had control of the game at any point.”
The Forest boss remains focused on helping his squad settle quickly. He believes stability and time will be vital in building momentum after a turbulent start.
Nottingham Forest will now aim to bounce back when they travel to Wales for their EFL Cup third round tie against Swansea City.
The fixture presents a chance to regain confidence and push for a positive result away from the Premier League spotlight.