Arsenal were rampant against Nottingham Forest, but one player in particular caught the eye of former Gunners star Nacho Monreal.
Mikel Arteta’s team made it a tough start to life for Ange Postecoglou at Nottingham Forest as they comfortably won 3-0 at the Emirates Stadium.
Martin Zubimendi’s brace and Viktor Gyokeres’ second-half goal secured the win for the North London side, placing them top of the Premier League.
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After the match, one of Arsenal’s cult heroes, Nacho Monreal, hailed the display of one key Arsenal player as he shone against Forest.
Martin Zubimendi celebrates during Arsenal v Nottingham Forest - Premier League
Photo by David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images
Nacho Monreal hails Martin Zubimendi’s performance against Nottingham Forest
Monreal has hailed Zubimendi’s performance against Nottingham Forest and was quick to celebrate Arsenal’s impressive 3-0 win.
Zubimendi really impressed against Forest, showing that he offers much more than just being a defensive number six.
Reacting to the win, the former Arsenal star wrote on his Instagram: “What a player, Martin Zubimendi. Congrats, Gooners.”
📲 Nacho Monreal on Instagram, after his former teammate Martin Zubimendi scored for Arsenal yesterday.
🗣️ ‘What a player, Martin Zubimendi. Congrats gooners ❤️’ pic.twitter.com/0BeNlmurqq
— DailyAFC (@DailyAFC) September 14, 2025
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The midfielder’s stunning volley stole the headlines for the match, as he crashed home his effort from just outside the penalty area to hand Arsenal the lead.
The Spanish media were also full of praise for Zubimendi as the 26-year-old was particularly impressive against Bulgaria in World Cup qualifying.
Zubimendi, who nearly signed for Liverpool, is quickly proving himself to be one of the best summer signings, whilst Noni Madueke also stunned against Forest.
Unsurprisingly, the Spaniard won the Man of the Match award for his display against Forest, also managing 49 touches and an 84 per cent pass accuracy.
Why Martin Zubimendi was so happy with his two Arsenal goals
Zubimendi has admitted that he has been working hard to add more goals to his game, having netted on just two occasions for Real Sociedad last term.
Zubimendi said: “I was actually more focused on thinking about defending because they were on the counter, but then the ball fell at my feet, I took the shot and it went in.
Almost as impressive as Martin Zubimendi’s brace!
Alex Aljoe translates her own questions and Zubimendi’s answers, following Arsenal’s 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest 👏 pic.twitter.com/YP5WLEZ5kz
— Premier League (@premierleague) September 13, 2025
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“It’s something that I’ve been working on, really working hard to try and score more goals, which I’m so happy with my two goals today.”
The midfielder will now be hoping that his brace against Forest will give him the confidence to continue to grow in an Arsenal shirt over the rest of the season.